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.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label grocery store. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grocery store. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Height of the Summer Harvest
I awoke to another amazing morning. It was perfectly comfortable in my apartment as I had cereal for breakfast and watched two more East Side Kids movies. Follow the Leader has Mugs (Leo Gorcey), out of the army due to bad eyesight, getting involved with a smuggling ring. Mugs is a jockey in Mr. Mugs Rides Again. When he's barred from racing due to a fixed race, he vows to find a way to help an elderly horse owner win the money she needs to keep her stable open, whether he races or not.
I didn't start today's errands until past 12:30. The Oaklyn Library was pretty quiet when I arrived. It was too nice of a day for a lot of people to be online. I organized DVDs - the kids' section was really bad - shelved a few kids' books, and headed out.
Next stop was Rite Aid. I needed a 9 Volt battery for one of the fire alarms in my apartment. I originally wanted to take out money, but they didn't let you take out as much as I needed. After I finished there, I went across the street for a quick, quiet lunch at Thriftway. They had a small cafe area. The sweet girl behind the counter made a tasty grilled cheese sandwich on rye with Swiss cheese, tomato, and bacon. I added a small Perrier for a great quick, simple lunch.
Next spent some time at the Haddon Township Library. There was a nice stack of DVDs to shelve today, both adult and kids' titles. This time, all of those darn "s" titles didn't make it onto the shelves. They have really, really at least got to clear out Scooby Doo titles. They don't need every single one of those three-episode monster-themed collections. I forgot something with my address on it, which meant I couldn't renew my library card today and didn't take anything out.
Just as well. After another brief stop, this time at the Westmont Acme to get money and a soft pretzel, I moved on to the Westmont Farm Market. The traffic was crazy on Haddon Avenue. Good thing there was a crossing guard this time that helped people get where they were going. Other than there were more food booths and the Sweet Pea Ice Cream cart was on the end of the block instead of the beginning, things were pretty much the same as they were last week. Cherries were gone, but the smaller melons had made their debuts. Squash is huge this year, some as long as baseball bats! I'd never figure out what to do with zucchini that size. I ended up with blackberries, blueberries, two much smaller yellow squash, one of the miniature cantaloupes, a tomato, a cucumber, and a smaller, pale white yellow pickling cucumber.
Went home via Newton Lake Park. It was a gorgeous day for it. It was in the mid-80s by 5:30, with a blue sky, a nice breeze, and no humidity whatsoever. Most families were probably getting dinner, but there were tons of people out for a walk, fishing, or riding bikes. I saw a lot of kids on bikes as I headed down West Clinton Avenue towards Manor as well.
Ran one of the later Sach/Slip-focused Bowery Boys movies as I put my groceries away. The Boys are Jungle Gents when it's discovered that Sach's sinus medicine gives him the ability to smell diamonds. Following an older man who is in search of a lost diamond mine, the four and Louie head for Africa. No one's happy with Sach when he accidentally burns the map. Sach has other things on his mind - he keeps encountering a gorgeous jungle native who seems to have fallen for him.
I did make it to Rose's for dinner around 6:30. Hark, hark, Toby and Kelsey did bark! Turns out Rose and the dogs and I were the only ones eating. Craig had to work (he's still a waiter at Anthony's in Haddon Heights), and Khai was tired and cranky after pre school and went to bed early. No matter. We both enjoyed an excellent meal of green beans, wild rice, and slow-cooker chicken legs that were so tender, they fell off the bone. We chatted and ate for a little while, until Rose decided she'd hit the sack early, too. I thanked her and headed home.
I didn't start today's errands until past 12:30. The Oaklyn Library was pretty quiet when I arrived. It was too nice of a day for a lot of people to be online. I organized DVDs - the kids' section was really bad - shelved a few kids' books, and headed out.
Next stop was Rite Aid. I needed a 9 Volt battery for one of the fire alarms in my apartment. I originally wanted to take out money, but they didn't let you take out as much as I needed. After I finished there, I went across the street for a quick, quiet lunch at Thriftway. They had a small cafe area. The sweet girl behind the counter made a tasty grilled cheese sandwich on rye with Swiss cheese, tomato, and bacon. I added a small Perrier for a great quick, simple lunch.
Next spent some time at the Haddon Township Library. There was a nice stack of DVDs to shelve today, both adult and kids' titles. This time, all of those darn "s" titles didn't make it onto the shelves. They have really, really at least got to clear out Scooby Doo titles. They don't need every single one of those three-episode monster-themed collections. I forgot something with my address on it, which meant I couldn't renew my library card today and didn't take anything out.
Just as well. After another brief stop, this time at the Westmont Acme to get money and a soft pretzel, I moved on to the Westmont Farm Market. The traffic was crazy on Haddon Avenue. Good thing there was a crossing guard this time that helped people get where they were going. Other than there were more food booths and the Sweet Pea Ice Cream cart was on the end of the block instead of the beginning, things were pretty much the same as they were last week. Cherries were gone, but the smaller melons had made their debuts. Squash is huge this year, some as long as baseball bats! I'd never figure out what to do with zucchini that size. I ended up with blackberries, blueberries, two much smaller yellow squash, one of the miniature cantaloupes, a tomato, a cucumber, and a smaller, pale white yellow pickling cucumber.
Went home via Newton Lake Park. It was a gorgeous day for it. It was in the mid-80s by 5:30, with a blue sky, a nice breeze, and no humidity whatsoever. Most families were probably getting dinner, but there were tons of people out for a walk, fishing, or riding bikes. I saw a lot of kids on bikes as I headed down West Clinton Avenue towards Manor as well.
Ran one of the later Sach/Slip-focused Bowery Boys movies as I put my groceries away. The Boys are Jungle Gents when it's discovered that Sach's sinus medicine gives him the ability to smell diamonds. Following an older man who is in search of a lost diamond mine, the four and Louie head for Africa. No one's happy with Sach when he accidentally burns the map. Sach has other things on his mind - he keeps encountering a gorgeous jungle native who seems to have fallen for him.
I did make it to Rose's for dinner around 6:30. Hark, hark, Toby and Kelsey did bark! Turns out Rose and the dogs and I were the only ones eating. Craig had to work (he's still a waiter at Anthony's in Haddon Heights), and Khai was tired and cranky after pre school and went to bed early. No matter. We both enjoyed an excellent meal of green beans, wild rice, and slow-cooker chicken legs that were so tender, they fell off the bone. We chatted and ate for a little while, until Rose decided she'd hit the sack early, too. I thanked her and headed home.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Winter Was Warm
By the time I got up this morning, the fog had lifted, but the clouds remained. It was ridiculously warm for this time of year too, probably into the lower 60s. It was so warm, I was fine in my red Cape May hoodie sweatshirt throughout the day.
Needless to say, I dodged a rather large crowd in Newton River Park this morning. There were all kinds of people out and about, despite it still being wet and humid. I rode past joggers, fishermen, walkers, and one college-age woman with the cutest dog; it had whitish fur with brown and tan patches.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy. I didn't do much with the kids' section, mainly because I couldn't. The three shelves are so overloaded, it's hard to keep series and letters together anymore. They either need to buy a fourth shelf or weed out their children's collections. (Do they really need 30 different Bob the Builder, Pokemon, and Sesame Street sets?) I had an easier time pulling foreign and kids' titles from the adult shelves. Wound up taking out more Jake and the Neverland Pirates, along with Time After Time (I STILL haven't gotten to it), the recent theatrical 21 Jump Street (amazingly enough, I heard it was pretty funny), and Quantum of Silence (with the most recent James Bond film in theaters, I figured I'd finally get to the last one).
I rose straight to Haddonfield after leaving the library. Well...almost straight. I usually cut through Westmont, but the bridge that leads from the Westmont neighborhoods to Crystal Lake Roads was being repaired. I finally found another road that worked and had no more problems.
Had lunch at Amino Juice and Burrito Bar when I got in. I ate at this unusual organic foods eatery on a visit to Haddonfield last year and enjoyed it. Alas, my "Porky & Petunia" petito (small burrito) wasn't nearly as tasty as the one I had last year. It was pork, lettuce, and pineapple salsa...but other than the slightly spicy salsa, the pork was really kind of bland. It also made a mess; my sweater smelled like pork by the time I got home. The juice was much better. It was a "Jersey Girl" juice blend, a sweet, frothy mix of peach, banana, and strawberry.
I browsed in Haddonfield for a little while after lunch. I was disappointed to find that the Happy Hippo Toy Store had heavily reduced its stock of WebKinz. They only had a small basket of them, mostly Yetis. And sometime in the last six months or so, the gift shop Jamaican Me Crazy renamed itself to the less-imaginative Forever Young and moved to the campus of Rowan College in Glassboro.
Thankfully, the therapist's office wasn't hard to find. Ms. Stahl has two rooms on the side of a large Victorian building, just a few blocks away from the main shopping district. I was surprised to walk in and see a small room overstuffed with toys, books, papers, a big, soft futon chair, and a huge stuffed teddy bear in the window. I arrived a little early, so I settled down with a book on classic toys and read until she was ready to receive me.
My appointment went very well. Ms. Stahl turned out to be a cheerful blond woman in her early 50s. Her office was even smaller than the entrance, but a bit brighter and better organized...though she did have a closet filled with toys, including what appeared to be a vintage 70s-80s Little People House, like the one my sisters and I had when we were little.
We mainly discussed the basics. I outlined the reasons I was there - to improve my confidence, work on social skills and networking so I could find a better job, and learn to deal with events and problems in my life that have crippled me for decades. I explained about my complicated family situation, my trouble in school, the early puberty (I developed at age 9; had my period a year later) and being moved to the Special Services School District, my parents' marital troubles and how that impacted me, and how I ended up in Wildwood and eventually moved up here. I also told her about my difficult fall and how it lead me to seek counseling for the first time in three years.
Ms. Stahl was really sweet and upbeat. She said she could understand why I was having problems making use of my communications degree; the Internet was eliminating many communications jobs even as I was graduating college. And I just don't have the confidence to go more aggressively after jobs. I'm quiet, introverted, and prefer to take life at my own pace...exactly the opposite of what most jobs at sites like Monster.com are advertising for. I don't want to end up at another job that will make me as crazy as the Acme.
I still really want to work from home. Though I was sometimes bored being stuck at home for two months, it did give me a chance to start writing again and finally move towards becoming a freelance writer. The trouble is, I still don't have much of a portfolio. There's the whole "I don't sell myself well" thing, too. Not to mention, those two online business courses I took last year only ended up freaking me out. I didn't want to start a retail business; I just wanted to figure out how to sell my writing.
There's also my weight to consider. I've had weight problems since my early development between 1988 and 1990, and they've just ballooned since. I'd like to go back to the gym, but I don't have the money. Paying for yoga classes costs enough as it is. There's also the fact that, as Mom reminded me in the fall, a lot of food that is good for you - especially fruits and vegetables - aren't cheap. (And they certainly aren't at this time of the year!)
I'll be going back to Haddonfield on the 29th. Ms. Stahl pretty much said until then to try to eat better and work on my writing. We'll probably go more into my past and my hobbies next time.
I made a few stops on the way home. I wanted to see if JoAnn's had any Christmas yarn on clearance. They had Christmas yarn, but it wasn't part of their clearance sale. I did end up getting a few other things on clearance, though - two more containers of cookie and baked good holders (one a Wilton, the other Martha Stewart), another clearance crochet pattern book (this one themed with "comfort" items to donate to those in need), and a cute little bear bobblehead who was also on clearance. He had a chipped ear, but a little paint should fix that.
As I rode across the Westmont Plaza parking lot, I saw cranes removing Super Fresh's signage on the building and on the mall entrance signs. Sigh. They officially closed last Friday. I'm going to miss them. Their produce was terrible and they didn't always have the best prices, but they did have decent sales on some things, like maple syrup, grits, and cooking spray.
Managed to get across Cuthbert Road at rush hour long enough to pick up money and milk at Rite Aid. (I gave Ms. Stahl all the money I had on me for my co-pay. Unlike Genesis Counseling, she doesn't accept credit cards.) After that, I finally headed home.
Dubbed the 1954 Beau Brummell as I made Teriyaki and Ginger Pollack with Escarole and broccoli and cheese for dinner. Stewart Granger is Brummell, a famous dandy who rose up from poverty to become the adviser to the weak-willed Prince of Wales (a very young Peter Ustinov). He attempts to woo the fair Lady Patricia (Elizabeth Taylor), but she's already engaged to a rather dull politician. What goes up must come down...and that includes careers. A quarrel with the Prince ends with Brummell leaving England in disgrace.
This is actually a remake of a 1924 silent film with John Barrymore. Neither Granger nor Taylor are particularly convincing as dashing lovers in big hats. Ustinov and Robert Morley are much better as the childish Prince and his insane, paranoid father. It doesn't appear to be on DVD at the moment; fans of Taylor will want to catch this one on TCM.
Oh, and the clouds finally burst shortly after I got home. It's been raining hard on and off ever since, and looks like it will continue to do so for the next two days.
By the time I got up this morning, the fog had lifted, but the clouds remained. It was ridiculously warm for this time of year too, probably into the lower 60s. It was so warm, I was fine in my red Cape May hoodie sweatshirt throughout the day.
Needless to say, I dodged a rather large crowd in Newton River Park this morning. There were all kinds of people out and about, despite it still being wet and humid. I rode past joggers, fishermen, walkers, and one college-age woman with the cutest dog; it had whitish fur with brown and tan patches.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy. I didn't do much with the kids' section, mainly because I couldn't. The three shelves are so overloaded, it's hard to keep series and letters together anymore. They either need to buy a fourth shelf or weed out their children's collections. (Do they really need 30 different Bob the Builder, Pokemon, and Sesame Street sets?) I had an easier time pulling foreign and kids' titles from the adult shelves. Wound up taking out more Jake and the Neverland Pirates, along with Time After Time (I STILL haven't gotten to it), the recent theatrical 21 Jump Street (amazingly enough, I heard it was pretty funny), and Quantum of Silence (with the most recent James Bond film in theaters, I figured I'd finally get to the last one).
I rose straight to Haddonfield after leaving the library. Well...almost straight. I usually cut through Westmont, but the bridge that leads from the Westmont neighborhoods to Crystal Lake Roads was being repaired. I finally found another road that worked and had no more problems.
Had lunch at Amino Juice and Burrito Bar when I got in. I ate at this unusual organic foods eatery on a visit to Haddonfield last year and enjoyed it. Alas, my "Porky & Petunia" petito (small burrito) wasn't nearly as tasty as the one I had last year. It was pork, lettuce, and pineapple salsa...but other than the slightly spicy salsa, the pork was really kind of bland. It also made a mess; my sweater smelled like pork by the time I got home. The juice was much better. It was a "Jersey Girl" juice blend, a sweet, frothy mix of peach, banana, and strawberry.
I browsed in Haddonfield for a little while after lunch. I was disappointed to find that the Happy Hippo Toy Store had heavily reduced its stock of WebKinz. They only had a small basket of them, mostly Yetis. And sometime in the last six months or so, the gift shop Jamaican Me Crazy renamed itself to the less-imaginative Forever Young and moved to the campus of Rowan College in Glassboro.
Thankfully, the therapist's office wasn't hard to find. Ms. Stahl has two rooms on the side of a large Victorian building, just a few blocks away from the main shopping district. I was surprised to walk in and see a small room overstuffed with toys, books, papers, a big, soft futon chair, and a huge stuffed teddy bear in the window. I arrived a little early, so I settled down with a book on classic toys and read until she was ready to receive me.
My appointment went very well. Ms. Stahl turned out to be a cheerful blond woman in her early 50s. Her office was even smaller than the entrance, but a bit brighter and better organized...though she did have a closet filled with toys, including what appeared to be a vintage 70s-80s Little People House, like the one my sisters and I had when we were little.
