Time For Vacation
Started out a sunny, windy, slightly warmer day with a run to the gym. Probably due to the nice day, it was pretty dead in there again. That, and it was past noon when I finally got there. Most people were likely at lunch. I did a decent set on the elliptical machine while watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, then all the leg apparatus work that my heel spur could handle. Not to mention, I had one more stop to make before I went home, and I had to work at 3.
Since it's on the same side of the mall as the gym, I stopped at America's Best on the way home to order my contacts. I've been putting it off because I really can't afford them. I've now been on my last pair for weeks; I can't put it off anymore. I ordered my usual three month's worth, then headed home.
I saw men in two vans removing signage and food menus from the Sonic property after I left America' Best. Sigh. I guess they really are closed for good. I'm going to miss them. They had the best fast food onion rings I ever tasted, and that awesome cherry limeade. It was nice to have the option of eating outside on a warm summer evening, too. I always thought they were popular, but, first of all, an area that can get really cold in the winter may not be the best location for a year-round outdoor restaurant. Second, they were shoved into an extremely small spot behind the wildly popular Chick Fil' A...and they obviously lacked the playground that makes them popular with families.
(I wonder what's going to happen to the Sonic property now? That little building is too small to house any normal-sized fast food restaurant. Maybe they could make it into parking lots for Chick-Fil'A and the mall?)
After I got home, I had a really quick lunch of leftovers while running cartoons and checked my e-mail, then headed off to work. Work was almost exactly the same as last night - steady during rush hour, quiet otherwise. It did pick up enough by 9:30 that a manager had to come in for me so I could leave on time. I bought eggs (on a good sale that's only this week) and today's Daily Deal, the only one this week that interested me, the 69 cent boxes of Betty Crocker cake mix. I actually have plenty in the pantry, but for that price, who can resist? I'll treat myself to a cake this week.
And I deserve a treat. Tomorrow is a normal day off. My second vacation week doesn't technically start until Thursday. It'll run until next Tuesday. It's my second of two vacation weeks, and even though I don't have the money to do any kind of traveling, I'm still looking forward to a week where I don't have to run off to work.
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 gym. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gym. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Almost Autumn
I'm so proud of myself. I awoke earlier than usual so I could get a lot done today, starting with a gym run. I've been doing the elliptical machine during both of my gym runs, instead of the bike. It takes off twice as many calories as the bike does, especially given I ride my bike every day. I watched Let's Make a Deal and worked up quite a sweat. Had a nice session on the arm machines, too. I arrived at quarter after 10 and must have just missed a class. It was busier than it has been when I came in, quiet when I left.
The college student at the front desk at the Acme said I'd just missed the morning crowd there. Good. I was able to pick up my two vacation paychecks and do my grocery shopping with no trouble. I didn't have a really huge order, anyway. Brown sugar, milk, and peanut butter were the main things. Fruit concentrate and the Emerald Trail Mix bags were on good sales. I bought two of each. Decided it would be cheaper to buy cheese at the Acme on sale than at the Farm Market. (Not to mention, I intend to check out Audubon's Town-Wide Yard Sale tomorrow and won't be going home right away.) Grabbed a ham steak that was on sale and a package of multi-grain bakery bread that you could just stick in the oven and bake (the latter was half-off; supposedly, the bakery had overstocked and needed to clear some items out).
When I got home, I made Scrambled Eggs with late-summer vegetables and Muenster Cheese for lunch, then went back out again. I still had some errands and things to do. I never got to the Oaklyn Library last week, so that was my first stop. I'm guessing no one touched the DVDs last week. The adult's and children's shelves were a mess. The board books needed to be worked on, too.
Since I was in the neighborhood anyway, after I left the library I rode over to the bank. I had two paychecks to deposit, and part of my rent is still due. The bank was having their "70s Day"; I gave my money to a teller in a dye-dye blouse, long dangling feather earrings, bell bottoms, and long, straight hair held down by a narrow headband.
I dropped by Uncle Ken's on my way home. I needed to pick up the pan from the Apple Spice Cake I brought to the football party on Sunday. I got to say "hi" to Dolores really quick. She was making a late lunch for her and Uncle Ken. Dad and Jodie were apparently down in Cape May, visiting friends.
I got in around 10 after 2. That gave me enough time to get together the rest of the rent, change into my uniform, and bake that loaf of bread. I dropped off the rent at my landlord's, then headed to work. Work was pretty much the same as the rest of the week, on-and-off busy all night. Other than a few annoying customers, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.
While I'm a little annoyed with having to work until 9 and 9:30 Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I have Wednesday off...and then, vacation! My second week off should run from Thursday through next Tuesday. As I mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm just going to stay here this year. I don't have the money for traveling, and I could use a week to myself.
I'm so proud of myself. I awoke earlier than usual so I could get a lot done today, starting with a gym run. I've been doing the elliptical machine during both of my gym runs, instead of the bike. It takes off twice as many calories as the bike does, especially given I ride my bike every day. I watched Let's Make a Deal and worked up quite a sweat. Had a nice session on the arm machines, too. I arrived at quarter after 10 and must have just missed a class. It was busier than it has been when I came in, quiet when I left.
The college student at the front desk at the Acme said I'd just missed the morning crowd there. Good. I was able to pick up my two vacation paychecks and do my grocery shopping with no trouble. I didn't have a really huge order, anyway. Brown sugar, milk, and peanut butter were the main things. Fruit concentrate and the Emerald Trail Mix bags were on good sales. I bought two of each. Decided it would be cheaper to buy cheese at the Acme on sale than at the Farm Market. (Not to mention, I intend to check out Audubon's Town-Wide Yard Sale tomorrow and won't be going home right away.) Grabbed a ham steak that was on sale and a package of multi-grain bakery bread that you could just stick in the oven and bake (the latter was half-off; supposedly, the bakery had overstocked and needed to clear some items out).
When I got home, I made Scrambled Eggs with late-summer vegetables and Muenster Cheese for lunch, then went back out again. I still had some errands and things to do. I never got to the Oaklyn Library last week, so that was my first stop. I'm guessing no one touched the DVDs last week. The adult's and children's shelves were a mess. The board books needed to be worked on, too.
Since I was in the neighborhood anyway, after I left the library I rode over to the bank. I had two paychecks to deposit, and part of my rent is still due. The bank was having their "70s Day"; I gave my money to a teller in a dye-dye blouse, long dangling feather earrings, bell bottoms, and long, straight hair held down by a narrow headband.
I dropped by Uncle Ken's on my way home. I needed to pick up the pan from the Apple Spice Cake I brought to the football party on Sunday. I got to say "hi" to Dolores really quick. She was making a late lunch for her and Uncle Ken. Dad and Jodie were apparently down in Cape May, visiting friends.
I got in around 10 after 2. That gave me enough time to get together the rest of the rent, change into my uniform, and bake that loaf of bread. I dropped off the rent at my landlord's, then headed to work. Work was pretty much the same as the rest of the week, on-and-off busy all night. Other than a few annoying customers, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.
While I'm a little annoyed with having to work until 9 and 9:30 Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I have Wednesday off...and then, vacation! My second week off should run from Thursday through next Tuesday. As I mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm just going to stay here this year. I don't have the money for traveling, and I could use a week to myself.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Nautical Nonsense
After last night's monsoon, I was delighted to see the sunlight streaming through my window this morning. It was so chilly in my apartment, I was perfectly happy curled under my blue and tan comforter, surrounded by stuffed animals. There weren't even any puddles left on my porch...though there was a lot of sticks and debris.
I ran swashbuckler-themed cartoons and shorts in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day as I had breakfast. In the Looney Tunes favorite "Buccaneer Bunny," Yosemite Sam is a pirate who tries to bury his treasure in Bugs' rabbit hole. When Bugs turns up with the loot, he attempts to keep him from revealing the location. Mickey Mouse contends with modern pirate Peg-Leg Pete and rescues damsel in distress Minnie in the rare Disney black-and-white adventure "Shanghaied." The Three Stooges find themselves back in the ages of pirates and fair damsels in fancy gowns. It may take more than their famous "Maharaja" skit to keep from ending up burned on the stake in "Three Little Pirates."
Headed to the gym as the Stooges were ending. Once again, it wasn't busy. There were a few people on treadmills, and only one other woman lifting weights. I watched the local news and CBS' Talk Philly while working up a good sweat on the elliptical machine. It was getting late at that point, so I made my leg weight machine workout quick.
Went straight home for lunch and The Pirates of Penzance. This is the 1983 film adaptation of the hit Broadway revival of one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved light operas. Yes, this is a light opera, almost entirely sung, and it's filmed as something of a stage show...but the cast is having such a great time, you won't mind. Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, and Linda Rondstat reprise their stage roles as the Pirate King, Fredrick, and Mabel. Angela Landsbury comes on board as Fredrick's devoted nurse.