We mainly discussed the basics. I outlined the reasons I was there - to improve my confidence, work on social skills and networking so I could find a better job, and learn to deal with events and problems in my life that have crippled me for decades. I explained about my complicated family situation, my trouble in school, the early puberty (I developed at age 9; had my period a year later) and being moved to the Special Services School District, my parents' marital troubles and how that impacted me, and how I ended up in Wildwood and eventually moved up here. I also told her about my difficult fall and how it lead me to seek counseling for the first time in three years.
Ms. Stahl was really sweet and upbeat. She said she could understand why I was having problems making use of my communications degree; the Internet was eliminating many communications jobs even as I was graduating college. And I just don't have the confidence to go more aggressively after jobs. I'm quiet, introverted, and prefer to take life at my own pace...exactly the opposite of what most jobs at sites like Monster.com are advertising for. I don't want to end up at another job that will make me as crazy as the Acme.
I still really want to work from home. Though I was sometimes bored being stuck at home for two months, it did give me a chance to start writing again and finally move towards becoming a freelance writer. The trouble is, I still don't have much of a portfolio. There's the whole "I don't sell myself well" thing, too. Not to mention, those two online business courses I took last year only ended up freaking me out. I didn't want to start a retail business; I just wanted to figure out how to sell my writing.
There's also my weight to consider. I've had weight problems since my early development between 1988 and 1990, and they've just ballooned since. I'd like to go back to the gym, but I don't have the money. Paying for yoga classes costs enough as it is. There's also the fact that, as Mom reminded me in the fall, a lot of food that is good for you - especially fruits and vegetables - aren't cheap. (And they certainly aren't at this time of the year!)
I'll be going back to Haddonfield on the 29th. Ms. Stahl pretty much said until then to try to eat better and work on my writing. We'll probably go more into my past and my hobbies next time.
I made a few stops on the way home. I wanted to see if JoAnn's had any Christmas yarn on clearance. They had Christmas yarn, but it wasn't part of their clearance sale. I did end up getting a few other things on clearance, though - two more containers of cookie and baked good holders (one a Wilton, the other Martha Stewart), another clearance crochet pattern book (this one themed with "comfort" items to donate to those in need), and a cute little bear bobblehead who was also on clearance. He had a chipped ear, but a little paint should fix that.
As I rode across the Westmont Plaza parking lot, I saw cranes removing Super Fresh's signage on the building and on the mall entrance signs. Sigh. They officially closed last Friday. I'm going to miss them. Their produce was terrible and they didn't always have the best prices, but they did have decent sales on some things, like maple syrup, grits, and cooking spray.
Managed to get across Cuthbert Road at rush hour long enough to pick up money and milk at Rite Aid. (I gave Ms. Stahl all the money I had on me for my co-pay. Unlike Genesis Counseling, she doesn't accept credit cards.) After that, I finally headed home.
Dubbed the 1954 Beau Brummell as I made Teriyaki and Ginger Pollack with Escarole and broccoli and cheese for dinner. Stewart Granger is Brummell, a famous dandy who rose up from poverty to become the adviser to the weak-willed Prince of Wales (a very young Peter Ustinov). He attempts to woo the fair Lady Patricia (Elizabeth Taylor), but she's already engaged to a rather dull politician. What goes up must come down...and that includes careers. A quarrel with the Prince ends with Brummell leaving England in disgrace.
This is actually a remake of a 1924 silent film with John Barrymore. Neither Granger nor Taylor are particularly convincing as dashing lovers in big hats. Ustinov and Robert Morley are much better as the childish Prince and his insane, paranoid father. It doesn't appear to be on DVD at the moment; fans of Taylor will want to catch this one on TCM.
Oh, and the clouds finally burst shortly after I got home. It's been raining hard on and off ever since, and looks like it will continue to do so for the next two days.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Confusion at the Supermarket
I was writing in my journal this morning when I got a call from Rose. Did I want to go to Wegman's in Cherry Hill with her and Khai? She had to make a small grocery shopping run. Sure. It was better than going grocery shopping after work or running out in the heat on my bike.
It was still hot, sunny, and muggy when Rose finally picked me up and we headed to Cherry Hill. Wegman's is a huge, high-end grocery store in the same box store shopping center that also features Panera Bread, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, the Christmas Tree Shop, and the Cherry Hill Barnes & Noble. Despite its huge size and location in the middle of nowhere, it's extremely popular, especially with people looking for organic or gourmet food that the other local supermarket chains don't carry.
I shouldn't have left Rose. We separated when we came in because we needed different things...but I forgot I don't know this store well. The entire front half of the store is nothing but expensive organic food and things like dishes and appliances that really belong a few doors down at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It took me ten minutes just to find the aisles with the normal food. I never did find brown eggs; ended up with regular white ones.
The trouble with Wegman's is, because they give so much of their store over to the fancy stuff, their selection on normal food isn't that great. They didn't have the French Vanilla mousse mixes I wanted or all of the flavors of Emerald Trail Mix bags that the Acme does. (Although they did have one flavor the Acme doesn't carry, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana.) On the other hand, their Royal pudding mixes are a scant 29 cents, their regular large white eggs and generic natural peanut butter are pretty cheap, and they had good sales on their generic Cinnamon Life cereal and the Fig Newtons Thins Cookies. I needed laundry detergent; Dynamo turned out to be on a good sale. I found a 7-file folder further down in the same aisle. I've needed to clear out the folder with my old college and high school papers.
I couldn't find the express lanes when I finally made it up front, either. I heard my cell phone ring as I hit a fairly long line. It was a frantic Rose, who was dealing with a crying baby in her car. Where was I? Why hadn't I called her? I hadn't realized I'd been in the store for almost an hour! It hadn't felt that long. I figured I'd be long out before she was. Having to wait for a girl to grab a manager to use the house card didn't help matters. I quickly packed two bags I brought from home and hurried out.
I couldn't find Rose in the parking lot, either. She'd moved the van. She finally found me up in front of the store. I'm still pretty mad at myself, though I think Rose was more annoyed than anything else. I seriously hadn't figured I'd take so long. I didn't know she called three times before I picked up the phone, either. I was paying attention to my shopping. I'm not used to doing things with other people or considering their schedules.
I finally got home around 11:30. I had just enough time to put everything away, rearrange my file folders, go online and check my e-mail, then watch some Stooges while eating a quick seafood and salad lunch. Curly's not saying "I Can Hardly Wait" when Moe tries everything he can to get his younger brother's sore tooth out. In "Dizzy Pilots," Moe's ego isn't the only thing that's inflated when the Stooges try to build their own airplane and stay out of the army. And the trio find themselves in "A Gem of a Jam" when gangsters mistake them for doctors and expect them to operate on one of them who was shot in a robbery.
Work was fairly busy all day. We're getting close to the beginning of the month, and there's still a lot of birthday and graduation parties going on. I was thankfully in and out, with no major problems.
I'm not crazy about my schedule. On one hand, I have two days off, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday and Tuesday are really long days, though - Monday is 8 1/2 hours! And then I work late Friday and Saturday. I'm not looking forward to it at all.
The sky had been darkening for almost an hour when I started home. The wind was whipping around my bike as I hurried down the Black Horse Pike. I know I saw lightening in the distance. I felt the first raindrops as I sped over the ramp into Oaklyn. It wasn't as bad when I was on Kendall, but it picked up when I turned onto Manor. I was soaked when I walked in my door.
I dried off with Limes n' Cream Pudding Pie and some spooky Stooges. Moe and Larry are thrilled when Curly inherits a fortune in "If a Body Meets a Body." They have to spend the night in a spooky mansion and figure out the murder of Curly's uncle...not to mention what's walking around under that skull...in order to find out what he inherits.
The storm continued through the Stooges and my shower. In fact, the thunder and lightening only just ended, though the rain's been gone for a while.
I was writing in my journal this morning when I got a call from Rose. Did I want to go to Wegman's in Cherry Hill with her and Khai? She had to make a small grocery shopping run. Sure. It was better than going grocery shopping after work or running out in the heat on my bike.
It was still hot, sunny, and muggy when Rose finally picked me up and we headed to Cherry Hill. Wegman's is a huge, high-end grocery store in the same box store shopping center that also features Panera Bread, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, the Christmas Tree Shop, and the Cherry Hill Barnes & Noble. Despite its huge size and location in the middle of nowhere, it's extremely popular, especially with people looking for organic or gourmet food that the other local supermarket chains don't carry.
I shouldn't have left Rose. We separated when we came in because we needed different things...but I forgot I don't know this store well. The entire front half of the store is nothing but expensive organic food and things like dishes and appliances that really belong a few doors down at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It took me ten minutes just to find the aisles with the normal food. I never did find brown eggs; ended up with regular white ones.
The trouble with Wegman's is, because they give so much of their store over to the fancy stuff, their selection on normal food isn't that great. They didn't have the French Vanilla mousse mixes I wanted or all of the flavors of Emerald Trail Mix bags that the Acme does. (Although they did have one flavor the Acme doesn't carry, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana.) On the other hand, their Royal pudding mixes are a scant 29 cents, their regular large white eggs and generic natural peanut butter are pretty cheap, and they had good sales on their generic Cinnamon Life cereal and the Fig Newtons Thins Cookies. I needed laundry detergent; Dynamo turned out to be on a good sale. I found a 7-file folder further down in the same aisle. I've needed to clear out the folder with my old college and high school papers.
I couldn't find the express lanes when I finally made it up front, either. I heard my cell phone ring as I hit a fairly long line. It was a frantic Rose, who was dealing with a crying baby in her car. Where was I? Why hadn't I called her? I hadn't realized I'd been in the store for almost an hour! It hadn't felt that long. I figured I'd be long out before she was. Having to wait for a girl to grab a manager to use the house card didn't help matters. I quickly packed two bags I brought from home and hurried out.
I couldn't find Rose in the parking lot, either. She'd moved the van. She finally found me up in front of the store. I'm still pretty mad at myself, though I think Rose was more annoyed than anything else. I seriously hadn't figured I'd take so long. I didn't know she called three times before I picked up the phone, either. I was paying attention to my shopping. I'm not used to doing things with other people or considering their schedules.
I finally got home around 11:30. I had just enough time to put everything away, rearrange my file folders, go online and check my e-mail, then watch some Stooges while eating a quick seafood and salad lunch. Curly's not saying "I Can Hardly Wait" when Moe tries everything he can to get his younger brother's sore tooth out. In "Dizzy Pilots," Moe's ego isn't the only thing that's inflated when the Stooges try to build their own airplane and stay out of the army. And the trio find themselves in "A Gem of a Jam" when gangsters mistake them for doctors and expect them to operate on one of them who was shot in a robbery.
Work was fairly busy all day. We're getting close to the beginning of the month, and there's still a lot of birthday and graduation parties going on. I was thankfully in and out, with no major problems.
I'm not crazy about my schedule. On one hand, I have two days off, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday and Tuesday are really long days, though - Monday is 8 1/2 hours! And then I work late Friday and Saturday. I'm not looking forward to it at all.
The sky had been darkening for almost an hour when I started home. The wind was whipping around my bike as I hurried down the Black Horse Pike. I know I saw lightening in the distance. I felt the first raindrops as I sped over the ramp into Oaklyn. It wasn't as bad when I was on Kendall, but it picked up when I turned onto Manor. I was soaked when I walked in my door.
I dried off with Limes n' Cream Pudding Pie and some spooky Stooges. Moe and Larry are thrilled when Curly inherits a fortune in "If a Body Meets a Body." They have to spend the night in a spooky mansion and figure out the murder of Curly's uncle...not to mention what's walking around under that skull...in order to find out what he inherits.
The storm continued through the Stooges and my shower. In fact, the thunder and lightening only just ended, though the rain's been gone for a while.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Dust Removal Be My Destiny
Slept in a bit this morning, then watched Three Stooges shorts while having an escarole and mushroom omelet for breakfast. I pulled on my new boots and headed for the Acme around quarter after 11.
I tried to take a shortcut through Audubon Park to avoid the snow on the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike, but it really didn't end up being very short. Audubon Park is a 50s development that's all cul-de-sacs, plain houses surrounded by fences, and roads that go nowhere. It took me ten minutes to find a road that went to Nicholson.
I didn't really have much shopping to do in any case. I mostly needed to restock fruit and vegetables - grapefruit, Brussels sprouts, bananas, and celery. I also needed Smart Balance butter (which turned out to be on sale), a little yogurt (which wasn't on sale - good thing I only needed two containers), and good Colby and Parmesan cheese from the deli. (I love the Collingswood Farm Market's brick cheese so much that I've decided not to buy the regular brick cheese from the dairy section anymore. Why buy any old thing when you can get the good stuff?)
Even with a ride home from a frequent customer who is also a neighbor of my uncle's, it was still past 1 when I got in. I was going to walk to Audubon today, but I just plain ran out of time. I had leftover stir-fry for lunch, then went for a shorter walk in the neighborhood instead.
Tried going to the Oaklyn Library, but they seem to have returned to their original 10-2 and 4-8 schedule, and it was around 2:30 when I got there. I opted to head for the bank next, and then to CVS to pick up shampoo and a get-well-soon card for my landlady Miss Ellie, who hurt her knees on the patch of ice in front of her side of the house.
Spent the rest of the evening at home, dusting, putting up the remaining general winter decorations, and watching more Three Stooges and the Danny Kaye movie On the Riviera. Like Wonder Man, Kaye is once again playing doubles, this time an American comedian and a French pilot who needs him to appear as him at a very important function. The comedian has to fool the pilot's beautiful wife, too, and he does...only too well, which doesn't make the comedian's girlfriend happy.
Actually, I was a little disappointed with this one. All the Technicolor and fancy dance numbers in the world can't hide an oft-told plot that lacks the verve and goofiness of the somewhat similar Wonder Man. (And it's a very oft-told plot. This is the third remake of this story for 20th Century Fox, going back to 1935's Follies Bergeire, where the entertainer was the very real Frenchman Maurice Chevalier.) Gene Tierney is about as much fun as a block of ice as the unhappy wife and is clearly out of her element in a musical.
On the other hand, this is worth seeing for Kaye fans to catch him playing a somewhat normal, non-nervous guy for a change...and for his incredibly relaxed and even sexy version of "Ballin' the Jack."
Sigh. And yes, the back tire on my bike has finally gone completely flat. I'll take it up to Haddonfield tomorrow to see if that bike shop can look at it. The Acme actually tried to call me in for tomorrow, but I really want to get the biked looked at...not to mention, I haven't had off since last weekend and was really looking forward to having this weekend off.
Slept in a bit this morning, then watched Three Stooges shorts while having an escarole and mushroom omelet for breakfast. I pulled on my new boots and headed for the Acme around quarter after 11.
I tried to take a shortcut through Audubon Park to avoid the snow on the sidewalk on the Black Horse Pike, but it really didn't end up being very short. Audubon Park is a 50s development that's all cul-de-sacs, plain houses surrounded by fences, and roads that go nowhere. It took me ten minutes to find a road that went to Nicholson.
I didn't really have much shopping to do in any case. I mostly needed to restock fruit and vegetables - grapefruit, Brussels sprouts, bananas, and celery. I also needed Smart Balance butter (which turned out to be on sale), a little yogurt (which wasn't on sale - good thing I only needed two containers), and good Colby and Parmesan cheese from the deli. (I love the Collingswood Farm Market's brick cheese so much that I've decided not to buy the regular brick cheese from the dairy section anymore. Why buy any old thing when you can get the good stuff?)
Even with a ride home from a frequent customer who is also a neighbor of my uncle's, it was still past 1 when I got in. I was going to walk to Audubon today, but I just plain ran out of time. I had leftover stir-fry for lunch, then went for a shorter walk in the neighborhood instead.
Tried going to the Oaklyn Library, but they seem to have returned to their original 10-2 and 4-8 schedule, and it was around 2:30 when I got there. I opted to head for the bank next, and then to CVS to pick up shampoo and a get-well-soon card for my landlady Miss Ellie, who hurt her knees on the patch of ice in front of her side of the house.
Spent the rest of the evening at home, dusting, putting up the remaining general winter decorations, and watching more Three Stooges and the Danny Kaye movie On the Riviera. Like Wonder Man, Kaye is once again playing doubles, this time an American comedian and a French pilot who needs him to appear as him at a very important function. The comedian has to fool the pilot's beautiful wife, too, and he does...only too well, which doesn't make the comedian's girlfriend happy.
Actually, I was a little disappointed with this one. All the Technicolor and fancy dance numbers in the world can't hide an oft-told plot that lacks the verve and goofiness of the somewhat similar Wonder Man. (And it's a very oft-told plot. This is the third remake of this story for 20th Century Fox, going back to 1935's Follies Bergeire, where the entertainer was the very real Frenchman Maurice Chevalier.) Gene Tierney is about as much fun as a block of ice as the unhappy wife and is clearly out of her element in a musical.
On the other hand, this is worth seeing for Kaye fans to catch him playing a somewhat normal, non-nervous guy for a change...and for his incredibly relaxed and even sexy version of "Ballin' the Jack."
Sigh. And yes, the back tire on my bike has finally gone completely flat. I'll take it up to Haddonfield tomorrow to see if that bike shop can look at it. The Acme actually tried to call me in for tomorrow, but I really want to get the biked looked at...not to mention, I haven't had off since last weekend and was really looking forward to having this weekend off.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Hark the Herold Angels Sing...and Get Tough
I once again began my day by sleeping in and reading The Great Santa Search and my wonderful new Bowery Boys books in bed. I didn't get moving until quarter of 10! When I did get going, I had grits for breakfast and watched the only Care Bears holiday special to date, The Care Bears Nutcracker. Originally a Care Bears Family episode (complete with the original credits), this is a very, very loose retelling of the famous ballet.
Actually, one of the things I like about the Care Bears version is that it's up-front about how loose this story is. The ballet teacher says right away that there's more than one way of telling this story...and one involves a little girl who just lost her best friend. When some of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins come down to Earth to cheer her up, they get involved with helping an amnesiac Nutcracker save Toyland and the Sugar Plum Fairy from the wicked Vizier.
I didn't head out to the Acme until almost noon. When arrived, the store was busy but not crowded...but the back room was hopping. Today is the Acme's annual Employee Christmas Party. I had to grocery shop today anyway, so I figured I'd join in (despite being off today). My cookies joined spinach dip, layered bean-and-cheese dip, potato and pasta salads, barbecue pork and hot roast beef sandwiches, baked ziti, green bean casserole, carrot cake, home-made pumpkin whoopie pies, deviled eggs from the deli, chocolate-covered pretzels from the bakery, a huge cheesecake, potato chips, and tons of Hershey's Miniatures. I had the pasta salad, baked ziti (I know - tons of carbs), a slice of carrot cake, a pumpkin whoopie pie, a chocolate-covered pretzel, a little spinach dip, and a couple of Miniatures. Chatted with several cashiers and deli people who were on their breaks as well.
After I finished eating, I still had a ton of shopping to do. My vegetables desperately needed to be restocked, as did my whole wheat flour. Wanted to grab eggs and Smart Balance Butter, too, before everyone else does for their baking. Needed peanut butter and low-sugar strawberry spread for the muffins I intend to make later in the week.
When I got home, I put everything away, then put on Angels With Dirty Faces and worked on Pumpkin Bread for a present. Angels is one of the several movies James Cagney made with Pat O'Brian, and probably the most famous. Cagney is a former reform-school kid who is now a major gangster. O'Brian was his best friend as a kid; he's now a priest who takes care of orphan street kids. Ann Sheridan is the girl Cagney used to tease whom he now rents a room from. The Dead End Kids (Leo Gorcey, Billy Hallop, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Bernard Punsley, and Bobby Jordan) are some of O'Brian's urchins who admire Cagney's criminal endeavors...maybe a bit too much for the good father's taste. Humphery Bogart is Cagney's crooked lawyer and partner.
This is one intense movie! I really enjoyed it, though melodrama usually isn't my thing. Everyone did very well, even the kids. Cagney and O'Brian were friends in real life as well and always play off each other beautifully. I liked Cagney with Ann Sheridan, too. They looked quite natural and relaxed together (even if I'm not entirely used to Ann Sheridan as a brunette).
After the pumpkin bread finally came out of the oven, I decided to go for a walk. I had to run some errands, anyway. Needed to go to the ATM machine at the bank to deposit my paycheck and to WaWa for milk. I strolled around the neighborhood between errands, looking at lights. There was one house on Newton that had a tree almost entirely wrapped in gorgeous blue-and-white LED lights. It looked magnificent against the black sky.
After I got home, I made tilapia with spinach with mushrooms and onions for dinner and switched to the original 1947 version of Miracle On 34th Street. After that, I ran a couple of winter and Christmas-oriented Donald Duck cartoons, including Toy Tinkers and the debut of everyone's favorite mischevious chipmunks, Chip N' Dale.
Alas, I didn't really get to watch much of the cartoons. I spent a frustrating hour trying to get a fish bone out of my throat. I really panicked, and while it did come out (right before I got in the shower), my throat is still a bit sore.
I once again began my day by sleeping in and reading The Great Santa Search and my wonderful new Bowery Boys books in bed. I didn't get moving until quarter of 10! When I did get going, I had grits for breakfast and watched the only Care Bears holiday special to date, The Care Bears Nutcracker. Originally a Care Bears Family episode (complete with the original credits), this is a very, very loose retelling of the famous ballet.
Actually, one of the things I like about the Care Bears version is that it's up-front about how loose this story is. The ballet teacher says right away that there's more than one way of telling this story...and one involves a little girl who just lost her best friend. When some of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins come down to Earth to cheer her up, they get involved with helping an amnesiac Nutcracker save Toyland and the Sugar Plum Fairy from the wicked Vizier.
I didn't head out to the Acme until almost noon. When arrived, the store was busy but not crowded...but the back room was hopping. Today is the Acme's annual Employee Christmas Party. I had to grocery shop today anyway, so I figured I'd join in (despite being off today). My cookies joined spinach dip, layered bean-and-cheese dip, potato and pasta salads, barbecue pork and hot roast beef sandwiches, baked ziti, green bean casserole, carrot cake, home-made pumpkin whoopie pies, deviled eggs from the deli, chocolate-covered pretzels from the bakery, a huge cheesecake, potato chips, and tons of Hershey's Miniatures. I had the pasta salad, baked ziti (I know - tons of carbs), a slice of carrot cake, a pumpkin whoopie pie, a chocolate-covered pretzel, a little spinach dip, and a couple of Miniatures. Chatted with several cashiers and deli people who were on their breaks as well.
After I finished eating, I still had a ton of shopping to do. My vegetables desperately needed to be restocked, as did my whole wheat flour. Wanted to grab eggs and Smart Balance Butter, too, before everyone else does for their baking. Needed peanut butter and low-sugar strawberry spread for the muffins I intend to make later in the week.
When I got home, I put everything away, then put on Angels With Dirty Faces and worked on Pumpkin Bread for a present. Angels is one of the several movies James Cagney made with Pat O'Brian, and probably the most famous. Cagney is a former reform-school kid who is now a major gangster. O'Brian was his best friend as a kid; he's now a priest who takes care of orphan street kids. Ann Sheridan is the girl Cagney used to tease whom he now rents a room from. The Dead End Kids (Leo Gorcey, Billy Hallop, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Bernard Punsley, and Bobby Jordan) are some of O'Brian's urchins who admire Cagney's criminal endeavors...maybe a bit too much for the good father's taste. Humphery Bogart is Cagney's crooked lawyer and partner.
This is one intense movie! I really enjoyed it, though melodrama usually isn't my thing. Everyone did very well, even the kids. Cagney and O'Brian were friends in real life as well and always play off each other beautifully. I liked Cagney with Ann Sheridan, too. They looked quite natural and relaxed together (even if I'm not entirely used to Ann Sheridan as a brunette).
After the pumpkin bread finally came out of the oven, I decided to go for a walk. I had to run some errands, anyway. Needed to go to the ATM machine at the bank to deposit my paycheck and to WaWa for milk. I strolled around the neighborhood between errands, looking at lights. There was one house on Newton that had a tree almost entirely wrapped in gorgeous blue-and-white LED lights. It looked magnificent against the black sky.
After I got home, I made tilapia with spinach with mushrooms and onions for dinner and switched to the original 1947 version of Miracle On 34th Street. After that, I ran a couple of winter and Christmas-oriented Donald Duck cartoons, including Toy Tinkers and the debut of everyone's favorite mischevious chipmunks, Chip N' Dale.
Alas, I didn't really get to watch much of the cartoons. I spent a frustrating hour trying to get a fish bone out of my throat. I really panicked, and while it did come out (right before I got in the shower), my throat is still a bit sore.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Mint Chocolate Chip Dreams
Began this morning elbow-deep in cocoa and mint and dark chocolate chips. I was making Mint-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies to send some friends. I think they came out very well, very rich and minty, even if they took a while.
In fact, they took a lot longer than I expected. I barely managed to get a short walk around the neighborhood and lunch in before I headed to work!
Today was my 7 1/2 hour work day, 12:30 to 8. Ironically, it ended up being on and off steady all day, and never more than mildly busy. It went by very quickly, and there were no major problems.
Good thing, because I had a LOT of shopping to do after work! I'll be doing cookies all next week, so I stocked up on things I needed for those, mostly butter and the coconut and maraschino cherries for the Cherry-Coconut Bars. I also needed plastic containers to put the cookies in. That was in addition to all the usual stuff I need - grapefruit, apples, bananas, yogurt, granola bars, soup, Wheat Chex, and chicken breasts.
My schedule next week is pretty much the same as this week's was originally - a little over 20 hours, three days off including next Saturday. (I'll probably end up going in Saturday anyway for grocery shopping and the Acme's store Christmas party.) On one hand, I could use the hours...but on the other hand, it'll be nice to have plenty of time to get the cookies done, for once.
Began this morning elbow-deep in cocoa and mint and dark chocolate chips. I was making Mint-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies to send some friends. I think they came out very well, very rich and minty, even if they took a while.
In fact, they took a lot longer than I expected. I barely managed to get a short walk around the neighborhood and lunch in before I headed to work!
Today was my 7 1/2 hour work day, 12:30 to 8. Ironically, it ended up being on and off steady all day, and never more than mildly busy. It went by very quickly, and there were no major problems.
Good thing, because I had a LOT of shopping to do after work! I'll be doing cookies all next week, so I stocked up on things I needed for those, mostly butter and the coconut and maraschino cherries for the Cherry-Coconut Bars. I also needed plastic containers to put the cookies in. That was in addition to all the usual stuff I need - grapefruit, apples, bananas, yogurt, granola bars, soup, Wheat Chex, and chicken breasts.
My schedule next week is pretty much the same as this week's was originally - a little over 20 hours, three days off including next Saturday. (I'll probably end up going in Saturday anyway for grocery shopping and the Acme's store Christmas party.) On one hand, I could use the hours...but on the other hand, it'll be nice to have plenty of time to get the cookies done, for once.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Woman At Work
Yes, I spent the majority of today at work. Not surprisingly, given that we're less than a week from Thanksgiving, it was very busy for most of the day. Lots of people were buying their turkeys and canned goods, or getting ready for the late Eagles game on Sunday. There were quite a few big orders, people hoping to dodge the crowds next week.
A man came in to fix the register I was in shortly after I finished my break and I had to move to the next one, but other than that, there were no major problems. I was in early to pick up my paycheck, and my relief was on time.
Good thing, too. I had quite a bit of shopping to do. I don't make a huge Thanksgiving dinner, but I do make bread for after dinner and the next morning. I stocked up on white and brown sugar, pumpkin, Marsala cooking wine, Fiber One granola bars (my favorites!), chicken tenders, stew meat, Acme's generic light yogurt, and Red Star Yeast.
I was going to go to the bank tonight after I got home from work, but by the time I finally got home, it was too late. I put my groceries away, then decided to change the American Girls and Sailor Soldiers into their holiday outfits.
The American Girls came first. Samantha got her deep red Cranberry Christmas Dress with the stockings that came with them, a huge white ribbon, and a shiny pair of Springfield Collection black slip-ons. Molly has her Evergreen Velvet Dress, white Springfield Collection tights, and black velvet slip-ons. I debated putting Jessa in the red Springfield Collection bolero dress Mom gave me for my birthday, but I finally opted for the AG Chinese New Year outfit with socks and the other pair of shiny slip ons. Felicity is the only one who doesn't really have a Christmas outfit. She's wearing a long yellow hand-made gown I originally bought for Samantha several years ago. It's not really very Colonial, but the only other dress I have for her is the green floral hand-made, and I think that one's a bit ugly.
I experimented a bit with the Sailor Soldiers. The ruffled collar on Sailor Moon's pink polka-dot gown is ripping off the bodice. I pulled out one of the short Ice Capades Barbie skating outfits and paired it with a white ruffled skirt with a pink petticoat and a white sequin-trimmed fur stole. From a distance, it looks like a full gown, and the stole hides the fact that the skating outfit is a bit low-cut. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus got vintage Barbie gowns from yard sales. Sailor Neptune got a very tight, sparkly backless royal blue gown. Chibi-Moon wears her shimmering pink Barbie tutu. (On her, it's a short gown - she's about the size of a Skipper.) Villainess Wicked Lady gets a metalic silver-and-gray sheath dress with a big rose in front and her own pink stole. Queen Serenity wears what I believe to be an early 90s Happy Birthday Barbie gown. Uranus wears a short black-and-silver "mushroom skirt" dress with a velvet bodice and a black sequined bolero jacket. Only Mercury and Jupiter kept their dollar-store gowns this year.
Tuxedo Mask is the only one I don't have any holiday clothes for, but he kind of comes dressed for the holiday anyway. I don't often see Ken clothes around. I'll have to see what I can come up with.
Oh, and I got a surprisingly good schedule next week, especially compared to what I worked at this time last year. Three days off, including Thanksgiving. One late day, Wednesday, and one long day, Black Friday. That doesn't bother me. I always work early and long on Black Friday. Most of the mothers and grandmothers who work in the mornings on weekdays probably take that day off to do their Christmas shopping. The extra time off will be nice, too. I'll get the bread done and be able to do my cleaning and get started on the Christmas decorating next weekend.
Yes, I spent the majority of today at work. Not surprisingly, given that we're less than a week from Thanksgiving, it was very busy for most of the day. Lots of people were buying their turkeys and canned goods, or getting ready for the late Eagles game on Sunday. There were quite a few big orders, people hoping to dodge the crowds next week.
A man came in to fix the register I was in shortly after I finished my break and I had to move to the next one, but other than that, there were no major problems. I was in early to pick up my paycheck, and my relief was on time.
Good thing, too. I had quite a bit of shopping to do. I don't make a huge Thanksgiving dinner, but I do make bread for after dinner and the next morning. I stocked up on white and brown sugar, pumpkin, Marsala cooking wine, Fiber One granola bars (my favorites!), chicken tenders, stew meat, Acme's generic light yogurt, and Red Star Yeast.
I was going to go to the bank tonight after I got home from work, but by the time I finally got home, it was too late. I put my groceries away, then decided to change the American Girls and Sailor Soldiers into their holiday outfits.
The American Girls came first. Samantha got her deep red Cranberry Christmas Dress with the stockings that came with them, a huge white ribbon, and a shiny pair of Springfield Collection black slip-ons. Molly has her Evergreen Velvet Dress, white Springfield Collection tights, and black velvet slip-ons. I debated putting Jessa in the red Springfield Collection bolero dress Mom gave me for my birthday, but I finally opted for the AG Chinese New Year outfit with socks and the other pair of shiny slip ons. Felicity is the only one who doesn't really have a Christmas outfit. She's wearing a long yellow hand-made gown I originally bought for Samantha several years ago. It's not really very Colonial, but the only other dress I have for her is the green floral hand-made, and I think that one's a bit ugly.