Work was surprisingly on-and-off busy for the middle of the week and month. It was still so busy when I left, a manager had to come in for me.
After last night's monsoon, I was delighted to see the sunlight streaming through my window this morning. It was so chilly in my apartment, I was perfectly happy curled under my blue and tan comforter, surrounded by stuffed animals. There weren't even any puddles left on my porch...though there was a lot of sticks and debris.
I ran swashbuckler-themed cartoons and shorts in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day as I had breakfast. In the Looney Tunes favorite "Buccaneer Bunny," Yosemite Sam is a pirate who tries to bury his treasure in Bugs' rabbit hole. When Bugs turns up with the loot, he attempts to keep him from revealing the location. Mickey Mouse contends with modern pirate Peg-Leg Pete and rescues damsel in distress Minnie in the rare Disney black-and-white adventure "Shanghaied." The Three Stooges find themselves back in the ages of pirates and fair damsels in fancy gowns. It may take more than their famous "Maharaja" skit to keep from ending up burned on the stake in "Three Little Pirates."
Headed to the gym as the Stooges were ending. Once again, it wasn't busy. There were a few people on treadmills, and only one other woman lifting weights. I watched the local news and CBS' Talk Philly while working up a good sweat on the elliptical machine. It was getting late at that point, so I made my leg weight machine workout quick.
Went straight home for lunch and The Pirates of Penzance. This is the 1983 film adaptation of the hit Broadway revival of one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved light operas. Yes, this is a light opera, almost entirely sung, and it's filmed as something of a stage show...but the cast is having such a great time, you won't mind. Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, and Linda Rondstat reprise their stage roles as the Pirate King, Fredrick, and Mabel. Angela Landsbury comes on board as Fredrick's devoted nurse.
Work was surprisingly on-and-off busy for the middle of the week and month. It was still so busy when I left, a manager had to come in for me.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Jump Into the Gym
I woke up late and didn't get to much besides the usual Friday morning gym run and errands. The gym was totally empty when I arrived around noon. There was one other woman on the treadmill, the girl behind the counter, and that was it. By the time I was working on my arms, even the lady on the treadmill had left. It was just too beautiful of a day for people to be exercising indoors.
The Acme wasn't much busier. I didn't need a lot of groceries, either. It was mostly small things or things that I had put off. Eggs was the main things. My brown eggs were on sale. Ran out of maple syrup a while back, but the Acme was out of their cheapest real maple syrup (which is on a par with Super Fresh's best price in a larger bottle) last week. I also needed to replace whole wheat tortillas, fruit concentrate, and parchment paper. Grabbed the Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal, a favorite of mine that's seldom on sale. I took advantage of the last of their back-to-school sales to grab a new pair of scissors for paper. My old pair's cheap and have been around for a while.
I was so late getting in, I had just enough time to run home, put my groceries away, have a quick leftovers lunch, and run to the bank. I still didn't have enough to cover my full rent, even with my Labor Day paycheck. I'll give Andrew 400 tomorrow, then the rest next week after I get my vacation paychecks.
I ran several cast albums with western themes throughout the day. Big River was Roger Miller's 1985 Broadway adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer is a film musical version of the novel of that title from the early 70s with songs by the Sherman Brothers. Jodie Foster is Becky Thatcher; the late Celeste Holm is Aunt Polly. Shenendoah was one of the big hit Broadway musicals of the mid-70s, with John Cullum winning a Tony as the head of a Virginia mountain family trying to keep his kinfolk out of the Civil War.
Big River was my favorite of the trio. Miller's music sounds the most like country, and thus, the closest to the hearts of Huck and Jim. Tom Sawyer is the lightest and very Sherman Brothers, with cute numbers for Tom, Huck, and their pals ("Gratification," "Freebootin'") that use the Shermans' fondness for made-up words. Shenandoah is the darkest, and though its sound is more Broadway than western, it does have some really gorgeous music - my favorite was the ballad "Violets and Silverbells." Cullum also has two extended "Meditations" that sound very Rogers-and-Hammerstein.
Work was almost exactly the same as yesterday - busy during rush hour, quiet the moment the traffic on the Black Horse Pike calmed down. My schedule for next week promises pretty much more of the same, thankfully with no hours after 8PM this time and Tuesday and next Saturday off.
I woke up late and didn't get to much besides the usual Friday morning gym run and errands. The gym was totally empty when I arrived around noon. There was one other woman on the treadmill, the girl behind the counter, and that was it. By the time I was working on my arms, even the lady on the treadmill had left. It was just too beautiful of a day for people to be exercising indoors.
The Acme wasn't much busier. I didn't need a lot of groceries, either. It was mostly small things or things that I had put off. Eggs was the main things. My brown eggs were on sale. Ran out of maple syrup a while back, but the Acme was out of their cheapest real maple syrup (which is on a par with Super Fresh's best price in a larger bottle) last week. I also needed to replace whole wheat tortillas, fruit concentrate, and parchment paper. Grabbed the Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal, a favorite of mine that's seldom on sale. I took advantage of the last of their back-to-school sales to grab a new pair of scissors for paper. My old pair's cheap and have been around for a while.
I was so late getting in, I had just enough time to run home, put my groceries away, have a quick leftovers lunch, and run to the bank. I still didn't have enough to cover my full rent, even with my Labor Day paycheck. I'll give Andrew 400 tomorrow, then the rest next week after I get my vacation paychecks.
I ran several cast albums with western themes throughout the day. Big River was Roger Miller's 1985 Broadway adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer is a film musical version of the novel of that title from the early 70s with songs by the Sherman Brothers. Jodie Foster is Becky Thatcher; the late Celeste Holm is Aunt Polly. Shenendoah was one of the big hit Broadway musicals of the mid-70s, with John Cullum winning a Tony as the head of a Virginia mountain family trying to keep his kinfolk out of the Civil War.
Big River was my favorite of the trio. Miller's music sounds the most like country, and thus, the closest to the hearts of Huck and Jim. Tom Sawyer is the lightest and very Sherman Brothers, with cute numbers for Tom, Huck, and their pals ("Gratification," "Freebootin'") that use the Shermans' fondness for made-up words. Shenandoah is the darkest, and though its sound is more Broadway than western, it does have some really gorgeous music - my favorite was the ballad "Violets and Silverbells." Cullum also has two extended "Meditations" that sound very Rogers-and-Hammerstein.
Work was almost exactly the same as yesterday - busy during rush hour, quiet the moment the traffic on the Black Horse Pike calmed down. My schedule for next week promises pretty much more of the same, thankfully with no hours after 8PM this time and Tuesday and next Saturday off.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Perfect Weather
The glorious weather continues. It was a teeny bit warmer, but nothing out of the ordinary for the time of year. No humidity, not even any clouds in the radiant blue sky. No wonder it was pretty much quiet anywhere that was indoors. There were a few people on the cardio machines in the gym this morning as I watched The Price Is Right. By the time I'd moved on to working on my legs, there was barely a soul in the place.
I went home, got a few things organized, had leftovers for lunch...then went right back out to work. Work wasn't much busier. It's the middle of the week and the middle of a month that, once you get past Labor Day, isn't traditionally busy for us except on football Sundays. Work was steady during rush hour, dead otherwise. I was in and out with no problems.
The glorious weather continues. It was a teeny bit warmer, but nothing out of the ordinary for the time of year. No humidity, not even any clouds in the radiant blue sky. No wonder it was pretty much quiet anywhere that was indoors. There were a few people on the cardio machines in the gym this morning as I watched The Price Is Right. By the time I'd moved on to working on my legs, there was barely a soul in the place.
I went home, got a few things organized, had leftovers for lunch...then went right back out to work. Work wasn't much busier. It's the middle of the week and the middle of a month that, once you get past Labor Day, isn't traditionally busy for us except on football Sundays. Work was steady during rush hour, dead otherwise. I was in and out with no problems.
Friday, September 07, 2012
Swashbuckler Girl
I was watching Three Stooges shorts and getting ready to go to the gym when I got a phone call. It was my sister Rose. Seems she, Craig, and Khai had recently visited Mom and Dad in Cape May County, and they overloaded them with seafood again. Did I want some lobster and a couple of packs of fish steaks? Sure! It would save me from having to buy chicken at the Acme (especially since there aren't any good chicken sales this week). She apparently was going to the bank anyway and would be in my area.
True to her word, she was at my place in less than 20 minutes. My nephew Khai was in the back seat, enjoying a green lollypop (and running his hand over the candy part - I'm sure his mother enjoyed cleaning that sticky stuff off). I got two packs each of tilapia, salmon, and flounder, and a lobster tail...and Rose says there's more if I want it.