I experimented a bit with the Sailor Soldiers. The ruffled collar on Sailor Moon's pink polka-dot gown is ripping off the bodice. I pulled out one of the short Ice Capades Barbie skating outfits and paired it with a white ruffled skirt with a pink petticoat and a white sequin-trimmed fur stole. From a distance, it looks like a full gown, and the stole hides the fact that the skating outfit is a bit low-cut. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus got vintage Barbie gowns from yard sales. Sailor Neptune got a very tight, sparkly backless royal blue gown. Chibi-Moon wears her shimmering pink Barbie tutu. (On her, it's a short gown - she's about the size of a Skipper.) Villainess Wicked Lady gets a metalic silver-and-gray sheath dress with a big rose in front and her own pink stole. Queen Serenity wears what I believe to be an early 90s Happy Birthday Barbie gown. Uranus wears a short black-and-silver "mushroom skirt" dress with a velvet bodice and a black sequined bolero jacket. Only Mercury and Jupiter kept their dollar-store gowns this year.
Tuxedo Mask is the only one I don't have any holiday clothes for, but he kind of comes dressed for the holiday anyway. I don't often see Ken clothes around. I'll have to see what I can come up with.
Oh, and I got a surprisingly good schedule next week, especially compared to what I worked at this time last year. Three days off, including Thanksgiving. One late day, Wednesday, and one long day, Black Friday. That doesn't bother me. I always work early and long on Black Friday. Most of the mothers and grandmothers who work in the mornings on weekdays probably take that day off to do their Christmas shopping. The extra time off will be nice, too. I'll get the bread done and be able to do my cleaning and get started on the Christmas decorating next weekend.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Perfect Halloween Weather
I was very happy to awake to a cold, windy, blustery blue and gold fall morning after the ridiculous heat and humidity we had earlier in the week. It doesn't feel like Halloween in New Jersey when you're running around in capris and shirtsleeves a week before the big day.
First stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. The children's section was overloaded with 135 pumpkins for their big Halloween party tonight. I didn't want to mess with the gourds, so I concentrated on DVDs. They needed it, anyway. There were DVDs piled on top of each other, out of order, and in completely the wrong section.
I did get into the children's section enough to pull out two Winnie the Pooh Halloween-themed videos, the Halloween special Boo To You, Too and a collection of three horror-oriented New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episodes, Frankenpooh.
Went straight to the Audubon Crossings Mall next. Made brief stops at FYE (they didn't have the Christmas DVDs I was looking for, and the Bugs Bunny Halloween DVD was too expensive for an hour-long special that's mostly older material anyway) and at America's Best for my contacts.
I noticed a Toys R Us Express had opened in one of the closed stores on the FYE side of the mall and browsed around in there. I sure hope they're sticking around after the holidays. I could use a place to shop for my nephews and cousins that's nearby.
After I left Toys R Us, I rode back over to the Acme for this week's grocery shopping. I didn't really need much. Got ground chicken for meatloaf later in the week. Continued to take advantage of the McCormick Extracts and Spices sale and bought Cinnamon Extract. Found the Dark Chocolate and Mint Limited Edition Nestle Chocolate Chips I've been dying to try. Got Acme Light Yogurt, this week's yogurt sale. Decided I wanted to try grating my own Parmesan cheese and save some packaging. The Acme's generic gourmet brand Parmesan wedge is $3.99, the same price as the plastic container of cheese, and the wedge is a pretty good size.
And of course, I had to get Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream. I've been waiting for that to go on sale during the fall. Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream is my favorite ice cream flavor, right up there with Bryers' Cherry Vanilla. Not surprisingly, the Pumpkin is only in stores between about mid-September and mid-late November. I've had it at least once a fall since my friend Amanda and I discovered it on a routine grocery shopping trip in college. Between the two of us, it was gone in less than two days. It's that good. Really tastes like pumpkin pie.
Rode straight home after I finished. I put everything away and went right back out again. I mixed business with pleasure and walked to CVS for shampoo, to the bank to deposit my paycheck, and to WaWa for milk and a Turkey Club Ciabatta Melt for lunch.
Miss Ellie called when I got in. I told her I'd help her prune the yard today. I went downstairs as soon as I finished my sandwich and banana. She wanted me to cut back as much of the bush next to the pine tree in front of her side of the house as I could without killing it. I had to leave plenty to tie for the men who pick up our sticks, too.
I was out for about two hours, from 3:30 to 5:30. Miss Ellie left half-way through that. I wanted to wait for her to come home and tell me where the twine was, but by 5:30, it was getting colder and she still wasn't home. I decided to wait on tying the sticks until tomorrow and headed inside.
I'd started a Crock-Pot beef stew earlier this morning, before I went to the Oaklyn Library. It was hot and bubbling and ready to eat by the time I came upstairs. I had that with leftover cauliflower and Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream for dessert while watching the Pooh Halloween specials.
Almost all of the Pooh cartoons, including Boo To You, Too concerned the easily-frightened Piglet. In Boo To You, he gets so scared of Tigger's talk of Halloween ghoulishness, Pooh opts to cancel their Halloween plans in deference to the timid Piglet. Piglet feels bad about it, though, and goes after them. It takes a major scare for everyone to make Piglet realize that there's a lot more to Halloween than spooky stuff...and that being scared can sometimes be a lot of fun.
The other cartoons were more horror-oriented. Frankenpooh was a 100 Acre Woods spoof of Frankenstein that shows what happens when Piglet's imagination gets the better of him. Things That Go Piglet In the Night has most of the gang chasing ghosts...that turn out to be a spooked Piglet. Pooh Moon had a science fiction bent. When they land in a mud puddle during a camping trip, Pooh and Piglet think they're on the moon...but the rest of the gang just think they're monsters.
Since I had the VCR going, I switched to the concert Hey, Mr. Producer!: The World of Cameron MacIntosh after the cartoons were over. MacIntosh produced some of the most popular stage musicals of the 80s and 90s, including the very long running Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, the revue Side By Side By Sondheim, the French blockbusters Miss Saigon and Les Misrables, and well-received revivals of My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, The Boy Friend, and Oliver.
All of those were represented in this huge concert, a gala event put on for Queen Elizabeth herself in 1997. Alas, the video didn't have the full show...but what was there was fabulous. My favorites included Bernadette Peters and British divas Julia McKenzie and Ruthie Hendall strutting their stuff in "You've Gotta Get a Gimmick" (originally from Gypsy, here representing Side By Side), Dame Judi Dench's devestating "Send In the Clowns" (also from Side By Side), Little Shop of Horrors' original Audrey, Ellen Greene, performing the ballad "Somewhere That's Green," and Jonathan Pryce reprising his big song "American Dream" from Miss Saigon.
(Some of the numbers that were cut and shown at the end of the tape were just as good, including Hugh Jackman's "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma! and Bernadette Peters being joined by a bevy of ladies of a certain age for a hilarious kickline to "Broadway Baby" from Follies.)
I was very happy to awake to a cold, windy, blustery blue and gold fall morning after the ridiculous heat and humidity we had earlier in the week. It doesn't feel like Halloween in New Jersey when you're running around in capris and shirtsleeves a week before the big day.
First stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. The children's section was overloaded with 135 pumpkins for their big Halloween party tonight. I didn't want to mess with the gourds, so I concentrated on DVDs. They needed it, anyway. There were DVDs piled on top of each other, out of order, and in completely the wrong section.
I did get into the children's section enough to pull out two Winnie the Pooh Halloween-themed videos, the Halloween special Boo To You, Too and a collection of three horror-oriented New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episodes, Frankenpooh.
Went straight to the Audubon Crossings Mall next. Made brief stops at FYE (they didn't have the Christmas DVDs I was looking for, and the Bugs Bunny Halloween DVD was too expensive for an hour-long special that's mostly older material anyway) and at America's Best for my contacts.
I noticed a Toys R Us Express had opened in one of the closed stores on the FYE side of the mall and browsed around in there. I sure hope they're sticking around after the holidays. I could use a place to shop for my nephews and cousins that's nearby.
After I left Toys R Us, I rode back over to the Acme for this week's grocery shopping. I didn't really need much. Got ground chicken for meatloaf later in the week. Continued to take advantage of the McCormick Extracts and Spices sale and bought Cinnamon Extract. Found the Dark Chocolate and Mint Limited Edition Nestle Chocolate Chips I've been dying to try. Got Acme Light Yogurt, this week's yogurt sale. Decided I wanted to try grating my own Parmesan cheese and save some packaging. The Acme's generic gourmet brand Parmesan wedge is $3.99, the same price as the plastic container of cheese, and the wedge is a pretty good size.
And of course, I had to get Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream. I've been waiting for that to go on sale during the fall. Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream is my favorite ice cream flavor, right up there with Bryers' Cherry Vanilla. Not surprisingly, the Pumpkin is only in stores between about mid-September and mid-late November. I've had it at least once a fall since my friend Amanda and I discovered it on a routine grocery shopping trip in college. Between the two of us, it was gone in less than two days. It's that good. Really tastes like pumpkin pie.
Rode straight home after I finished. I put everything away and went right back out again. I mixed business with pleasure and walked to CVS for shampoo, to the bank to deposit my paycheck, and to WaWa for milk and a Turkey Club Ciabatta Melt for lunch.
Miss Ellie called when I got in. I told her I'd help her prune the yard today. I went downstairs as soon as I finished my sandwich and banana. She wanted me to cut back as much of the bush next to the pine tree in front of her side of the house as I could without killing it. I had to leave plenty to tie for the men who pick up our sticks, too.
I was out for about two hours, from 3:30 to 5:30. Miss Ellie left half-way through that. I wanted to wait for her to come home and tell me where the twine was, but by 5:30, it was getting colder and she still wasn't home. I decided to wait on tying the sticks until tomorrow and headed inside.
I'd started a Crock-Pot beef stew earlier this morning, before I went to the Oaklyn Library. It was hot and bubbling and ready to eat by the time I came upstairs. I had that with leftover cauliflower and Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream for dessert while watching the Pooh Halloween specials.
Almost all of the Pooh cartoons, including Boo To You, Too concerned the easily-frightened Piglet. In Boo To You, he gets so scared of Tigger's talk of Halloween ghoulishness, Pooh opts to cancel their Halloween plans in deference to the timid Piglet. Piglet feels bad about it, though, and goes after them. It takes a major scare for everyone to make Piglet realize that there's a lot more to Halloween than spooky stuff...and that being scared can sometimes be a lot of fun.
The other cartoons were more horror-oriented. Frankenpooh was a 100 Acre Woods spoof of Frankenstein that shows what happens when Piglet's imagination gets the better of him. Things That Go Piglet In the Night has most of the gang chasing ghosts...that turn out to be a spooked Piglet. Pooh Moon had a science fiction bent. When they land in a mud puddle during a camping trip, Pooh and Piglet think they're on the moon...but the rest of the gang just think they're monsters.
Since I had the VCR going, I switched to the concert Hey, Mr. Producer!: The World of Cameron MacIntosh after the cartoons were over. MacIntosh produced some of the most popular stage musicals of the 80s and 90s, including the very long running Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, the revue Side By Side By Sondheim, the French blockbusters Miss Saigon and Les Misrables, and well-received revivals of My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, The Boy Friend, and Oliver.
All of those were represented in this huge concert, a gala event put on for Queen Elizabeth herself in 1997. Alas, the video didn't have the full show...but what was there was fabulous. My favorites included Bernadette Peters and British divas Julia McKenzie and Ruthie Hendall strutting their stuff in "You've Gotta Get a Gimmick" (originally from Gypsy, here representing Side By Side), Dame Judi Dench's devestating "Send In the Clowns" (also from Side By Side), Little Shop of Horrors' original Audrey, Ellen Greene, performing the ballad "Somewhere That's Green," and Jonathan Pryce reprising his big song "American Dream" from Miss Saigon.
(Some of the numbers that were cut and shown at the end of the tape were just as good, including Hugh Jackman's "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma! and Bernadette Peters being joined by a bevy of ladies of a certain age for a hilarious kickline to "Broadway Baby" from Follies.)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Winds of Fall
The heavy winds had blown the clouds away by the time I awoke this morning. It was as sunny and breezy a fall morning as one could wish. It was so chilly, my landlady had the heat on for the first time since the spring!
As soon as I finished breakfast, I went for a long walk in the neighborhood. It was a lovely day for it. I walked down to Newton Avenue, around to the library, and up to WaWa. After picking up water and a banana for a snack, I went back down the White Horse Pike, then down West Clinton, looking for yard sale signs for tomorrow. Didn't see any, but I'll look again tomorrow morning.
I spent the rest of the afternoon editing three short Bowery Boys stories Lauren and I wrote over the past few days. Two are more Bowery Boys fairy tales, "Cinder Sach" and "The Three Little Bowery Boys." One is a quickie about Sach and Slip's reaction to a nasty thunderstorm. All should be up at the Riverside Rest by the end of the weekend.
I left for work slightly early. Today is payday and the day we get our schedules. My schedule was disappointing, especially compared to this week's. While I don't work earlier than 2 or later than 8:30 (and I only do 8:30 once, on Thursday), I only have 17 hours. And they now don't have the excuse of us constantly being dead. We've been fairly busy lately, and will continue to be busy. The Eagles and Flyers are doing well; the Phillies' run for the National League Championships begins tomorrow. Not to mention there's tons of fall festivals, fairs, hay rides, parades, and school and community events going on.
Work was a bit quiet when I arrived at 2:30, but it really kicked in around the 4-6 rush hour. It didn't start slowing down until right before I left at 7. There were a few annoying people, but nothing on the line of yesterday. I was in and out with no problems.
I went to Arby's and had a Chicken Club Sandwich for dinner, then went back to the Acme to do grocery shopping. I mostly needed to stock up on things that were on sale - granola bars (I love Fiber One), peanut butter (Skippy was $1.99), peanuts, cooking spray, yogurt, canned pumpkin, and Smart Balance 50/50 Spread. I also bought shaved beef for sandwiches next week and coconut to make coconut macaroons. I've been craving macaroons since I bought those big ones from the Acme two weeks ago.
The heavy winds had blown the clouds away by the time I awoke this morning. It was as sunny and breezy a fall morning as one could wish. It was so chilly, my landlady had the heat on for the first time since the spring!
As soon as I finished breakfast, I went for a long walk in the neighborhood. It was a lovely day for it. I walked down to Newton Avenue, around to the library, and up to WaWa. After picking up water and a banana for a snack, I went back down the White Horse Pike, then down West Clinton, looking for yard sale signs for tomorrow. Didn't see any, but I'll look again tomorrow morning.
I spent the rest of the afternoon editing three short Bowery Boys stories Lauren and I wrote over the past few days. Two are more Bowery Boys fairy tales, "Cinder Sach" and "The Three Little Bowery Boys." One is a quickie about Sach and Slip's reaction to a nasty thunderstorm. All should be up at the Riverside Rest by the end of the weekend.
I left for work slightly early. Today is payday and the day we get our schedules. My schedule was disappointing, especially compared to this week's. While I don't work earlier than 2 or later than 8:30 (and I only do 8:30 once, on Thursday), I only have 17 hours. And they now don't have the excuse of us constantly being dead. We've been fairly busy lately, and will continue to be busy. The Eagles and Flyers are doing well; the Phillies' run for the National League Championships begins tomorrow. Not to mention there's tons of fall festivals, fairs, hay rides, parades, and school and community events going on.
Work was a bit quiet when I arrived at 2:30, but it really kicked in around the 4-6 rush hour. It didn't start slowing down until right before I left at 7. There were a few annoying people, but nothing on the line of yesterday. I was in and out with no problems.
I went to Arby's and had a Chicken Club Sandwich for dinner, then went back to the Acme to do grocery shopping. I mostly needed to stock up on things that were on sale - granola bars (I love Fiber One), peanut butter (Skippy was $1.99), peanuts, cooking spray, yogurt, canned pumpkin, and Smart Balance 50/50 Spread. I also bought shaved beef for sandwiches next week and coconut to make coconut macaroons. I've been craving macaroons since I bought those big ones from the Acme two weeks ago.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
School's In, Rain's Out
I awoke to another rain storm and decided to sleep in a bit. After I had breakfast and watched some of Sahara, I took the fact that the rain had slowed as a good sign and headed to the Oaklyn Library for volunteering. They were busy with a senior program when I arrived, so I opted for a walk instead.
I'm really glad we've had so much rain over the past few weeks. The trees, grass, and plants look much better. The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn gorgeous shades of rust, scarlet, and gold. The grass is as green as emeralds. The mums and late roses are blooming in profusion in every garden.
Many people have started putting up their Halloween decorations, too. There's a lot more early fall and Halloween decorations out than last year! Maybe all the rain we had last year kept people from doing elaborate displays.
I was on my way down Kendall when the rain became heavier. I thankfully made it home before it started pouring again. When I got in, I finished editing the last of the three Bowery Boys fanfics Lauren and I wrote last month, The Lone Disarrangers, and posted it to the Bowery Boys Basement Clubhouse page.
Finished Sahara while dusting and washing the windows and having Persian Cucumber Salad and a grilled cheese and turkey sandwich for lunch. Sahara is a modern-day treasure hunting adventure story somewhat like a more comic National Treasure. A doctor who is trying to find the cause of a plague in Mali and two goofy treasure hunters who are looking for a lost Civil War ship join forces to stop a ruthless businessman with a lot more than gold on his mind.
If you're into more old-fashioned action stories like National Treasure, Romancing the Stone, or the Indiana Jones series, Sahara will be right up your alley. It's a little long, and Matthew MacCaughney is much too laid-back to play an Indiana Jones type. Penelope Cruz does much better as the devoted UN doctor.
Work was actually kind of fun tonight. I was only up front for the first half of my shift and the last hour. Acme Markets is holding training classes to help employees become better-acquainted with their new emphasis on customer services. While they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, both of the district managers who ran the class were very nice. I liked the man in particular. He told great stories. My favorite was about the time he went to Burger King and ran into a fight between the cook and the cashier. Not only did the cook throw a cheeseburger at the wall, but he scraped the burger off and put it back on a bun. Yuck! And Burger King wonders why they've been losing business lately.
Everyone in the class got a GOT Five Star Service card for $5 off their next purchase for being able to scream the company motto the loudest. I'm glad I did. I was going to hold off on getting paper towels and sugar until later in the week, but I ended up getting them tonight after all. I also treated myself to low-fat coconut macaroons from the bakery.
I awoke to another rain storm and decided to sleep in a bit. After I had breakfast and watched some of Sahara, I took the fact that the rain had slowed as a good sign and headed to the Oaklyn Library for volunteering. They were busy with a senior program when I arrived, so I opted for a walk instead.
I'm really glad we've had so much rain over the past few weeks. The trees, grass, and plants look much better. The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn gorgeous shades of rust, scarlet, and gold. The grass is as green as emeralds. The mums and late roses are blooming in profusion in every garden.
Many people have started putting up their Halloween decorations, too. There's a lot more early fall and Halloween decorations out than last year! Maybe all the rain we had last year kept people from doing elaborate displays.
I was on my way down Kendall when the rain became heavier. I thankfully made it home before it started pouring again. When I got in, I finished editing the last of the three Bowery Boys fanfics Lauren and I wrote last month, The Lone Disarrangers, and posted it to the Bowery Boys Basement Clubhouse page.
Finished Sahara while dusting and washing the windows and having Persian Cucumber Salad and a grilled cheese and turkey sandwich for lunch. Sahara is a modern-day treasure hunting adventure story somewhat like a more comic National Treasure. A doctor who is trying to find the cause of a plague in Mali and two goofy treasure hunters who are looking for a lost Civil War ship join forces to stop a ruthless businessman with a lot more than gold on his mind.
If you're into more old-fashioned action stories like National Treasure, Romancing the Stone, or the Indiana Jones series, Sahara will be right up your alley. It's a little long, and Matthew MacCaughney is much too laid-back to play an Indiana Jones type. Penelope Cruz does much better as the devoted UN doctor.
Work was actually kind of fun tonight. I was only up front for the first half of my shift and the last hour. Acme Markets is holding training classes to help employees become better-acquainted with their new emphasis on customer services. While they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, both of the district managers who ran the class were very nice. I liked the man in particular. He told great stories. My favorite was about the time he went to Burger King and ran into a fight between the cook and the cashier. Not only did the cook throw a cheeseburger at the wall, but he scraped the burger off and put it back on a bun. Yuck! And Burger King wonders why they've been losing business lately.
Everyone in the class got a GOT Five Star Service card for $5 off their next purchase for being able to scream the company motto the loudest. I'm glad I did. I was going to hold off on getting paper towels and sugar until later in the week, but I ended up getting them tonight after all. I also treated myself to low-fat coconut macaroons from the bakery.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pigs and Pirates
I really slept in today. I didn't get up until 9:30, and then I spent some time reading More All-of-a-Kind Family and writing in my journal. It was still cloudy and a little bit humid, not the kind of day you wanted to jump out of bed anyhow.
I had muffins, plums, and peaches for breakfast and watched more A Pup Named Scooby Doo before heading out to run my Friday errands. I picked up my paycheck at the Acme, then rode to the FYE in the Audubon Crossings Mall. Disney just re-released the 1984 animated action/fantasy The Black Cauldron on DVD. I've wanted that one ever since it was announced last year. I remember seeing that at the Beach Theater in Cape May in 1984. Universal finally put out the Kevin Kline/Angela Landsbury movie version of the 1981 Pirates of Penzance as well, and I really wanted to replace my aging Blockbuster video copy. Alas, the Audubon FYE turned out to be out of both. I almost bought a $4 copy of The Three Amigos. I may go back for it later in the week, but not today.
I probably spent more time there than at the Acme. There was very little I needed for groceries this week. Most of what I needed was yogurt! I also restocked my olive oil and canola cooking spray, both of which were on sale.
I had a simple peanut butter and apple butter sandwich lunch at home. Finished A Pup Named Scooby Doo while I did the dishes. Though I still enjoy Pup Named to a degree, it's not something I'm going to buy. It's fun to watch one or two episodes, but watching them all at once reveals a show that relied too heavily on running gags - Daphne constantly calling her butler whenever there's trouble, Fred accusing bully Red Herring of every crime, "Velma said 'Jinkies!'" - and too little on decent scripts. The cute and colorful anime-esque animation hasn't dated all that well, either.
On the other hand, there were a couple of individual episodes I really liked. "Dog Gone Scooby" shows what happens when Scooby, feeling neglected, runs away...and the kids realize how much he means to them. (Plus, this is the only episode on the set where the villain turns out to be neither bad nor a business owner in a silly costume.) "The Wrath of Waitro" is a short spoof of super hero cliches, with Shaggy and Scoob as two of Hanna Barbara's least-likely crimefighters. "Mayhem of the Moving Mollusk" takes the kids to New York City, where they fight a snail who plays hockey (don't ask) and make a lot of references to another ABC cartoon about spook-catchers that was popular in the early 90s, The Real Ghostbusters.
The sun had started coming out as I was riding home from the Acme, and was rapidly improving. I decided that I still wanted those DVDs, enough to go into Philly and find them. I stopped at the bank quickly to drop off my paycheck (and enjoy the macaroons and a very small slice of the pineapple upside-down cake they had out for their Customer Appreciation Day) and rode over to Collingswood. I hopped a fairly full PATCO train into Downtown Philadelphia.
Since it was past 3 by this point and the traffic was getting ridiculous, I just stuck to Broad Street. Yes, the big FYE near City Hall had The Pirates of Penzance and The Black Cauldron. The latter was on sale, in fact. Pirates wasn't, and the spindle holding the DVD to the box was broken, but it was the last one in the store and I didn't feel like ordering it online. It wasn't quite as much of a steal as the last few times I went there, but thanks to the Cauldron sale and my Membership Card, it could have been worse.
I went across to Borders after that and browsed, but I mostly went there to get a drink. I was really thirsty. I grabbed a small sweet tea at the cafe. Didn't buy anything else. I considered some more of those candy shop mysteries, but I think I'll wait for Christmas to go book-shopping again.
After I left Borders, I made my way through the heavy traffic on Broad Street and back the way I came, via the PATCO station at 13th and Locust. I took a partially-full train back to Collingswood and rode home, enjoying the now-gorgeous day. The sun was fully out, the clouds were gone, and the wind had gentled down to a lovely breeze.
Made salmon with wine sauce, corn on the cob, and honey-glazed carrots and peppers for dinner while watching Ivanhoe. Robert Taylor plays the title knight, who returns from the Crusades to discover that Richard the Lionhearted is being ransomed by the king of Austria. He's determined to raise the money and release his king. With the help of an elderly Jewish man and his daughter, who may be a sorceress (Elizabeth Taylor), his father and his ward (Joan Fontaine), his father's jester, and the man known today as Robin Hood, he fights knights and challenges Richard's dastardly brother John.
Set around the same time as Robin Hood, this is a very different story...but it's still pure old-fashioned swashbuckler. Robert Taylor is stiff and a bit miscast as the knight, but the ladies, especially Joan Fontaine, are much better. There's also some wonderful sequences of Robin Hood and his men rushing into battle at the castle where Fontaine and Taylor are being held, a reminder that this movie was made in the epic-crazy 50s.
The rest of tonight's been more frustrating. My internet went down for more than an hour! I hate having to call Verizon yet again. I'm assuming there are still storms in the area. And I'm trying to unravel that hat I was crocheting for Molly. I was trying to work in the round, but it got twisted and turned. I couldn't sew them together. When I tried to unravel the parts, they got tangled. Now there's a heap of tangled yarn laying on my couch. Plus, Mom said the yarn was too thick and had too many strands for a beginner. I'll just stick to making scarves, muffs, blankets, and pillows for the girls until I get better at crocheting.
I really slept in today. I didn't get up until 9:30, and then I spent some time reading More All-of-a-Kind Family and writing in my journal. It was still cloudy and a little bit humid, not the kind of day you wanted to jump out of bed anyhow.
I had muffins, plums, and peaches for breakfast and watched more A Pup Named Scooby Doo before heading out to run my Friday errands. I picked up my paycheck at the Acme, then rode to the FYE in the Audubon Crossings Mall. Disney just re-released the 1984 animated action/fantasy The Black Cauldron on DVD. I've wanted that one ever since it was announced last year. I remember seeing that at the Beach Theater in Cape May in 1984. Universal finally put out the Kevin Kline/Angela Landsbury movie version of the 1981 Pirates of Penzance as well, and I really wanted to replace my aging Blockbuster video copy. Alas, the Audubon FYE turned out to be out of both. I almost bought a $4 copy of The Three Amigos. I may go back for it later in the week, but not today.
I probably spent more time there than at the Acme. There was very little I needed for groceries this week. Most of what I needed was yogurt! I also restocked my olive oil and canola cooking spray, both of which were on sale.
I had a simple peanut butter and apple butter sandwich lunch at home. Finished A Pup Named Scooby Doo while I did the dishes. Though I still enjoy Pup Named to a degree, it's not something I'm going to buy. It's fun to watch one or two episodes, but watching them all at once reveals a show that relied too heavily on running gags - Daphne constantly calling her butler whenever there's trouble, Fred accusing bully Red Herring of every crime, "Velma said 'Jinkies!'" - and too little on decent scripts. The cute and colorful anime-esque animation hasn't dated all that well, either.
On the other hand, there were a couple of individual episodes I really liked. "Dog Gone Scooby" shows what happens when Scooby, feeling neglected, runs away...and the kids realize how much he means to them. (Plus, this is the only episode on the set where the villain turns out to be neither bad nor a business owner in a silly costume.) "The Wrath of Waitro" is a short spoof of super hero cliches, with Shaggy and Scoob as two of Hanna Barbara's least-likely crimefighters. "Mayhem of the Moving Mollusk" takes the kids to New York City, where they fight a snail who plays hockey (don't ask) and make a lot of references to another ABC cartoon about spook-catchers that was popular in the early 90s, The Real Ghostbusters.
The sun had started coming out as I was riding home from the Acme, and was rapidly improving. I decided that I still wanted those DVDs, enough to go into Philly and find them. I stopped at the bank quickly to drop off my paycheck (and enjoy the macaroons and a very small slice of the pineapple upside-down cake they had out for their Customer Appreciation Day) and rode over to Collingswood. I hopped a fairly full PATCO train into Downtown Philadelphia.
Since it was past 3 by this point and the traffic was getting ridiculous, I just stuck to Broad Street. Yes, the big FYE near City Hall had The Pirates of Penzance and The Black Cauldron. The latter was on sale, in fact. Pirates wasn't, and the spindle holding the DVD to the box was broken, but it was the last one in the store and I didn't feel like ordering it online. It wasn't quite as much of a steal as the last few times I went there, but thanks to the Cauldron sale and my Membership Card, it could have been worse.
I went across to Borders after that and browsed, but I mostly went there to get a drink. I was really thirsty. I grabbed a small sweet tea at the cafe. Didn't buy anything else. I considered some more of those candy shop mysteries, but I think I'll wait for Christmas to go book-shopping again.
After I left Borders, I made my way through the heavy traffic on Broad Street and back the way I came, via the PATCO station at 13th and Locust. I took a partially-full train back to Collingswood and rode home, enjoying the now-gorgeous day. The sun was fully out, the clouds were gone, and the wind had gentled down to a lovely breeze.
Made salmon with wine sauce, corn on the cob, and honey-glazed carrots and peppers for dinner while watching Ivanhoe. Robert Taylor plays the title knight, who returns from the Crusades to discover that Richard the Lionhearted is being ransomed by the king of Austria. He's determined to raise the money and release his king. With the help of an elderly Jewish man and his daughter, who may be a sorceress (Elizabeth Taylor), his father and his ward (Joan Fontaine), his father's jester, and the man known today as Robin Hood, he fights knights and challenges Richard's dastardly brother John.
Set around the same time as Robin Hood, this is a very different story...but it's still pure old-fashioned swashbuckler. Robert Taylor is stiff and a bit miscast as the knight, but the ladies, especially Joan Fontaine, are much better. There's also some wonderful sequences of Robin Hood and his men rushing into battle at the castle where Fontaine and Taylor are being held, a reminder that this movie was made in the epic-crazy 50s.
The rest of tonight's been more frustrating. My internet went down for more than an hour! I hate having to call Verizon yet again. I'm assuming there are still storms in the area. And I'm trying to unravel that hat I was crocheting for Molly. I was trying to work in the round, but it got twisted and turned. I couldn't sew them together. When I tried to unravel the parts, they got tangled. Now there's a heap of tangled yarn laying on my couch. Plus, Mom said the yarn was too thick and had too many strands for a beginner. I'll just stick to making scarves, muffs, blankets, and pillows for the girls until I get better at crocheting.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Interesting Times
I got up at 9AM. It was pretty much the same weather as yesterday - sunny, cool, windy, and on-and-off cloudy. I'll take that. I had a late cereal breakfast and watched Bowery Boys movies before heading to the Acme to pick up this week's paycheck.
Didn't really need a whole lot at the Acme. My shopping didn't take long, and might have taken even less time if I remembered my list. I restocked my yogurt (Dannon is on sale this week). I bought some more beef chunks for stew, and more flounder packs. I grabbed mousse mixes for mousse pies. Stocked up on pens while they're on back-to-school sales. Picked up the Land-O-Lakes Brown Eggs on sale for $2.50.
After I headed home, I put everything away and ate a Peanut Butter and Apple Butter sandwich for lunch. It was getting cloudier and windier, but otherwise, the weather remained decent. It was too decent to hang around inside all day, and I had to run to the bank anyway, so I went for a walk.