I did make it to the gym after she left. Watched The Price Is Right as I did a good session on the elliptical machine, then moved to the arm machine. It was a little busier than Wednesday, but not too bad. The Acme wasn't busy, either. I didn't have nearly as much to buy as I did last week. I had coupons for Toll House Chocolate Chips and Nutella (and the latter was on sale). They were having a clearance on certain Badia spices; picked up blanched almonds for cookies and dill weed for some meats. I was out of whole wheat flour and oatmeal, and Acme's generic gourmet Chai tea was on sale as well. Treated myself to Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Brownie Frozen Yogurt and Haagen Daas' Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. They were both supposed to be on sale for $3.50, but for some reason, the Haagen Daas didn't come up and I had to get the manager at customer service to fix it.
When I got home, I put everything away and had leftovers for lunch while watching The Count of Monte Cristo. Based after the Alexandre Dumas novel, this is the tale of sailor Edmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel) who is betrayed by his best friend (Guy Pearce) and accused of treason. When he finally makes it out of prison with the help of a long-time inmate (Richard Harris), he concocts an elaborate plot to take revenge on those who have wronged him.
If you love swashbucklers, this is good, rousing fun. Caviezel and Pearce have a marvelous time as the former friends now at odds with each other over the love of a woman.
Work wasn't nearly as exciting. In fact, with the beginning of the month slowing down and the kids back at school, it was slow and very boring for most of the night. The only interesting thing that happened had nothing to do with customers. We were just about out of plastic bags when I left. The remaining registers were taking them from self-checkout!
My schedule is generally an improvement over the last couple of weeks. I only have Tuesday off, but Friday is my only day later than 8:30, and there's no really long shifts and lots more hours.
I was watching Three Stooges shorts and getting ready to go to the gym when I got a phone call. It was my sister Rose. Seems she, Craig, and Khai had recently visited Mom and Dad in Cape May County, and they overloaded them with seafood again. Did I want some lobster and a couple of packs of fish steaks? Sure! It would save me from having to buy chicken at the Acme (especially since there aren't any good chicken sales this week). She apparently was going to the bank anyway and would be in my area.
True to her word, she was at my place in less than 20 minutes. My nephew Khai was in the back seat, enjoying a green lollypop (and running his hand over the candy part - I'm sure his mother enjoyed cleaning that sticky stuff off). I got two packs each of tilapia, salmon, and flounder, and a lobster tail...and Rose says there's more if I want it.
I did make it to the gym after she left. Watched The Price Is Right as I did a good session on the elliptical machine, then moved to the arm machine. It was a little busier than Wednesday, but not too bad. The Acme wasn't busy, either. I didn't have nearly as much to buy as I did last week. I had coupons for Toll House Chocolate Chips and Nutella (and the latter was on sale). They were having a clearance on certain Badia spices; picked up blanched almonds for cookies and dill weed for some meats. I was out of whole wheat flour and oatmeal, and Acme's generic gourmet Chai tea was on sale as well. Treated myself to Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Brownie Frozen Yogurt and Haagen Daas' Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. They were both supposed to be on sale for $3.50, but for some reason, the Haagen Daas didn't come up and I had to get the manager at customer service to fix it.
When I got home, I put everything away and had leftovers for lunch while watching The Count of Monte Cristo. Based after the Alexandre Dumas novel, this is the tale of sailor Edmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel) who is betrayed by his best friend (Guy Pearce) and accused of treason. When he finally makes it out of prison with the help of a long-time inmate (Richard Harris), he concocts an elaborate plot to take revenge on those who have wronged him.
If you love swashbucklers, this is good, rousing fun. Caviezel and Pearce have a marvelous time as the former friends now at odds with each other over the love of a woman.
Work wasn't nearly as exciting. In fact, with the beginning of the month slowing down and the kids back at school, it was slow and very boring for most of the night. The only interesting thing that happened had nothing to do with customers. We were just about out of plastic bags when I left. The remaining registers were taking them from self-checkout!
My schedule is generally an improvement over the last couple of weeks. I only have Tuesday off, but Friday is my only day later than 8:30, and there's no really long shifts and lots more hours.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Back to Looniversity Again
Started my day with a run to the gym around noon. It wasn't all that busy, with a few women on the treadmills and working on the leg machines. I watched Family Feud as I did a really nice session on the elliptical machine, then worked on my legs.
I made a quick trip over to Fashion Bug on the other side of the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. Alas, they too now have "Everything Must Go" signs in the windows. The thing is...their sales aren't really all that great. I only saw 20 and 30 percent off, and 50 percent off summer clothes. That's not "going out of business." That's "normal for the time of year." No wonder they're losing business. I ended up buying a second pair of jean shorts from Avenue for $9.96. From now on, they're where I go to when I need decent clothes cheaply or in a hurry.
When I got home, I had the last of the turkey meatballs, along with Ratatouille and cheddar cheese, in a wrap for lunch. Ran school-themed Tiny Toon Adventures episodes as I ate. There were two episodes revolving around the Tiny Toons' school, Acme Looniversity, in the first season, plus a third one that concentrated on test panic. Plucky was the star of my favorite stories in these episodes. In the second "Looniversity Daze," he cheats on Foghorn Leghorn's pop quiz, then has such a terrible guilt trip, he finally confesses. In "Test Stressed," he convinces Shirley McLoon to channel Einstein's brain, prompting a psychedelic song sequence that spoofs "Pink Elephant on Parade" from Dumbo.
Work was very busy all night. For one thing, it did rain a little bit when I was riding home from the gym and I think while I was having lunch, but it's never gotten as bad as yesterday. People who avoided going out in yesterday's weather are probably coming out today. Many schools started today or will start tomorrow (including Oaklyn - I saw the kids walking home as I headed for work). It's also still the beginning of the month, and people are doing their shopping no matter what. Thankfully, the night went quickly, and there were no problems.
Started my day with a run to the gym around noon. It wasn't all that busy, with a few women on the treadmills and working on the leg machines. I watched Family Feud as I did a really nice session on the elliptical machine, then worked on my legs.
I made a quick trip over to Fashion Bug on the other side of the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. Alas, they too now have "Everything Must Go" signs in the windows. The thing is...their sales aren't really all that great. I only saw 20 and 30 percent off, and 50 percent off summer clothes. That's not "going out of business." That's "normal for the time of year." No wonder they're losing business. I ended up buying a second pair of jean shorts from Avenue for $9.96. From now on, they're where I go to when I need decent clothes cheaply or in a hurry.
When I got home, I had the last of the turkey meatballs, along with Ratatouille and cheddar cheese, in a wrap for lunch. Ran school-themed Tiny Toon Adventures episodes as I ate. There were two episodes revolving around the Tiny Toons' school, Acme Looniversity, in the first season, plus a third one that concentrated on test panic. Plucky was the star of my favorite stories in these episodes. In the second "Looniversity Daze," he cheats on Foghorn Leghorn's pop quiz, then has such a terrible guilt trip, he finally confesses. In "Test Stressed," he convinces Shirley McLoon to channel Einstein's brain, prompting a psychedelic song sequence that spoofs "Pink Elephant on Parade" from Dumbo.
Work was very busy all night. For one thing, it did rain a little bit when I was riding home from the gym and I think while I was having lunch, but it's never gotten as bad as yesterday. People who avoided going out in yesterday's weather are probably coming out today. Many schools started today or will start tomorrow (including Oaklyn - I saw the kids walking home as I headed for work). It's also still the beginning of the month, and people are doing their shopping no matter what. Thankfully, the night went quickly, and there were no problems.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Let's Get Away From It All
I slept in a bit and didn't get to the gym until past noon. That may not have been a bad thing. It was even quieter in Lucile Roberts when I arrived than it had been yesterday. I put in a nice, sweaty run on the elliptical machine while watching Family Feud, then did arm work. By the time I was stretching, there were a few more people on the cardio equipment, but it still wasn't bad.
They must have all gone grocery shopping. The Acme was really busy! I'm lucky I got into the line for the customer service when I did. Just a minute after I entered, the line was going down past the registers. I quickly picked up my paycheck and moved onto grocery shopping. I needed a lot today. Restocking baking items was the major priority, including chocolate chips, unbleached flour, ground cinnamon, pumpkin, and brown sugar. There were no good chicken sales; I just grabbed ground chicken that had a two-dollar manager's coupon. The curls formula for Pantene was on clearance for $2.99, so I added the shampoo and conditioner to my basket. I bought three containers of fruit concentrate and a carton of Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt version of Cherry Garcia, all of which were on sale (I had a coupon for the frozen yogurt as well).
Since I was already at the Acme, I decided to pick up my schedule. I'm not thrilled with it. First of all, I have even fewer hours than I did last week. That's how I got into the financial mess I'm stuck with in the first place! While I do have relatively early hours on Labor Day, I work until 9 and 9:30 the days I do have hours. I really, really need to start figuring out how to get that business started...and where to start.
I was feeling a bit down when I got home, due to my lack of hours. I put everything away, had a quick lunch, and went back out again. It was hotter than yesterday, but it remained sunny, cloudless, and dry, and the wind had picked up considerably. I decided that a ride and errands run would be just the thing to alleviate my depression. I made a quick stop at the bank before heading down to Lawndale, alternating the rocky back roads with the traffic-laden White Horse Pike. Surprisingly, there were just as many cars heading towards Philadelphia as there were in the direction of the Shore; I guess some folks are just going to spend this weekend at home.
Last week, a customer mentioned that a K-Mart moved into what had been the Sears building at the Lawndale Shopping Center. I wanted to verify this. I have very fond memories of K-Marts. For years, the K-Mart at the Rio Mall in Rio Grande was the only real department store in the lower Cape May County area. Even after almost everything else vacated the Rio Mall, they not only stayed, but expanded. They wouldn't have any real competition until the arrival of Big Lots in North Cape May in 2004 and Wal Mart in 2006, and Mom says they still manage to hold their own. (There were Ameses and Jamesways in North Cape May and Rio Grande in the mid-late 90s, but they both debuted when those franchises were on their last legs. Big Lots replaced Ames; the Rio Grande Jamesway is now Pet Smart.)
The Lawndale Sears was a wash-out when I visited there a few years ago. There wasn't a whole lot there besides clothes and home furnishings. While the store remained the same size, the K-Mart was a vast improvement. Their red-and-tan color scheme was far more lively than Sears' gray and blue. Most of the store was better-organized, with more merchandise in a small space...and unlike the Wal-Mart in Audubon, they actually had some of the sale items in stock and friendly, helpful service people.
The biggest improvement was a gigantic toy section, twice the size of the one at Wal Mart and almost comparable to the Target in Deptford. It took up almost the entire back of the store. I always liked the toy section at the K-Mart in Rio Grande, having bought dolls and games there going back to my childhood, and this one was just as good. I'll keep it in mind at Christmas when I shop for toys for my nephews and younger cousins.
As for now, all I really needed was underwear; my old ones were worn out. The prices weren't great, but I didn't feel like attempting a bike/bus trip to the Target in Deptford. They were having really good back-to-school sales. I grabbed packs of red and blue Bic pens for 75 cents each.
(The arrival of K-Mart isn't the only change at Lawndale since my last visit. Blockbuster was replaced by an elegant-looking Hallmark. The Pathmark closed last year and remains empty. It looks like the Fashion Bug there is shutting down, too. I had no idea they were going out of business. What a disappointment! I've been buying clothes from them since the late 80s, when they were the only clothing store near Cape May that carried plus sizes. That means those sale signs I saw at the Audubon Crossings store weren't end of the season sales - they were end of the store sales! Sounds like they just can't compete with the big box stores like Wal-Mart and Kohls. :( )
I headed home around 6, stopping only for a Lime Diet Coke at the WaWa on the corner of the White Horse Pike and Pine Street in Audubon. When I got in, I had leftovers for dinner and watched The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This anthology film is pretty much a collection of the 60s and early 70s Winnie the Pooh shorts with added linking material. The first story, the sweetly silly "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree," will always be my favorite, but it's all enjoyable if you're a Pooh fan or want to introduce younger kids to the Disney Pooh.
I slept in a bit and didn't get to the gym until past noon. That may not have been a bad thing. It was even quieter in Lucile Roberts when I arrived than it had been yesterday. I put in a nice, sweaty run on the elliptical machine while watching Family Feud, then did arm work. By the time I was stretching, there were a few more people on the cardio equipment, but it still wasn't bad.
They must have all gone grocery shopping. The Acme was really busy! I'm lucky I got into the line for the customer service when I did. Just a minute after I entered, the line was going down past the registers. I quickly picked up my paycheck and moved onto grocery shopping. I needed a lot today. Restocking baking items was the major priority, including chocolate chips, unbleached flour, ground cinnamon, pumpkin, and brown sugar. There were no good chicken sales; I just grabbed ground chicken that had a two-dollar manager's coupon. The curls formula for Pantene was on clearance for $2.99, so I added the shampoo and conditioner to my basket. I bought three containers of fruit concentrate and a carton of Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt version of Cherry Garcia, all of which were on sale (I had a coupon for the frozen yogurt as well).
Since I was already at the Acme, I decided to pick up my schedule. I'm not thrilled with it. First of all, I have even fewer hours than I did last week. That's how I got into the financial mess I'm stuck with in the first place! While I do have relatively early hours on Labor Day, I work until 9 and 9:30 the days I do have hours. I really, really need to start figuring out how to get that business started...and where to start.
I was feeling a bit down when I got home, due to my lack of hours. I put everything away, had a quick lunch, and went back out again. It was hotter than yesterday, but it remained sunny, cloudless, and dry, and the wind had picked up considerably. I decided that a ride and errands run would be just the thing to alleviate my depression. I made a quick stop at the bank before heading down to Lawndale, alternating the rocky back roads with the traffic-laden White Horse Pike. Surprisingly, there were just as many cars heading towards Philadelphia as there were in the direction of the Shore; I guess some folks are just going to spend this weekend at home.
Last week, a customer mentioned that a K-Mart moved into what had been the Sears building at the Lawndale Shopping Center. I wanted to verify this. I have very fond memories of K-Marts. For years, the K-Mart at the Rio Mall in Rio Grande was the only real department store in the lower Cape May County area. Even after almost everything else vacated the Rio Mall, they not only stayed, but expanded. They wouldn't have any real competition until the arrival of Big Lots in North Cape May in 2004 and Wal Mart in 2006, and Mom says they still manage to hold their own. (There were Ameses and Jamesways in North Cape May and Rio Grande in the mid-late 90s, but they both debuted when those franchises were on their last legs. Big Lots replaced Ames; the Rio Grande Jamesway is now Pet Smart.)
The Lawndale Sears was a wash-out when I visited there a few years ago. There wasn't a whole lot there besides clothes and home furnishings. While the store remained the same size, the K-Mart was a vast improvement. Their red-and-tan color scheme was far more lively than Sears' gray and blue. Most of the store was better-organized, with more merchandise in a small space...and unlike the Wal-Mart in Audubon, they actually had some of the sale items in stock and friendly, helpful service people.
The biggest improvement was a gigantic toy section, twice the size of the one at Wal Mart and almost comparable to the Target in Deptford. It took up almost the entire back of the store. I always liked the toy section at the K-Mart in Rio Grande, having bought dolls and games there going back to my childhood, and this one was just as good. I'll keep it in mind at Christmas when I shop for toys for my nephews and younger cousins.
As for now, all I really needed was underwear; my old ones were worn out. The prices weren't great, but I didn't feel like attempting a bike/bus trip to the Target in Deptford. They were having really good back-to-school sales. I grabbed packs of red and blue Bic pens for 75 cents each.
(The arrival of K-Mart isn't the only change at Lawndale since my last visit. Blockbuster was replaced by an elegant-looking Hallmark. The Pathmark closed last year and remains empty. It looks like the Fashion Bug there is shutting down, too. I had no idea they were going out of business. What a disappointment! I've been buying clothes from them since the late 80s, when they were the only clothing store near Cape May that carried plus sizes. That means those sale signs I saw at the Audubon Crossings store weren't end of the season sales - they were end of the store sales! Sounds like they just can't compete with the big box stores like Wal-Mart and Kohls. :( )
I headed home around 6, stopping only for a Lime Diet Coke at the WaWa on the corner of the White Horse Pike and Pine Street in Audubon. When I got in, I had leftovers for dinner and watched The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This anthology film is pretty much a collection of the 60s and early 70s Winnie the Pooh shorts with added linking material. The first story, the sweetly silly "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree," will always be my favorite, but it's all enjoyable if you're a Pooh fan or want to introduce younger kids to the Disney Pooh.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Balance on Baking Day
Started today with the end of The Artist and two Three Stooges shorts on making movies. The Stooges invade a studio in "Movie Maniacs," hoping to become stars. They wind up in charge of the newest film when the head executive mistakes them for big shots from back east. "Three Missing Links" takes them to Africa to appear as caveman and a gorilla in jungle movie. The trouble starts when a real gorilla invades the set and wrecks havoc!
I arrived at yoga just as they were beginning. As it turned out, there was no reason to rush. Everyone must have left for the Labor Day Weekend already. There weren't nearly as many people in class as usual. We concentrated on "core" (stomach) exercises and inversions. My sore fingers weren't up to shoving my weight on my head. I did my best with the core work.