The bank was my first stop. As I was giving the teller my check to deposit, she told me the diner down the street in Oaklyn had burned down. I couldn't believe it. I hoped she didn't mean the Newton Diner. I love that place. I just ate there a month ago - that's where I won Twilight the Horse from a crane game. They're food is greasy but good and decently price, and they have great service.
As I strolled down the White Horse Pike, I crossed my fingers and hoped they hadn't meant the Newton Diner. After all, there are at least 14,795 diners in New Jersey. She could have meant somewhere else.
The big red firetrucks next to the Ritz Theater gave me my unfortunate answer. Yes, it was the Newton Diner that burned down. It looked pretty bad, too, at least what I could bring myself to look at of it. I saw some of the roof and walls, but the inside was as black as tar. I just couldn't stand any more carnage and turned down the block next to WaWa. I walked into Audubon via the train footbridge instead of the White Horse Pike.
Had a much nicer time there. Bob at Abbie Road is having a sale on used CDs. Used 1-disc sets are $4.99; 2-disc sets are $6.99. I bought the album for the long-running 1977 original cast of A Chorus Line from the used sale. Picked up a Chocolate Italian Soda from The TreeHouse Cafe after leaving Abbie Road. Stopped at Willie the Woodsman and Wife's, too, and bought the new WebKinz Gobbler Turkey. Browsed in Act Two Collectibles, but I didn't buy anything.
The weather had become gloomier as I headed back to Oaklyn. The clouds that were just fleecy bits when I was at the Acme were now full and thick, with no blue showing through. It was windy, cool, and gloomy...the perfect afternoon to spend dusting and listening to cassettes of 20s music.
As I dusted the bedroom, I tripped over the edge of my just-made bed and landed hard on my knee on the carpeted floor. Ouch! I don't think I did any permanent damage - I can move it just fine - but my lower left knee is now rug-burned and sore. It's going to have a very nice lump by tomorrow.
In addition to the dusting, I finally did something I've been putting off for a month. I bought an address book at the Wildwood Boardwalk so I could clear all the random phone numbers and addresses off various surfaces in my apartment, including the phone table next to my bed, the junk dresser in the living room, and the refrigerator. I've had my old address book since college, and it was filled with the numbers and addresses of people I haven't heard from in years. Not to mention, almost everyone I know who lives further than down the street from me has moved within the last decade.
After I finally finished the dusting, I made Chicken Therese and spinach and tomato salad for dinner and watched the Japanese animated movie Ponyo. Ponyo is a variation on The Little Mermaid. A fish who is the daughter of a powerful sea god is saved by a little boy who feeds her and takes care of her. She becomes so fond of him (and of the ham he feeds her), she longs to become human herself. When she finally makes her wish come true, it upsets the balance of nature so badly that a storm nearly washes the town where the boy and his mother live away. Ponyo's mother opts to let her daughter become fully human and restore the balance of nature...if she can pass her challenges...
This is a sweet, delightful, simple tale of two kids who learn about the importance of family, the ocean, and friendship. And I especially love the daring, strong-willed mother, who literally out-races a tsunami in her SUV, takes care of old ladies, and cares for her son while her husband is at sea. She reminds me so, so much of my mother when I was 5, right down to the short hairstyle.
Oh, and meet Mayflower, the Gobbler Turkey! The stuffed animal will eventually become a Thanksgiving decoration. The online May will be moved with her mate, Plymouth the Turkey. I'll relocate Alex the Citrus Dragon to the new Cabana Room.
I got up at 9AM. It was pretty much the same weather as yesterday - sunny, cool, windy, and on-and-off cloudy. I'll take that. I had a late cereal breakfast and watched Bowery Boys movies before heading to the Acme to pick up this week's paycheck.
Didn't really need a whole lot at the Acme. My shopping didn't take long, and might have taken even less time if I remembered my list. I restocked my yogurt (Dannon is on sale this week). I bought some more beef chunks for stew, and more flounder packs. I grabbed mousse mixes for mousse pies. Stocked up on pens while they're on back-to-school sales. Picked up the Land-O-Lakes Brown Eggs on sale for $2.50.
After I headed home, I put everything away and ate a Peanut Butter and Apple Butter sandwich for lunch. It was getting cloudier and windier, but otherwise, the weather remained decent. It was too decent to hang around inside all day, and I had to run to the bank anyway, so I went for a walk.
The bank was my first stop. As I was giving the teller my check to deposit, she told me the diner down the street in Oaklyn had burned down. I couldn't believe it. I hoped she didn't mean the Newton Diner. I love that place. I just ate there a month ago - that's where I won Twilight the Horse from a crane game. They're food is greasy but good and decently price, and they have great service.
As I strolled down the White Horse Pike, I crossed my fingers and hoped they hadn't meant the Newton Diner. After all, there are at least 14,795 diners in New Jersey. She could have meant somewhere else.
The big red firetrucks next to the Ritz Theater gave me my unfortunate answer. Yes, it was the Newton Diner that burned down. It looked pretty bad, too, at least what I could bring myself to look at of it. I saw some of the roof and walls, but the inside was as black as tar. I just couldn't stand any more carnage and turned down the block next to WaWa. I walked into Audubon via the train footbridge instead of the White Horse Pike.
Had a much nicer time there. Bob at Abbie Road is having a sale on used CDs. Used 1-disc sets are $4.99; 2-disc sets are $6.99. I bought the album for the long-running 1977 original cast of A Chorus Line from the used sale. Picked up a Chocolate Italian Soda from The TreeHouse Cafe after leaving Abbie Road. Stopped at Willie the Woodsman and Wife's, too, and bought the new WebKinz Gobbler Turkey. Browsed in Act Two Collectibles, but I didn't buy anything.
The weather had become gloomier as I headed back to Oaklyn. The clouds that were just fleecy bits when I was at the Acme were now full and thick, with no blue showing through. It was windy, cool, and gloomy...the perfect afternoon to spend dusting and listening to cassettes of 20s music.
As I dusted the bedroom, I tripped over the edge of my just-made bed and landed hard on my knee on the carpeted floor. Ouch! I don't think I did any permanent damage - I can move it just fine - but my lower left knee is now rug-burned and sore. It's going to have a very nice lump by tomorrow.
In addition to the dusting, I finally did something I've been putting off for a month. I bought an address book at the Wildwood Boardwalk so I could clear all the random phone numbers and addresses off various surfaces in my apartment, including the phone table next to my bed, the junk dresser in the living room, and the refrigerator. I've had my old address book since college, and it was filled with the numbers and addresses of people I haven't heard from in years. Not to mention, almost everyone I know who lives further than down the street from me has moved within the last decade.
After I finally finished the dusting, I made Chicken Therese and spinach and tomato salad for dinner and watched the Japanese animated movie Ponyo. Ponyo is a variation on The Little Mermaid. A fish who is the daughter of a powerful sea god is saved by a little boy who feeds her and takes care of her. She becomes so fond of him (and of the ham he feeds her), she longs to become human herself. When she finally makes her wish come true, it upsets the balance of nature so badly that a storm nearly washes the town where the boy and his mother live away. Ponyo's mother opts to let her daughter become fully human and restore the balance of nature...if she can pass her challenges...
This is a sweet, delightful, simple tale of two kids who learn about the importance of family, the ocean, and friendship. And I especially love the daring, strong-willed mother, who literally out-races a tsunami in her SUV, takes care of old ladies, and cares for her son while her husband is at sea. She reminds me so, so much of my mother when I was 5, right down to the short hairstyle.
Oh, and meet Mayflower, the Gobbler Turkey! The stuffed animal will eventually become a Thanksgiving decoration. The online May will be moved with her mate, Plymouth the Turkey. I'll relocate Alex the Citrus Dragon to the new Cabana Room.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Out of the Eye of the Hurricane
As it turned out, the closest Hurricane Earl got to us was 100 miles off the Jersey Shore. There's been some erosion down there, but nothing like the winds, rain, and flooding that smacked the Carolinas. It's been humid, mildly hot, and on-and-off cloudy all day. It didn't even rain.
Started off the gloomy morning with WOGL's "The Breakfast Club" morning show and writing in my journal. The Breakfast Club always runs Al Alberts' version of "On the Way to Cape May" at the end of their show every Friday between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. I thought it would be a nice way to bookend my summer, especially since I actually did make it to Cape May this year.
I made a really nice breakfast of fried egg and egg white with farm-market Colby cheese, green peppers, onion, and mushrooms. I added a slice of 9-Grain toast with farm-market apple butter and a glass of green mint tea. Watched another East Side Kids movie while I had my breakfast. The boys try to help a girl whose guardian has been murdered by gangsters in 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge.
Made my errand run next. Picked up my paycheck at the Acme. Headed to the Audubon Crossings Mall to look for the new Looney Tunes DVDs that just came out. I couldn't find them at FYE or at Wal Mart. I did find Wal Mart's line of 18-inch doll clothes, though. I bought Jessa a really cute pair of doll-sized boots and happily ogled the new toys for the upcoming Disney movie Tangled (apparently, an action-oriented variation on Rapunzel) and the new Barbie As special Fashion Fairy Tale.
(And now I'm glad I didn't find those Looney Tunes sets. According to several angry customers at Amazon.com, many of the cartoons were badly cropped to make them look widescreen. Um...if they're not widescreen, why crop them to make them look that way? That makes no sense at all. It's just as bad as making a widescreen movie fullscreen. Run the cartoons the way they originally filmed, or don't bother.)
I had lunch at Arby's. Just bought a Chicken Club and a Diet Mountain Dew. I wasn't hungry enough for Curly Fries. Went back to the Acme to do my weekly grocery shopping next. Restocked my chicken breasts and cubed steak. Bought Yoplait yogurt on sale. Restocked sugar, corn meal, Cool Whip, crushed pineapple, granola bars, and peanuts.
Headed straight home after that. I put everything away and went right back out. I headed to the bank, where I deposited my paycheck and transferred funds from my savings account so I could pay my rent this month. I just haven't made enough money at the Acme lately, even with that one busy week.
After I left there, I went for a walk. Stopped at WaWa and treated myself to a Watermelon Lime-Coke Icee. The clouds were trying to break up at this point. It wasn't that hot, but the humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife. Despite this, I saw a lot of people out today, probably enjoying their Labor Day Weekend off. There was quite a bit of shore-bound traffic on both the White and Black Horse Pikes, too.
I read for about an hour when I got home, then decided that since it wasn't raining or that cold, I'd go for a swim. I'm very glad I did. The water was about 80 degrees, same as yesterday, and felt great once you got used to it. Once again, I had the pool to myself. Almost everyone else in the family were getting ready to go to the Philadelphia Phillies-Milwaukee Brewers game at 7PM. (Phillies won, by the way, 1-0. That'll make Uncle Ken, a big Phillies fan, happy.)
I passed the rest of the evening pleasantly at home, watching Soapdish and eating leftover Chicken-Tomato Soup, Persian Cucumber Salad, and Smashed Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Soapdish is a fun spoof of soap-opera hysterics...off and on the screen. The producer and second lead of the long-running but low-rated (fictional) soap opera The Sun Also Rises conspire to find ways to fire the long-standing diva and get her off the show for good.
This is one of the few random 80s/early 90s comedies Mom introduced me to, rather than Dad. She's a big fan of Sally Field, who plays the diva who really won't die. Other familiar faces here include Whoopi Goldberg (as Field's writer and confidante), Kevin Kline (as Field's ex-lover who now does dinner theater in Florida), Elizabeth Shue (as Field's wanna-be actress niece), Cathy Moriarty (as the second lead), Terri Hatcher (as a soap opera bimbo), a pre-drugs Robert Downey Jr. (as the mousey producer), and Carrie Fisher (as the show's casting agent).
Actually, it's interesting to watch this now. Many long-running real-life soap operas have gone off the air in the last few years, including As the World Turns and The Guiding Light. I guess people have enough soap operas in real-life these days that they don't need the silly ones on TV, or see enough on reality shows to last 80 lifetimes.
As it turned out, the closest Hurricane Earl got to us was 100 miles off the Jersey Shore. There's been some erosion down there, but nothing like the winds, rain, and flooding that smacked the Carolinas. It's been humid, mildly hot, and on-and-off cloudy all day. It didn't even rain.
Started off the gloomy morning with WOGL's "The Breakfast Club" morning show and writing in my journal. The Breakfast Club always runs Al Alberts' version of "On the Way to Cape May" at the end of their show every Friday between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. I thought it would be a nice way to bookend my summer, especially since I actually did make it to Cape May this year.
I made a really nice breakfast of fried egg and egg white with farm-market Colby cheese, green peppers, onion, and mushrooms. I added a slice of 9-Grain toast with farm-market apple butter and a glass of green mint tea. Watched another East Side Kids movie while I had my breakfast. The boys try to help a girl whose guardian has been murdered by gangsters in 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge.
Made my errand run next. Picked up my paycheck at the Acme. Headed to the Audubon Crossings Mall to look for the new Looney Tunes DVDs that just came out. I couldn't find them at FYE or at Wal Mart. I did find Wal Mart's line of 18-inch doll clothes, though. I bought Jessa a really cute pair of doll-sized boots and happily ogled the new toys for the upcoming Disney movie Tangled (apparently, an action-oriented variation on Rapunzel) and the new Barbie As special Fashion Fairy Tale.
(And now I'm glad I didn't find those Looney Tunes sets. According to several angry customers at Amazon.com, many of the cartoons were badly cropped to make them look widescreen. Um...if they're not widescreen, why crop them to make them look that way? That makes no sense at all. It's just as bad as making a widescreen movie fullscreen. Run the cartoons the way they originally filmed, or don't bother.)
I had lunch at Arby's. Just bought a Chicken Club and a Diet Mountain Dew. I wasn't hungry enough for Curly Fries. Went back to the Acme to do my weekly grocery shopping next. Restocked my chicken breasts and cubed steak. Bought Yoplait yogurt on sale. Restocked sugar, corn meal, Cool Whip, crushed pineapple, granola bars, and peanuts.
Headed straight home after that. I put everything away and went right back out. I headed to the bank, where I deposited my paycheck and transferred funds from my savings account so I could pay my rent this month. I just haven't made enough money at the Acme lately, even with that one busy week.
After I left there, I went for a walk. Stopped at WaWa and treated myself to a Watermelon Lime-Coke Icee. The clouds were trying to break up at this point. It wasn't that hot, but the humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife. Despite this, I saw a lot of people out today, probably enjoying their Labor Day Weekend off. There was quite a bit of shore-bound traffic on both the White and Black Horse Pikes, too.
I read for about an hour when I got home, then decided that since it wasn't raining or that cold, I'd go for a swim. I'm very glad I did. The water was about 80 degrees, same as yesterday, and felt great once you got used to it. Once again, I had the pool to myself. Almost everyone else in the family were getting ready to go to the Philadelphia Phillies-Milwaukee Brewers game at 7PM. (Phillies won, by the way, 1-0. That'll make Uncle Ken, a big Phillies fan, happy.)
I passed the rest of the evening pleasantly at home, watching Soapdish and eating leftover Chicken-Tomato Soup, Persian Cucumber Salad, and Smashed Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Soapdish is a fun spoof of soap-opera hysterics...off and on the screen. The producer and second lead of the long-running but low-rated (fictional) soap opera The Sun Also Rises conspire to find ways to fire the long-standing diva and get her off the show for good.
This is one of the few random 80s/early 90s comedies Mom introduced me to, rather than Dad. She's a big fan of Sally Field, who plays the diva who really won't die. Other familiar faces here include Whoopi Goldberg (as Field's writer and confidante), Kevin Kline (as Field's ex-lover who now does dinner theater in Florida), Elizabeth Shue (as Field's wanna-be actress niece), Cathy Moriarty (as the second lead), Terri Hatcher (as a soap opera bimbo), a pre-drugs Robert Downey Jr. (as the mousey producer), and Carrie Fisher (as the show's casting agent).