Next stop was the Collingswood Library. They were surprisingly busy, considering the holiday and the beautiful weather. I guess everyone wanted to rent movies before the library closes for the weekend. I had lots of DVDs to file, shelve, and organize. There was nothing going on upstairs, though, so I headed out a bit early.
I needed to swing by the Haddon Township Library to return The Artist, Angelina Ballerina, and Shanghai Surprise. The Camden County Library System only allows new DVDs (they call them the "Grab and Go" movies) out for four days. (I'll probably run Picnic over the weekend.) Had just enough money to stop at 7-11 for a Pina Colada/Mango Slurpee and a pretzel on the way there.
I rode home through a bustling Newton River Park. I partially wanted to avoid the lunch hour traffic on Cuthbert Road (the drive-in line for McDonald's stretched around the building), but I mostly wanted to enjoy the gorgeous day. It was sunny and breezy, with nary a cloud in the soft blue sky. It was dry, and warm without being too hot, perfect weather for southern New Jersey in late August.
When I arrived at home, I took an hour for a leftovers lunch and watching black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons. After that, I made a trip to the gym. I timed it well. There was no one on the cardio equipment when I started a 20 minute run on an elliptical machine, but there were several people in the weight machine area. By the time I was working on my legs, the opposite was (mostly) true.
I was tired, my heel spur hurt, and I wanted to get some baking done. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Ran Flash Gordon while making Zucchini Muffins. I picked up the 80s movie version of the ever-popular comic book character when Lauren was visiting in May, and I finally got around to watching it. New York Jets quarterback Flash (Sam Jones), spunky travel agent Dale (Melody Anderson), and semi-mad scientist Zarcov (Topol) find themselves hurled into space when meteors begin raining down on Earth. Turns out the planet is under attack by the dastardly Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydrow, having an awful lot of fun), the ruler of the planet Mongo. Ming wants Dale; his daughter Aura (Ornella Muti) has her eyes on Flash, despite already having a lover in Prince Barrin of Araboria (Timothy Dalton). It'll take every ounce of Flash, Dale, and Zarcov's wit and courage to get past Mongo's amazing technology...not to mention their crazy Technicolor Art Deco sets and costumes.
For all the comparisons to Star Wars, this has a very different feel. The neutral tones and cool blues and reds of George Lucas' epics have here been replaced by wild costumes that look like a cross between a samurai movie and The Adventures of Robin Hood. The amazing sets recreate the feel of old-time comic books nicely, and the cast is having a ball. Special mention to Von Sydrow, enjoyably over-the-top as Ming, and Brian Blessed as the big, bawdy head of the Hawkmen. If you like your action movies bright, campy, and hilarious, this cult favorite is worth digging around for.
Switched to something intentionally goofy as I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and tilapia in lemon sauce with steamed Chinese beans and sliced tomatoes for dinner. Robin Hood: Men In Tights was probably Mel Brooks' last decent spoof. Made in 1993, it mainly pokes fun at the rather stilted Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but does occasionally make cracks at other versions, too, including Errol Flynn's. Cary Elwes makes a hilarious Robin; watch out for the musical number to the title song mid-way through.
Started today with the end of The Artist and two Three Stooges shorts on making movies. The Stooges invade a studio in "Movie Maniacs," hoping to become stars. They wind up in charge of the newest film when the head executive mistakes them for big shots from back east. "Three Missing Links" takes them to Africa to appear as caveman and a gorilla in jungle movie. The trouble starts when a real gorilla invades the set and wrecks havoc!
I arrived at yoga just as they were beginning. As it turned out, there was no reason to rush. Everyone must have left for the Labor Day Weekend already. There weren't nearly as many people in class as usual. We concentrated on "core" (stomach) exercises and inversions. My sore fingers weren't up to shoving my weight on my head. I did my best with the core work.
Next stop was the Collingswood Library. They were surprisingly busy, considering the holiday and the beautiful weather. I guess everyone wanted to rent movies before the library closes for the weekend. I had lots of DVDs to file, shelve, and organize. There was nothing going on upstairs, though, so I headed out a bit early.
I needed to swing by the Haddon Township Library to return The Artist, Angelina Ballerina, and Shanghai Surprise. The Camden County Library System only allows new DVDs (they call them the "Grab and Go" movies) out for four days. (I'll probably run Picnic over the weekend.) Had just enough money to stop at 7-11 for a Pina Colada/Mango Slurpee and a pretzel on the way there.
I rode home through a bustling Newton River Park. I partially wanted to avoid the lunch hour traffic on Cuthbert Road (the drive-in line for McDonald's stretched around the building), but I mostly wanted to enjoy the gorgeous day. It was sunny and breezy, with nary a cloud in the soft blue sky. It was dry, and warm without being too hot, perfect weather for southern New Jersey in late August.
When I arrived at home, I took an hour for a leftovers lunch and watching black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons. After that, I made a trip to the gym. I timed it well. There was no one on the cardio equipment when I started a 20 minute run on an elliptical machine, but there were several people in the weight machine area. By the time I was working on my legs, the opposite was (mostly) true.
I was tired, my heel spur hurt, and I wanted to get some baking done. I spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Ran Flash Gordon while making Zucchini Muffins. I picked up the 80s movie version of the ever-popular comic book character when Lauren was visiting in May, and I finally got around to watching it. New York Jets quarterback Flash (Sam Jones), spunky travel agent Dale (Melody Anderson), and semi-mad scientist Zarcov (Topol) find themselves hurled into space when meteors begin raining down on Earth. Turns out the planet is under attack by the dastardly Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydrow, having an awful lot of fun), the ruler of the planet Mongo. Ming wants Dale; his daughter Aura (Ornella Muti) has her eyes on Flash, despite already having a lover in Prince Barrin of Araboria (Timothy Dalton). It'll take every ounce of Flash, Dale, and Zarcov's wit and courage to get past Mongo's amazing technology...not to mention their crazy Technicolor Art Deco sets and costumes.
For all the comparisons to Star Wars, this has a very different feel. The neutral tones and cool blues and reds of George Lucas' epics have here been replaced by wild costumes that look like a cross between a samurai movie and The Adventures of Robin Hood. The amazing sets recreate the feel of old-time comic books nicely, and the cast is having a ball. Special mention to Von Sydrow, enjoyably over-the-top as Ming, and Brian Blessed as the big, bawdy head of the Hawkmen. If you like your action movies bright, campy, and hilarious, this cult favorite is worth digging around for.
Switched to something intentionally goofy as I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and tilapia in lemon sauce with steamed Chinese beans and sliced tomatoes for dinner. Robin Hood: Men In Tights was probably Mel Brooks' last decent spoof. Made in 1993, it mainly pokes fun at the rather stilted Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, but does occasionally make cracks at other versions, too, including Errol Flynn's. Cary Elwes makes a hilarious Robin; watch out for the musical number to the title song mid-way through.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Brief Journey
This day didn't go nearly as well as I had hoped. I shouldn't have slept until 9:30, but I was up last night adding music to my iPod. I didn't get to the gym until quarter after 11. I did a quick bike session, just 20 minutes, then did the arm weight machines. I stretched to avoid a repeat of my stiffness problems last week.
Got to the Acme by noon. I was mainly there for my paycheck. I didn't need a lot of groceries this week. I was mainly there for ground turkey (thankfully found one with a manager's coupon) and Acme's Wild Harvest Organic boxed chicken broth. (Which, amazingly, costs the same as their regular chicken broth.) Replaced diced tomatoes after using them on stir-fry earlier in the week and the butter I used on baking. Grabbed Honey Nut Chex Mix and generic shredded wheat on sale.
It was 1PM when I got in. I put everything away, had a really quick leftovers lunch, changed into drier clothes, and went back out again. Stopped at the bank first to deposit my paycheck, then rode onto Collingswood and the PATCO Station.
I'd planned on going to Atlantic City today. I hoped to catch the 2:23 Transit train...but nope. I missed it by 15 minutes. Not to mention, there wasn't another train until 3:58! I probably should have given up and gone home at that point. Instead, I wandered over to the Walgreens on the edge of the Train/Bus Station property, got a bottle of water, and wandered back over to get my tickent.
That wait was a mistake. I was hoping to spend a few hours there and have a nice dinner, then take a train home around 6 or 7. There were no trains running at 6 or 7. The next train going to Philadelphia after the 5:52 didn't leave until 8:10! That meant I probably wouldn't get into Lindenwauld until 9, and it would likely be closer to 10 before I got home. Busses weren't much better. There was one bus leaving at 6:50 that wouldn't get into Lindenwauld until 8:45!