Actually, it's interesting to watch this now. Many long-running real-life soap operas have gone off the air in the last few years, including As the World Turns and The Guiding Light. I guess people have enough soap operas in real-life these days that they don't need the silly ones on TV, or see enough on reality shows to last 80 lifetimes.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Arts and Recreation for Adults
It was such a gorgeous day today. The sky was clear and cloudless. The air was cool and dry. It barely got into the 80s. There couldn't be a nicer day in late August.
I kicked it off with a walk and a quick stop at the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteer session there. An attempt at organizing the DVDs and videos didn't get far. They're a mess! They've been trying to pull DVDs that teens can take out, but it looks awful. I had more luck with the children's picture books.
Went for a walk down the White Horse Pike and around the neighborhood next. I was very disappointed with my stop at Oaklyn's City Hall. It wasn't nearly as fruitful as my stop at Collingswood's city hall was yesterday. They just had pamphlets for taxes and flyers for local kids' cheerleading and football teams. I don't care about what the kids do for exercise here. What I want to know is what the adults do for exercise.
Didn't have much luck on West Clinton Avenue, either. I was hoping to get some prices and a class list for the Pillar School of Dance next-door to Leo's Yum Yums, but they were closed and had no pamphlets or flyers outside advertising their classes and prices, like Yogawood does in Collingswood. They don't even have a web site that I can see, though they are on Facebook.
And while I was walking on West Beechwood, my left ankle turned. It hasn't done that in ages! I put it on ice for the rest of the morning. I can walk on it and have no problem riding the bike, but it is sore.
My (slightly) early work was steady-to-dead with no major problems other than standing on that sore ankle. It'll be even less fun next week. Though I only have 21 hours and have 3 days off, they're all 6-hour days except for Sunday, and every day except for Sunday is until 8 or 8:30. Saturday was originally 6-11, but there was no way I can do that on my bike. I'm so grateful one of the managers was able to switch it for a far more normal 2:30 to 8:30.
Ran to the mall behind the Acme after work. I loved seeing Dreamgirls again last night so much, I knew I couldn't put off buying the DVD anymore. I actually found the 2-Disc "Showstopper Edition" new for $4.79 with my membership card. That's the third time I've gotten a 2-Disc set for less than $6 this year. There are advantages to DVDs having increased competition.
I had two slices of chicken and broccoli pizza for dinner, then went grocery shopping. I didn't need much. In fact, three of the big things I needed - contact lens case, dust spray, and tissues - weren't even food. Also needed yogurt, eggs, canned tomatoes, and those $1 fish packs. Oh, and Guilden's Mustard was on sale for 88 cents, so I stocked up on that.
It was such a gorgeous day today. The sky was clear and cloudless. The air was cool and dry. It barely got into the 80s. There couldn't be a nicer day in late August.
I kicked it off with a walk and a quick stop at the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteer session there. An attempt at organizing the DVDs and videos didn't get far. They're a mess! They've been trying to pull DVDs that teens can take out, but it looks awful. I had more luck with the children's picture books.
Went for a walk down the White Horse Pike and around the neighborhood next. I was very disappointed with my stop at Oaklyn's City Hall. It wasn't nearly as fruitful as my stop at Collingswood's city hall was yesterday. They just had pamphlets for taxes and flyers for local kids' cheerleading and football teams. I don't care about what the kids do for exercise here. What I want to know is what the adults do for exercise.
Didn't have much luck on West Clinton Avenue, either. I was hoping to get some prices and a class list for the Pillar School of Dance next-door to Leo's Yum Yums, but they were closed and had no pamphlets or flyers outside advertising their classes and prices, like Yogawood does in Collingswood. They don't even have a web site that I can see, though they are on Facebook.
And while I was walking on West Beechwood, my left ankle turned. It hasn't done that in ages! I put it on ice for the rest of the morning. I can walk on it and have no problem riding the bike, but it is sore.
My (slightly) early work was steady-to-dead with no major problems other than standing on that sore ankle. It'll be even less fun next week. Though I only have 21 hours and have 3 days off, they're all 6-hour days except for Sunday, and every day except for Sunday is until 8 or 8:30. Saturday was originally 6-11, but there was no way I can do that on my bike. I'm so grateful one of the managers was able to switch it for a far more normal 2:30 to 8:30.
Ran to the mall behind the Acme after work. I loved seeing Dreamgirls again last night so much, I knew I couldn't put off buying the DVD anymore. I actually found the 2-Disc "Showstopper Edition" new for $4.79 with my membership card. That's the third time I've gotten a 2-Disc set for less than $6 this year. There are advantages to DVDs having increased competition.
I had two slices of chicken and broccoli pizza for dinner, then went grocery shopping. I didn't need much. In fact, three of the big things I needed - contact lens case, dust spray, and tissues - weren't even food. Also needed yogurt, eggs, canned tomatoes, and those $1 fish packs. Oh, and Guilden's Mustard was on sale for 88 cents, so I stocked up on that.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday the 13th
This was a fairly quiet day. Some of you probably spent it watching the ridiculously long-running Friday the 13th slasher movie series. As for me, I'm a wuss when it comes to horror. I'd rather laugh at my fears than jump at them. I opted for a spooky Bowery Boys movie, Spook Busters, instead.
(However, I intend to save the remaining horror-themed Bowery Boys and East Side Kids movies for October and Halloween. I don't have much that's horror-themed that I can handle to watch that month, so it'll be nice to have these.)
I ran to the Acme after Spook Busters ended. No paycheck today (we get our vacation paychecks in advance), but I figured I'd get my grocery shopping done anyway. Not that I needed much. I mostly stocked up on necessities like yogurt, tuna, peanuts, and granola bars. I ran out of vanilla last week and grabbed some today. Also got money for next week.
Rode straight home after I finished at the Acme. I made Tuscan Tuna-Bean Salad and Persian Cucumber Salad for lunch. After I ate, I went to the Oaklyn Library. I worked a bit on organizing the children's fiction books (which I haven't done in a while), but I got there a half-hour before they closed for the afternoon, and I didn't get as much done as I would have liked.
My next stop was CVS, via a stroll on the White Horse Pike, for a lint roller. Those black shorts I bought with Mom last week are nice, but they pick up lint like crazy. It had been cloudy earlier, but the humidity from yesterday was gone. The sun started to peek out as I left CVS; it got a bit hotter, but still nothing like last week, and not humid.
I took advantage of the cooler weather to make Zucchini-Carrot Muffins for a snack while watching more Bowery Boys. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. I worked on crocheting Molly's hat. I swept the porch, which really needed it. It's been so windy these past few days! I thought of going swimming, but the wind was chilly, and it started sprinkling briefly around quarter after 5.
Watched Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure during a lovely dinner of Dandelion Greens and Tomato Salad, a Chicken Thigh Poached in Lemon-Wine Sauce, and a slice of Blueberry Brunch Cake. I know I've said I'm not a fan of Peter Pan, but these Tinker Bell movies barely qualify. They're set in the world of Pixie Hollow in Neverland, where Fairies work in harmony to keep nature running. Tink is an industrious "tinker fairy," who creates machines that help the other fairies in their work. Tink's friends are a bit one-note (and despite the name voice cast, we don't see that much of them), and the lessons about being proud of your gifts and accepting friendship are spread on too thick. In general, though, these are sweet, enjoyable movies that would be really cute for girls who are too old for princesses, but too young for wizards and pop stars.
This was a fairly quiet day. Some of you probably spent it watching the ridiculously long-running Friday the 13th slasher movie series. As for me, I'm a wuss when it comes to horror. I'd rather laugh at my fears than jump at them. I opted for a spooky Bowery Boys movie, Spook Busters, instead.
(However, I intend to save the remaining horror-themed Bowery Boys and East Side Kids movies for October and Halloween. I don't have much that's horror-themed that I can handle to watch that month, so it'll be nice to have these.)
I ran to the Acme after Spook Busters ended. No paycheck today (we get our vacation paychecks in advance), but I figured I'd get my grocery shopping done anyway. Not that I needed much. I mostly stocked up on necessities like yogurt, tuna, peanuts, and granola bars. I ran out of vanilla last week and grabbed some today. Also got money for next week.
Rode straight home after I finished at the Acme. I made Tuscan Tuna-Bean Salad and Persian Cucumber Salad for lunch. After I ate, I went to the Oaklyn Library. I worked a bit on organizing the children's fiction books (which I haven't done in a while), but I got there a half-hour before they closed for the afternoon, and I didn't get as much done as I would have liked.
My next stop was CVS, via a stroll on the White Horse Pike, for a lint roller. Those black shorts I bought with Mom last week are nice, but they pick up lint like crazy. It had been cloudy earlier, but the humidity from yesterday was gone. The sun started to peek out as I left CVS; it got a bit hotter, but still nothing like last week, and not humid.
I took advantage of the cooler weather to make Zucchini-Carrot Muffins for a snack while watching more Bowery Boys. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. I worked on crocheting Molly's hat. I swept the porch, which really needed it. It's been so windy these past few days! I thought of going swimming, but the wind was chilly, and it started sprinkling briefly around quarter after 5.
Watched Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure during a lovely dinner of Dandelion Greens and Tomato Salad, a Chicken Thigh Poached in Lemon-Wine Sauce, and a slice of Blueberry Brunch Cake. I know I've said I'm not a fan of Peter Pan, but these Tinker Bell movies barely qualify. They're set in the world of Pixie Hollow in Neverland, where Fairies work in harmony to keep nature running. Tink is an industrious "tinker fairy," who creates machines that help the other fairies in their work. Tink's friends are a bit one-note (and despite the name voice cast, we don't see that much of them), and the lessons about being proud of your gifts and accepting friendship are spread on too thick. In general, though, these are sweet, enjoyable movies that would be really cute for girls who are too old for princesses, but too young for wizards and pop stars.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Sidewalks of Haddonfield
I slept in this morning, then went to the Acme to pick up my paycheck. I browsed in FYE, Fashion Bug, and Avenue after that, but I didn't see anything I really needed. I didn't need a lot of groceries, either. There was a really good sale on chicken breasts, by far the best we've had so far this summer, so I bought two packs. I also stocked up on Acme canned pineapple, which was on clearance. (Perhaps Acme's changing the labels? They've already renamed and/or changed the labels of many of the store's generic brand items.) Also grabbed Jiff Extra Chunky Peanut Butter and a can of diced tomatoes.
I rode home for lunch and to drop off my groceries. Had a tasty turkey wrap with romaine lettuce, then checked the bus schedule. The trip to Clementon Park takes a little over a half-hour...but it was almost 2:30 by then. If I wanted to be home by dark, that wouldn't give me a lot of time in the park. I finally opted for a long random bike ride instead.
I've never ridden all the way up to Haddonfield before. I usually ride over to the Collingswood PATCO and hop on a train. The train ride only takes a few minutes, though. That's fine in the winter. Today, however, the weather was once again slightly hot and humid, but not overwhelmingly so, and it was still windy. I figured, why not?
I'm glad I did. I rode up to Kings' Highway to discover that many of the stores in Haddonfield's main shopping district are having a huge sidewalk sale. Tents, racks, and tables are filled with merchandise marked down as much as 70-80%, a big deal in that expensive town. I still couldn't find any clothes I liked (even on sale, Haddonfield's fancy boutiques are not cheap...and most don't deal in plus sizes). On the other hand, I made a score at one of the salons. They were selling Goody brushes and combs for two dollars and a dollar, respectively, and Scrunci hair bands for $1 each. I got two packs of hair bands, a comb, and a brush. I've been needing them badly.
While I didn't see anything at the Happy Hippo Toy Store's sidewalk sale that I liked, I did find a WebKinz. I've been wanting a Pom Pom Kitty ever since I saw the adorable lavender feline in the WebKinz Music Starz video "Cats and Dogs" last fall. They did have them before, but I opted for John the Ginger Cat then; not this time.
I rode to Haddonfield via the White Horse Pike and King's Highway. I rode home on Westmont Avenue, eventually ending up in the Westmont section of Haddon Avenue. I stopped at a little water ice shop, Primo's, and bought a small Black Cherry Bordeux water ice for $1.50. It was worth the extra 25 cents. It tasted like real cherries and had huge cherry pieces in it. That was some of the best water ice I ever had.
Made my way across the rush-hour traffic on Cuthbert, then just rode straight home. Miss Ellie was home when I got in. I promised her I'd take her bags of newspapers and magazines out to her porch, where a friend would pick them up and take them to recycling. She also gave me a boatload of shoes she couldn't use. Most of them were way too big for me and will be going to the thrift shop in Collingswood. I did net two good pairs of boots and two pairs of good sandals in black and tan. One pair of boots are thigh-high, fur-lined, and water-proof. The others are ankle-high leather. Both will be far more useful - and probably last longer - than those suede Ugg imitations I bought from JCPenny last New Year's Eve. The salt from all that snow last winter completely killed the suede.
Passed the rest of the evening at my place, watching Bowery Boys movies and eating cubed steak, Pan-Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes, and green beans for dinner.
Oh, and meet Violet the Pom-Pom Kitty! Vi is full of vigor and loves lots of activities, including her favorite - cheerleading! She's also a bit of a girlie-girl and will be sharing the new Pink Princess Room with Ursula the Signature Black Bear.
I slept in this morning, then went to the Acme to pick up my paycheck. I browsed in FYE, Fashion Bug, and Avenue after that, but I didn't see anything I really needed. I didn't need a lot of groceries, either. There was a really good sale on chicken breasts, by far the best we've had so far this summer, so I bought two packs. I also stocked up on Acme canned pineapple, which was on clearance. (Perhaps Acme's changing the labels? They've already renamed and/or changed the labels of many of the store's generic brand items.) Also grabbed Jiff Extra Chunky Peanut Butter and a can of diced tomatoes.
I rode home for lunch and to drop off my groceries. Had a tasty turkey wrap with romaine lettuce, then checked the bus schedule. The trip to Clementon Park takes a little over a half-hour...but it was almost 2:30 by then. If I wanted to be home by dark, that wouldn't give me a lot of time in the park. I finally opted for a long random bike ride instead.
I've never ridden all the way up to Haddonfield before. I usually ride over to the Collingswood PATCO and hop on a train. The train ride only takes a few minutes, though. That's fine in the winter. Today, however, the weather was once again slightly hot and humid, but not overwhelmingly so, and it was still windy. I figured, why not?
I'm glad I did. I rode up to Kings' Highway to discover that many of the stores in Haddonfield's main shopping district are having a huge sidewalk sale. Tents, racks, and tables are filled with merchandise marked down as much as 70-80%, a big deal in that expensive town. I still couldn't find any clothes I liked (even on sale, Haddonfield's fancy boutiques are not cheap...and most don't deal in plus sizes). On the other hand, I made a score at one of the salons. They were selling Goody brushes and combs for two dollars and a dollar, respectively, and Scrunci hair bands for $1 each. I got two packs of hair bands, a comb, and a brush. I've been needing them badly.
While I didn't see anything at the Happy Hippo Toy Store's sidewalk sale that I liked, I did find a WebKinz. I've been wanting a Pom Pom Kitty ever since I saw the adorable lavender feline in the WebKinz Music Starz video "Cats and Dogs" last fall. They did have them before, but I opted for John the Ginger Cat then; not this time.
I rode to Haddonfield via the White Horse Pike and King's Highway. I rode home on Westmont Avenue, eventually ending up in the Westmont section of Haddon Avenue. I stopped at a little water ice shop, Primo's, and bought a small Black Cherry Bordeux water ice for $1.50. It was worth the extra 25 cents. It tasted like real cherries and had huge cherry pieces in it. That was some of the best water ice I ever had.
Made my way across the rush-hour traffic on Cuthbert, then just rode straight home. Miss Ellie was home when I got in. I promised her I'd take her bags of newspapers and magazines out to her porch, where a friend would pick them up and take them to recycling. She also gave me a boatload of shoes she couldn't use. Most of them were way too big for me and will be going to the thrift shop in Collingswood. I did net two good pairs of boots and two pairs of good sandals in black and tan. One pair of boots are thigh-high, fur-lined, and water-proof. The others are ankle-high leather. Both will be far more useful - and probably last longer - than those suede Ugg imitations I bought from JCPenny last New Year's Eve. The salt from all that snow last winter completely killed the suede.