I spent one measly hour in Atlantic City. I thought of eating a quick dinner at the same place I ate at the last time, but the line was long and their prices weren't great. Subway probably wasn't a great substitute, but they were the only other restaurant in the area that sold meals. I stopped at Starbucks to use their bathroom...and ended up using the one at the Station when I didn't want to wait in line.
I did make it on the 5:52. Other than the train going home stopped twice to let other trains pass, there were no problems traveling. The PATCO was a little noisy going home, but it wasn't horrible, and I did have my iPod. I went straight in the shower when I got in.
I'm extremely disappointed. I was really looking forward to another Atlantic City trip, but I bungled it badly and wasted $13.20. We'll see if I have enough money to try the outlets again next month or during my vacation.
This day didn't go nearly as well as I had hoped. I shouldn't have slept until 9:30, but I was up last night adding music to my iPod. I didn't get to the gym until quarter after 11. I did a quick bike session, just 20 minutes, then did the arm weight machines. I stretched to avoid a repeat of my stiffness problems last week.
Got to the Acme by noon. I was mainly there for my paycheck. I didn't need a lot of groceries this week. I was mainly there for ground turkey (thankfully found one with a manager's coupon) and Acme's Wild Harvest Organic boxed chicken broth. (Which, amazingly, costs the same as their regular chicken broth.) Replaced diced tomatoes after using them on stir-fry earlier in the week and the butter I used on baking. Grabbed Honey Nut Chex Mix and generic shredded wheat on sale.
It was 1PM when I got in. I put everything away, had a really quick leftovers lunch, changed into drier clothes, and went back out again. Stopped at the bank first to deposit my paycheck, then rode onto Collingswood and the PATCO Station.
I'd planned on going to Atlantic City today. I hoped to catch the 2:23 Transit train...but nope. I missed it by 15 minutes. Not to mention, there wasn't another train until 3:58! I probably should have given up and gone home at that point. Instead, I wandered over to the Walgreens on the edge of the Train/Bus Station property, got a bottle of water, and wandered back over to get my tickent.
That wait was a mistake. I was hoping to spend a few hours there and have a nice dinner, then take a train home around 6 or 7. There were no trains running at 6 or 7. The next train going to Philadelphia after the 5:52 didn't leave until 8:10! That meant I probably wouldn't get into Lindenwauld until 9, and it would likely be closer to 10 before I got home. Busses weren't much better. There was one bus leaving at 6:50 that wouldn't get into Lindenwauld until 8:45!
I spent one measly hour in Atlantic City. I thought of eating a quick dinner at the same place I ate at the last time, but the line was long and their prices weren't great. Subway probably wasn't a great substitute, but they were the only other restaurant in the area that sold meals. I stopped at Starbucks to use their bathroom...and ended up using the one at the Station when I didn't want to wait in line.
I did make it on the 5:52. Other than the train going home stopped twice to let other trains pass, there were no problems traveling. The PATCO was a little noisy going home, but it wasn't horrible, and I did have my iPod. I went straight in the shower when I got in.
I'm extremely disappointed. I was really looking forward to another Atlantic City trip, but I bungled it badly and wasted $13.20. We'll see if I have enough money to try the outlets again next month or during my vacation.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A Good Old Fashioned Adventure Yarn
Started out today with the last of Mandrake the Magician. After that disc was finalized, I made a run to the gym. It was pretty busy for quarter after 12. I did the elliptical machine while watching Family Feud. Went easy on the leg machines this week. Last week, I was stiff as a board after I did my leg work.
When I arrived at home, I had leftover chicken-pepper stir fry for lunch and went right into dubbing another serial, Federal Agents Vs. Underworld Inc. Serials were running on empty by 1949; only Columbia and Republic still made them, and the budgets were getting increasingly cheaper. Even so, despite the generic title and shorter running time, this Republic action tale was far more involving than Mandrake. The federal agents of the title (one of them Kirk Alyn of Superman: the Serial fame) chase female gangster Nila (Carol Foreman) and her henchman (frequent serial baddie Ray Bancroft), who have kidnapped a professor in order to get information on the Golden Hands that will lead to a fabulous African treasure.
I loved it. The plot genuinely drew you in. I didn't figure out the real villain behind Nila until he turned up in the last few chapters. Alyn did much better as a mortal (if very lucky) agent who is happier using guns and fists rather than X-ray vision. Rosemary La Plante was a far spunkier female lead, too. The exotic trappings and elaborate MacGuffin gave this an air of mysticism that, for all the magic and hypnotism, Mandrake lacked.
I spent most of the afternoon putting my sore fingers on ice. It was hard to figure out how to do this, especially with the middle left finger, which really hurts. I tried dunking them in a bowl of ice water, but it was kind of awkward. I finally lay them on a bag of plastic fruit-shaped ice cubes.
Work was, once again, busy when I came in, on-and-off quiet when I left. It was quiet enough by the time I left that I was able to just shut down. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.
Started out today with the last of Mandrake the Magician. After that disc was finalized, I made a run to the gym. It was pretty busy for quarter after 12. I did the elliptical machine while watching Family Feud. Went easy on the leg machines this week. Last week, I was stiff as a board after I did my leg work.
When I arrived at home, I had leftover chicken-pepper stir fry for lunch and went right into dubbing another serial, Federal Agents Vs. Underworld Inc. Serials were running on empty by 1949; only Columbia and Republic still made them, and the budgets were getting increasingly cheaper. Even so, despite the generic title and shorter running time, this Republic action tale was far more involving than Mandrake. The federal agents of the title (one of them Kirk Alyn of Superman: the Serial fame) chase female gangster Nila (Carol Foreman) and her henchman (frequent serial baddie Ray Bancroft), who have kidnapped a professor in order to get information on the Golden Hands that will lead to a fabulous African treasure.
I loved it. The plot genuinely drew you in. I didn't figure out the real villain behind Nila until he turned up in the last few chapters. Alyn did much better as a mortal (if very lucky) agent who is happier using guns and fists rather than X-ray vision. Rosemary La Plante was a far spunkier female lead, too. The exotic trappings and elaborate MacGuffin gave this an air of mysticism that, for all the magic and hypnotism, Mandrake lacked.
I spent most of the afternoon putting my sore fingers on ice. It was hard to figure out how to do this, especially with the middle left finger, which really hurts. I tried dunking them in a bowl of ice water, but it was kind of awkward. I finally lay them on a bag of plastic fruit-shaped ice cubes.
Work was, once again, busy when I came in, on-and-off quiet when I left. It was quiet enough by the time I left that I was able to just shut down. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.
Friday, August 17, 2012
A Honey of a Morning
I made it to the gym by quarter after 11 this morning. It was hotter and hazier than yesterday, but despite rumblings of a possible storm later, it was neither cloudy nor really humid. Lucile Roberts was fairly busy when I arrived, more than likely with people hoping to avoid any bad weather later. I watched a college-themed episode of The Price Is Right while I did a decent session on the elliptical machine. I made sure to go easier on the arm weight machines than I did on the leg machines on Wednesday and stretched my arms as much as I could after I finished.
Went right to the Acme after leaving the gym. I picked up my paycheck, then did this week's shopping. I didn't really have a big order. Most of it was either restocks or non-food items. I'm out of toilet paper, sandwich bags, and nuts, and am almost out of sugar and eggs. The Hershey's chocolate chips were on sale. I love their Special Dark. Picked up canned tuna to replace what I had for lunch yesterday. I would normally buy my contact lens solution at a drug store, but I'm just about out, and I don't think I have enough left in the current bottle to wait.
I had just enough time when I arrived at home to put everything away, make a tomato and cheese omelet for lunch, and run Winnie the Pooh. A charming and creative reboot of Disney's Pooh franchise has the members of the 100 Acre Woods searching for Eeyore's tail, then for the fearsome Backson monster, whom they think have made off with Christopher Robin. That's pretty much the whole story. Fans of high action or complicated plots will want to look elsewhere, but for little kids and adult Pooh fans, the creative wordplay (literal and figuratively speaking) and gentle songs are endearing.
Clouds were just starting to sweep over the horizon as I rode my bike to work. Work was very busy the entire night. We were really short on help, too. We've had our hours cut, and one late cashier never bothered appearing. A manager finally came in for me so I could head home.
I'm not entirely happy with my schedule next week. On one hand, I do have Tuesday and Friday off, which I appreciate. It's less time to wait between days. The trouble is, I'm working until 9 and 10 on the days I do work. All the new people they've trained as cashiers are actually older employees who wanted different jobs. That means they have seniority and get the prime hours.
I made it to the gym by quarter after 11 this morning. It was hotter and hazier than yesterday, but despite rumblings of a possible storm later, it was neither cloudy nor really humid. Lucile Roberts was fairly busy when I arrived, more than likely with people hoping to avoid any bad weather later. I watched a college-themed episode of The Price Is Right while I did a decent session on the elliptical machine. I made sure to go easier on the arm weight machines than I did on the leg machines on Wednesday and stretched my arms as much as I could after I finished.
Went right to the Acme after leaving the gym. I picked up my paycheck, then did this week's shopping. I didn't really have a big order. Most of it was either restocks or non-food items. I'm out of toilet paper, sandwich bags, and nuts, and am almost out of sugar and eggs. The Hershey's chocolate chips were on sale. I love their Special Dark. Picked up canned tuna to replace what I had for lunch yesterday. I would normally buy my contact lens solution at a drug store, but I'm just about out, and I don't think I have enough left in the current bottle to wait.
I had just enough time when I arrived at home to put everything away, make a tomato and cheese omelet for lunch, and run Winnie the Pooh. A charming and creative reboot of Disney's Pooh franchise has the members of the 100 Acre Woods searching for Eeyore's tail, then for the fearsome Backson monster, whom they think have made off with Christopher Robin. That's pretty much the whole story. Fans of high action or complicated plots will want to look elsewhere, but for little kids and adult Pooh fans, the creative wordplay (literal and figuratively speaking) and gentle songs are endearing.
Clouds were just starting to sweep over the horizon as I rode my bike to work. Work was very busy the entire night. We were really short on help, too. We've had our hours cut, and one late cashier never bothered appearing. A manager finally came in for me so I could head home.
I'm not entirely happy with my schedule next week. On one hand, I do have Tuesday and Friday off, which I appreciate. It's less time to wait between days. The trouble is, I'm working until 9 and 10 on the days I do work. All the new people they've trained as cashiers are actually older employees who wanted different jobs. That means they have seniority and get the prime hours.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Our Rain Is Here To Stay
I awoke so late today, it was nearly 11 before I had breakfast, and quarter of 1 before I made it to the gym! I've decided to replace the stationary bike with a second elliptical workout. The bike just doesn't take off enough calories, no matter how far up I set the resistance. It took me a while to get to the leg machines. There were quite a few people on them today, including two older women who needed to take a while.
It was exactly 2 when I made it home. It had been hot, cloudy, and humid all morning, but it wasn't really doing much else besides looking damp. I was sweaty but otherwise fine when I got in. I grabbed tuna and tossed it into leftover Chinese beans for lunch while running An American In Paris.
Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant are buddies and artists (Kelly a painter, Levant a pianist and composer) who opted to stay in Paris after World War II. Kelly's not doing well until he meets an wealthy woman (Nina Foch) who wants to sponsor him...among other things. Kelly's ready to accept her offer, but then he meets the beautiful, elusive Lise (Leslie Caron). She's in a relationship with his good friend, a French music hall star (Georges Guetary), but isn't entirely happy. The two fall deeply in love with each other amid a backdrop of classic George Gershwin music and the most dazzling original ballet ever captured on film.
I think this mainly won the Oscar for that famous 17-minute ballet that concludes the film. It's an amazing riot of color and recreations of famous French artworks of various eras. The rest of the film is charming but not quite at the same level. The dated post-war plot really drags things down. There are a few other lovely numbers, notably Caron and Kelly's duet to "Our Love Is Here To Stay," Guetary delighting his music hall audiences with "Stairway to Paradise," and Kelly teaching a group of French street urchins "I Got Rhythm."
American In Paris ended just as I was heading out for work. Work was on-and-off busy, more so than last night. Otherwise, there were no major problems.
It was rather wet when I headed out. I saw customers carrying umbrellas earlier in the night, and my porch was soaked. The rain must have been long gone by the time I made it home, though. I arrived perfectly dry.
I awoke so late today, it was nearly 11 before I had breakfast, and quarter of 1 before I made it to the gym! I've decided to replace the stationary bike with a second elliptical workout. The bike just doesn't take off enough calories, no matter how far up I set the resistance. It took me a while to get to the leg machines. There were quite a few people on them today, including two older women who needed to take a while.
It was exactly 2 when I made it home. It had been hot, cloudy, and humid all morning, but it wasn't really doing much else besides looking damp. I was sweaty but otherwise fine when I got in. I grabbed tuna and tossed it into leftover Chinese beans for lunch while running An American In Paris.
Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant are buddies and artists (Kelly a painter, Levant a pianist and composer) who opted to stay in Paris after World War II. Kelly's not doing well until he meets an wealthy woman (Nina Foch) who wants to sponsor him...among other things. Kelly's ready to accept her offer, but then he meets the beautiful, elusive Lise (Leslie Caron). She's in a relationship with his good friend, a French music hall star (Georges Guetary), but isn't entirely happy. The two fall deeply in love with each other amid a backdrop of classic George Gershwin music and the most dazzling original ballet ever captured on film.
I think this mainly won the Oscar for that famous 17-minute ballet that concludes the film. It's an amazing riot of color and recreations of famous French artworks of various eras. The rest of the film is charming but not quite at the same level. The dated post-war plot really drags things down. There are a few other lovely numbers, notably Caron and Kelly's duet to "Our Love Is Here To Stay," Guetary delighting his music hall audiences with "Stairway to Paradise," and Kelly teaching a group of French street urchins "I Got Rhythm."
American In Paris ended just as I was heading out for work. Work was on-and-off busy, more so than last night. Otherwise, there were no major problems.
It was rather wet when I headed out. I saw customers carrying umbrellas earlier in the night, and my porch was soaked. The rain must have been long gone by the time I made it home, though. I arrived perfectly dry.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Around the World With the Stooges
It was just dark and damp when I got up around 9:30, but by the time I was eating breakfast, the storm was out in full-force. No matter. I ate breakfast, then grabbed my umbrella and went to retrieve my most recent order from Amazon.com...and given my current financial situation, the last order I'll be getting from them for a while. I couldn't find the two 60s Stooges movies I wanted to see at FYE last week. I did see The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 7, but I found it for cheaper at Amazon with free shipping.
Ran a couple of shorts as I got ready to head out. Volume 7 brings more changes to the Stooges as Columbia downsizes its short subject department and embraces new technology like 3-D. It also brings more remakes - "A Missed Fortune" is Shemp version of the Curly short "Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb," while "Listen, Judge" combines gags from "A Plumbing We Will Go" and "An Ache In Every Stake." I once again found myself feeling sorry for the Stooges when a dame plays them all for a sucker in "Corny Casanovas." Larry's the one causing the trouble in the odd "He Cooked His Goose." He's a pet store owner chasing Moe's wife and Shemp's girlfriend, until Shemp figures out a way to turn the tables on him.
I waited until the rain stopped to head out for this week's gym/groceries run. I didn't get to Lucile Roberts until 12:30, thanks to having to go back twice for things I forgot. Lucile Roberts was dead, probably thanks to it being lunch time. There were only two or three other women there. I watched the men's basketball semi-finals (I think Russia beat Spain), men's canoeing, and men's wrestling. (The little American guy was really killing his opponent.) Did a really nice elliptical session, then a quick one on the arm machines.
Went to the Acme next for a much-needed paycheck and a short grocery trip. I rarely need a lot in the summer; when I'm at home, I eat meat, vegetables, and the occasional slice of bakery bread. I was mostly restocking things like chicken ($1.99 a pound for Acme's skinless chicken thighs!), green tea, white cooking wine, tortillas, milk, and fruit concentrate. Acme's generic Shopper's Value Ice Cream was even cheaper than usual - a $1.78 for a small, square paper package like the old Sealtest cartons? I couldn't resist. (Not only that, but it's less fattening than many frozen yogurts!) I also had an Acme coupon for two free Shopper's Value bags of salty snacks. Got two bags of pretzels, the mini twists and the honey wheat rods.
Spent the next few hours at home, doing things around my apartment. I put my groceries away. I baked brownies. I hung the new shower curtain. Amid the activity, I watched The Three Stooges Go Around the World In a Daze, one of the two 60s Stooges movies I grabbed with my Amazon order. This is a cute updating of Around the World In 80 Days, with some of the Stooges' older material (such as Curly-Joe going bezerk whenever he hears "Pop Goes the Weasel," a reworking of a Curly gag from the short "Punch Drunks") thrown in. The great-grandson of Phines Fogg must go around the world in 80 days again...this time, without spending the dime. He's joined by his three incompetent servants (the Stooges, naturally) and a lovely American woman on tour in Asia. Not to mention, two thieves have framed him for a bank robbery he didn't commit, and there's a world-wide warrant out for his arrest.