Passed the rest of the evening at my place, watching Bowery Boys movies and eating cubed steak, Pan-Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes, and green beans for dinner.
Oh, and meet Violet the Pom-Pom Kitty! Vi is full of vigor and loves lots of activities, including her favorite - cheerleading! She's also a bit of a girlie-girl and will be sharing the new Pink Princess Room with Ursula the Signature Black Bear.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Summer Breeze
The air conditioner was still on this morning when I woke up...but the moment I stuck my nose out the door, I knew there was no reason to keep it on. The weather was stunning. It had to be at least lower-mid 80s, breezy, and sunny as could be, with no humidity in sight. Perfect day for running chores and errands.
I went to the Acme first. Picked up my two vacation paychecks, then did my grocery shopping. In addition to food (yogurt, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, fish, shrimp, beef for stews, the Fiber One Granola Bars that were on a really good sale), I bought a Finding Nemo book and two Hot Wheels cars for my nephew Skylar, whose birthday is tomorrow, and a new pair of sunglasses for me. (My old pair got really scratched in my purse.)
Headed home after I finished shopping. My ride felt great, too. It was so nice, I decided to bake again after I put my groceries away. I just ran out of the Peach-Blueberry Muffins; had the last one with my shrimp and tomato-cucumber salad lunch. I did a variation on them, but replaced the blueberries with one of the small yellow apples I got at the farm market. They seemed to come out well enough, not too sweet.
I went across the street to Newton River Park after I left CVS. I'm so glad I went for that walk. It was a wonderful day for it. Everything is in bloom, thanks to all the storms we've had over the past few weeks. I rode the slide with the rollers and landed flat on my rear on the soft dirt ground, laughing my head off. I saw gorgeous wildflowers in beautiful shades of pink, peach, magenta, and purple. I saw a tree with strange, long seed pods that were woody and tough. The looked like giant green beans hanging off of the tree! I saw fat pale green-yellow pods with spiny coverings. I saw downy thistles being visited by enormous, mutant-sized bees.
I was hot and thirsty when I arrived back on West Clinton Avenue. I stopped at Leo's Yum Yums for something to quench my dry throat. I treated myself to a small Orange Vanilla Yum-Yum (a kind of creamier water ice) while watching an adorable little boy eat his chocolate soft-serve cone with his mother and grandmother.
After I finished, I went next-door to Doria's Deli. I picked up a half-pound of turkey and chatted with the owner. He suggested taking the NJ Transit River Line Train to Burlington City or Trenton as a day trip. I may look into that; it's something different, anyway.
Spent the rest of the day at home. I really needed to do the dusting, and the porch needed to be swept badly, too. As I was standing outside sweeping, I thought...wouldn't this be a nice night to eat outside? Which I did. I enjoyed my Chicken Taco with roasted fresh peppers and gray squash sauteed in white cooking wine outside. I haven't eaten outside this summer because it's been too hot. I've missed it. It felt so nice out there, with the lovely breeze.
The air conditioner was still on this morning when I woke up...but the moment I stuck my nose out the door, I knew there was no reason to keep it on. The weather was stunning. It had to be at least lower-mid 80s, breezy, and sunny as could be, with no humidity in sight. Perfect day for running chores and errands.
I went to the Acme first. Picked up my two vacation paychecks, then did my grocery shopping. In addition to food (yogurt, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, fish, shrimp, beef for stews, the Fiber One Granola Bars that were on a really good sale), I bought a Finding Nemo book and two Hot Wheels cars for my nephew Skylar, whose birthday is tomorrow, and a new pair of sunglasses for me. (My old pair got really scratched in my purse.)
Headed home after I finished shopping. My ride felt great, too. It was so nice, I decided to bake again after I put my groceries away. I just ran out of the Peach-Blueberry Muffins; had the last one with my shrimp and tomato-cucumber salad lunch. I did a variation on them, but replaced the blueberries with one of the small yellow apples I got at the farm market. They seemed to come out well enough, not too sweet.
I went across the street to Newton River Park after I left CVS. I'm so glad I went for that walk. It was a wonderful day for it. Everything is in bloom, thanks to all the storms we've had over the past few weeks. I rode the slide with the rollers and landed flat on my rear on the soft dirt ground, laughing my head off. I saw gorgeous wildflowers in beautiful shades of pink, peach, magenta, and purple. I saw a tree with strange, long seed pods that were woody and tough. The looked like giant green beans hanging off of the tree! I saw fat pale green-yellow pods with spiny coverings. I saw downy thistles being visited by enormous, mutant-sized bees.
I was hot and thirsty when I arrived back on West Clinton Avenue. I stopped at Leo's Yum Yums for something to quench my dry throat. I treated myself to a small Orange Vanilla Yum-Yum (a kind of creamier water ice) while watching an adorable little boy eat his chocolate soft-serve cone with his mother and grandmother.
After I finished, I went next-door to Doria's Deli. I picked up a half-pound of turkey and chatted with the owner. He suggested taking the NJ Transit River Line Train to Burlington City or Trenton as a day trip. I may look into that; it's something different, anyway.
Spent the rest of the day at home. I really needed to do the dusting, and the porch needed to be swept badly, too. As I was standing outside sweeping, I thought...wouldn't this be a nice night to eat outside? Which I did. I enjoyed my Chicken Taco with roasted fresh peppers and gray squash sauteed in white cooking wine outside. I haven't eaten outside this summer because it's been too hot. I've missed it. It felt so nice out there, with the lovely breeze.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Miss Redmer In Acmeland
Yup, I ended up working for most of the day. I got called in around 9, though I wasn't able to get there until quarter of 11. That's ok. For one thing, I went in for several adults who don't normally call out sick unless there's an emergency. I need to make up for that lost hour last week, too. And I discovered when I got my schedule this evening that I only have 21 hours next week. That'll give me a lot of time to get ready for vacation, but it won't be great for my paycheck.
We were really busy for most of the day, too. Didn't help that I was frazzled and tired. I also had to go grocery shopping after work. Good thing I didn't need much, mostly meat, seafood, olive oil, and yogurt.
I did get to watch the new live-action Disney Alice In Wonderland this morning and later this evening while eating tacos for dinner. I'm not normally the biggest fan of Tim Burton, but I really enjoyed this. This Alice is a teenager, a young woman who feels constrained by the rules of propriety in Victorian society. She's being pushed into marrying a wishy-washy Lord, but what she really wants is to do "six impossible things before breakfast."
When she falls into "Underland," she finds a world both the same as and quite different than the ones we're accustomed to in the books, one both enchanting and frightening. Alice discovers that she can take charge and slay the beast...including the one in her own heart.
On one hand, the "yo go girl" heroics aren't exactly true to the book or the time period. This has more in common with recent fantasy tales like The Golden Compass and the 2000s Narnia adaptations than any version of Alice In Wonderland. It's also much darker than many Alices tend to be, including Disney's animated film.
On the other hand, the special effects are absolutely amazing (check out the Bandersnatch, the Tweedle brothers, and the Griffith). The costumes are awesome. Alice alone wears at least five or six different ones throughout the film. There's some fine performances, too, including Helena Bonham Carter's Queen of Hearts and Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. This is highly recommended for fans of Tim Burton, Alice In Wonderland, or fantasy...but go in with a mind that's open to alternative interpretations.
Yup, I ended up working for most of the day. I got called in around 9, though I wasn't able to get there until quarter of 11. That's ok. For one thing, I went in for several adults who don't normally call out sick unless there's an emergency. I need to make up for that lost hour last week, too. And I discovered when I got my schedule this evening that I only have 21 hours next week. That'll give me a lot of time to get ready for vacation, but it won't be great for my paycheck.
We were really busy for most of the day, too. Didn't help that I was frazzled and tired. I also had to go grocery shopping after work. Good thing I didn't need much, mostly meat, seafood, olive oil, and yogurt.
I did get to watch the new live-action Disney Alice In Wonderland this morning and later this evening while eating tacos for dinner. I'm not normally the biggest fan of Tim Burton, but I really enjoyed this. This Alice is a teenager, a young woman who feels constrained by the rules of propriety in Victorian society. She's being pushed into marrying a wishy-washy Lord, but what she really wants is to do "six impossible things before breakfast."
When she falls into "Underland," she finds a world both the same as and quite different than the ones we're accustomed to in the books, one both enchanting and frightening. Alice discovers that she can take charge and slay the beast...including the one in her own heart.
On one hand, the "yo go girl" heroics aren't exactly true to the book or the time period. This has more in common with recent fantasy tales like The Golden Compass and the 2000s Narnia adaptations than any version of Alice In Wonderland. It's also much darker than many Alices tend to be, including Disney's animated film.
On the other hand, the special effects are absolutely amazing (check out the Bandersnatch, the Tweedle brothers, and the Griffith). The costumes are awesome. Alice alone wears at least five or six different ones throughout the film. There's some fine performances, too, including Helena Bonham Carter's Queen of Hearts and Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. This is highly recommended for fans of Tim Burton, Alice In Wonderland, or fantasy...but go in with a mind that's open to alternative interpretations.
Friday, July 09, 2010
In All Kinds of Weather
First of all, I would like to ask the person who keeps posting in my comments that I'm autistic and I ought to go to a doctor before I hurt someone to please stop posting here. I'm not autistic. I've been given tests that prove that I'm not autistic. Severe social anxiety is not autism, and I have no desire to hurt people. In fact, that's the last thing on the planet I want to do - to anyone. If you attempt to post in my comments again, you will be rejected. Thank you for your concern..
Mother Nature was really weird today. When I headed to the Oaklyn Library this morning, it was sunny. I spent about an hour in there. They were doing something with the DVD and videos. I think they were trying to separate "teen" movies from "kids" movies from "adult" movies, but someone has a weird idea of what those three groups would be interested in. Since when were teenagers into Forrest Gump or a really bad Tim Allen/Kirstie Alley vehicle from over a decade ago? And no matter how much they might want to see them, the Harry Potter movies are really too intense for most younger kids. I had a much easier time with the kids' books.
When I got outside, it had clouded over...sort of. There were clouds, but they were broken up and showing blue sky underneath. It was spitting a little when I walked over to WaWa for an unsweetened fountain iced tea with a little cherry and vanilla syrups and a banana for a snack.
The little shower turned into a rather big one as I headed towards West Clinton Avenue. I first hid under the bus stop in front of City Hall to avoid the rain, then at 7-11 across the street. I was going to go down to CVS, then walk past Dad and Uncle Ken's and over the tracks, but I didn't trust the weather. I turned down West Clinton when the rain slowed and walked home...by which time, the sun was starting to come out, of course.
I spent a half-hour or so finishing The Tale of Applebeck Orchard. I enjoyed the Beatrix Potter Cottage Tales series in general. Linda Young is right that some of them (like Briar Bank) get a little too involved with the animals, though thankfully that was less of a problem in Applebeck. However, these are fairly meandering stories with little plot, and the mysteries are never worse than arson and accidental deaths. This isn't for heavy mystery lovers, but fans of gentler historical fiction and historic cozy mysteries may enjoy them.
It was sunny again when I had green beans, tomatoes with mayo, and Jen's smoked salmon for lunch. (By the way, thanks again, Jen. It was delicious! I'll have the rest later this week.) However, the clouds had appeared again as I changed into my uniform and packed mini-backpack with a bag for grocery shopping later. It started raining as I left...even though it was sunny! It had stopped by the time I was at work, and I'm a little disappointed I didn't see a rainbow.
Work was steady-to-dead, with no major problems than some obnoxious older people who wouldn't bag, then ordered me to bag for them...and proceeded to re-arrange everything and add more groceries to bags they supposedly wanted light. I was very glad that it was quiet when I was done and I was able to leave with no relief.
I had dinner at Sonic's after a very quick stop at FYE to check if they had any new WebKinz. Ordered the same chicken wrap I had when Lauren and I were there last month, with a Low-Cal Diet Lime Limeade instead of the Cherry one. (By the way, the Cherry's better. Covers up the aspertame-y taste more than the lime does.) It was really busy at Sonic. The tables were filled with young men, including one strange guy who kept telling everyone within a five mile radius how much he loved Sonic's music.
I rushed back to the Acme as soon as I was finished eating to do my grocery shopping. I needed a lot of non-food items, and I wanted to make a pudding pie.
Oh, and my schedule this week is much better, 26 hours with Tuesday and next Saturday off. My only complaints are some fairly late nights, but having more hours makes up for that.
First of all, I would like to ask the person who keeps posting in my comments that I'm autistic and I ought to go to a doctor before I hurt someone to please stop posting here. I'm not autistic. I've been given tests that prove that I'm not autistic. Severe social anxiety is not autism, and I have no desire to hurt people. In fact, that's the last thing on the planet I want to do - to anyone. If you attempt to post in my comments again, you will be rejected. Thank you for your concern..
Mother Nature was really weird today. When I headed to the Oaklyn Library this morning, it was sunny. I spent about an hour in there. They were doing something with the DVD and videos. I think they were trying to separate "teen" movies from "kids" movies from "adult" movies, but someone has a weird idea of what those three groups would be interested in. Since when were teenagers into Forrest Gump or a really bad Tim Allen/Kirstie Alley vehicle from over a decade ago? And no matter how much they might want to see them, the Harry Potter movies are really too intense for most younger kids. I had a much easier time with the kids' books.
When I got outside, it had clouded over...sort of. There were clouds, but they were broken up and showing blue sky underneath. It was spitting a little when I walked over to WaWa for an unsweetened fountain iced tea with a little cherry and vanilla syrups and a banana for a snack.
The little shower turned into a rather big one as I headed towards West Clinton Avenue. I first hid under the bus stop in front of City Hall to avoid the rain, then at 7-11 across the street. I was going to go down to CVS, then walk past Dad and Uncle Ken's and over the tracks, but I didn't trust the weather. I turned down West Clinton when the rain slowed and walked home...by which time, the sun was starting to come out, of course.
I spent a half-hour or so finishing The Tale of Applebeck Orchard. I enjoyed the Beatrix Potter Cottage Tales series in general. Linda Young is right that some of them (like Briar Bank) get a little too involved with the animals, though thankfully that was less of a problem in Applebeck. However, these are fairly meandering stories with little plot, and the mysteries are never worse than arson and accidental deaths. This isn't for heavy mystery lovers, but fans of gentler historical fiction and historic cozy mysteries may enjoy them.
It was sunny again when I had green beans, tomatoes with mayo, and Jen's smoked salmon for lunch. (By the way, thanks again, Jen. It was delicious! I'll have the rest later this week.) However, the clouds had appeared again as I changed into my uniform and packed mini-backpack with a bag for grocery shopping later. It started raining as I left...even though it was sunny! It had stopped by the time I was at work, and I'm a little disappointed I didn't see a rainbow.
Work was steady-to-dead, with no major problems than some obnoxious older people who wouldn't bag, then ordered me to bag for them...and proceeded to re-arrange everything and add more groceries to bags they supposedly wanted light. I was very glad that it was quiet when I was done and I was able to leave with no relief.
I had dinner at Sonic's after a very quick stop at FYE to check if they had any new WebKinz. Ordered the same chicken wrap I had when Lauren and I were there last month, with a Low-Cal Diet Lime Limeade instead of the Cherry one. (By the way, the Cherry's better. Covers up the aspertame-y taste more than the lime does.) It was really busy at Sonic. The tables were filled with young men, including one strange guy who kept telling everyone within a five mile radius how much he loved Sonic's music.
I rushed back to the Acme as soon as I was finished eating to do my grocery shopping. I needed a lot of non-food items, and I wanted to make a pudding pie.
Oh, and my schedule this week is much better, 26 hours with Tuesday and next Saturday off. My only complaints are some fairly late nights, but having more hours makes up for that.
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