Only necessary for major fans of the Stooges or of the source material. Ok time-waster if you run into it on cable or for rental...but those interested in the Stooges will definitely want to go to the shorts first. Jules Verne fans will want to try the 1957 movie or 80s mini-series before coming here.
Thankfully, at press time, the weather has continued to be off-and-on cloudy and humid but not rainy. I got to and from work dry, despite occasional reports of wet weather from customers. Work was busy when I came in, on-and-off after rush-hour ended. Other than a few remaining beginning-of-the-month people, there were no major problems.
It was just dark and damp when I got up around 9:30, but by the time I was eating breakfast, the storm was out in full-force. No matter. I ate breakfast, then grabbed my umbrella and went to retrieve my most recent order from Amazon.com...and given my current financial situation, the last order I'll be getting from them for a while. I couldn't find the two 60s Stooges movies I wanted to see at FYE last week. I did see The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 7, but I found it for cheaper at Amazon with free shipping.
Ran a couple of shorts as I got ready to head out. Volume 7 brings more changes to the Stooges as Columbia downsizes its short subject department and embraces new technology like 3-D. It also brings more remakes - "A Missed Fortune" is Shemp version of the Curly short "Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb," while "Listen, Judge" combines gags from "A Plumbing We Will Go" and "An Ache In Every Stake." I once again found myself feeling sorry for the Stooges when a dame plays them all for a sucker in "Corny Casanovas." Larry's the one causing the trouble in the odd "He Cooked His Goose." He's a pet store owner chasing Moe's wife and Shemp's girlfriend, until Shemp figures out a way to turn the tables on him.
I waited until the rain stopped to head out for this week's gym/groceries run. I didn't get to Lucile Roberts until 12:30, thanks to having to go back twice for things I forgot. Lucile Roberts was dead, probably thanks to it being lunch time. There were only two or three other women there. I watched the men's basketball semi-finals (I think Russia beat Spain), men's canoeing, and men's wrestling. (The little American guy was really killing his opponent.) Did a really nice elliptical session, then a quick one on the arm machines.
Went to the Acme next for a much-needed paycheck and a short grocery trip. I rarely need a lot in the summer; when I'm at home, I eat meat, vegetables, and the occasional slice of bakery bread. I was mostly restocking things like chicken ($1.99 a pound for Acme's skinless chicken thighs!), green tea, white cooking wine, tortillas, milk, and fruit concentrate. Acme's generic Shopper's Value Ice Cream was even cheaper than usual - a $1.78 for a small, square paper package like the old Sealtest cartons? I couldn't resist. (Not only that, but it's less fattening than many frozen yogurts!) I also had an Acme coupon for two free Shopper's Value bags of salty snacks. Got two bags of pretzels, the mini twists and the honey wheat rods.
Spent the next few hours at home, doing things around my apartment. I put my groceries away. I baked brownies. I hung the new shower curtain. Amid the activity, I watched The Three Stooges Go Around the World In a Daze, one of the two 60s Stooges movies I grabbed with my Amazon order. This is a cute updating of Around the World In 80 Days, with some of the Stooges' older material (such as Curly-Joe going bezerk whenever he hears "Pop Goes the Weasel," a reworking of a Curly gag from the short "Punch Drunks") thrown in. The great-grandson of Phines Fogg must go around the world in 80 days again...this time, without spending the dime. He's joined by his three incompetent servants (the Stooges, naturally) and a lovely American woman on tour in Asia. Not to mention, two thieves have framed him for a bank robbery he didn't commit, and there's a world-wide warrant out for his arrest.
Only necessary for major fans of the Stooges or of the source material. Ok time-waster if you run into it on cable or for rental...but those interested in the Stooges will definitely want to go to the shorts first. Jules Verne fans will want to try the 1957 movie or 80s mini-series before coming here.
Thankfully, at press time, the weather has continued to be off-and-on cloudy and humid but not rainy. I got to and from work dry, despite occasional reports of wet weather from customers. Work was busy when I came in, on-and-off after rush-hour ended. Other than a few remaining beginning-of-the-month people, there were no major problems.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
An Elephant Never Forgets
I slept in again this morning. Didn't start out to the Haddon Township Library until past 11:30! It was warm and humid, but once again, the clouds kept it from being quite as steamy as last week. I passed by many people on my way there. Kids played in the park with their folks. Several people rode bikes or jogged.
The library was a bit busier than it has been. I worked on organizing the kids' DVDs until the librarians were able to sign in more titles. Cleared a pretty good-sized stack of foreign films out of the regular adult DVD titles, too. I don't know why more people don't pay attention to the labels. Even if they don't see the (admittedly small) blue "foreign" rectangle on the spine, it's usually easy to tell that a title is in another language.
The library's gotten a ton of new titles in lately. I ended up with last year's Thor and The Muppets, the 1938 Bette Davis vehicle Jezebel, and the first season of the 1989 Babar cartoon.
Rode across Westmont and Audubon to Simply Soups for a simple and late lunch. I had my favorite meal from them - the Italian Wedding Soup with breadsticks and a can of soda (Diet Mountain Dew today). Though it was 1:30 before I arrived, there were still quite a few people picking up containers of soup for office lunches. A father and his impatient toddler daughter enjoyed bowls of soup before she got bored and almost dragged Daddy out the door.
(I noticed a few changes since Lauren and I were there in May. That beautiful view of Pine Street from the wide front window has been blocked by dark plastic sheets and a heavy curtain. It's probably for privacy and to keep the metal furniture from getting boiling hot, but it's also a lot less interesting to look at.)
Went straight to the gym after lunch. This time, I remembered the iPod, and I had a great soundtrack as I worked up a sweat on the stationary bike and watched the American Women's Volleyball team play the Dominican Republic in the Olympics. (Team USA ultimately won, 3-0.) Had to wait for a couple of the leg machines, despite it not being that busy. The cardio machines were barely used. This is the first time I saw no one on the treadmills.
I was tired and spent the rest of the evening at home. Ran Jezebel when I got in. This is set in the same era as the recent Marie-Grace/Cecile American Girl books, early 1850s New Orleans. Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is no sweet little girl in pink ruffled dresses, though. She's a strong-willed, egotistical woman who knows what she wants - and what she wants is equally strong-willed banker Pres (Henry Fonda). He and her quieter aunt (Fay Bainter) are shocked when Julie opts for a red dress instead of white at a major ball. Pres is so mad, he makes her dance among the crowd that's treating her like a leper, even though she realizes she made a mistake and wants out. After that incident, he just drops the engagement.
A year later, Julie's still in shock over losing Pres. When she hears he's coming home, she holds a big party for him, including the white dress she was to have worn to the ball in the first place. Trouble is, he comes home with a bride...right in time for the yellow fever epidemic that also struck Marie Grace and Cecile's families, along with most of New Orleans. Julie is determined to prove to him that she can be as noble as anybody in the Old South.
Released to capitalize on the popularity of the novel Gone With the Wind and to pacify Davis after she lost the role of Scarlett O'Hara, I wasn't sure what to make of this one. I'm not a real big fan of Wind, either. Henry Fonda seems a bit uncomfortable; the ladies are generally happier, with Davis and Bainter both showing why they won Oscars for their work here. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, too, especially the two dresses that cause all the ruckus. (The infamous red dress is on the cover of my Classic Costumes From Great Movies paper doll book.) Great for fans of Davis or Fonda, Gone With the Wind, or southern-set stories...but watch out for the same racial stereotypes that mar Wind.
Switched to the far quieter Babar while having cornmeal-crusted chicken fingers, corn on the cob, and sauteed Chinese beans and peppers for dinner. The original 1989 Babar was an oddity in several respects. It followed the books fairly faithfully, it featured series-spanning storylines (which Western animated series were only just starting to do in the 80s) and characters who learned things, grew up, and changed, a far cry from the loonies and mystery solvers of 60s and 70s animation. This was intended for young children; there's a death scene in the first episode that's discussed in the following two, but after that, it settles down into a more kid-friendly affair.
I fondly remember watching this on I believe the Disney Channel in the late 80s. It's still a very sweet show, and I'm glad to see it again.
I slept in again this morning. Didn't start out to the Haddon Township Library until past 11:30! It was warm and humid, but once again, the clouds kept it from being quite as steamy as last week. I passed by many people on my way there. Kids played in the park with their folks. Several people rode bikes or jogged.
The library was a bit busier than it has been. I worked on organizing the kids' DVDs until the librarians were able to sign in more titles. Cleared a pretty good-sized stack of foreign films out of the regular adult DVD titles, too. I don't know why more people don't pay attention to the labels. Even if they don't see the (admittedly small) blue "foreign" rectangle on the spine, it's usually easy to tell that a title is in another language.
The library's gotten a ton of new titles in lately. I ended up with last year's Thor and The Muppets, the 1938 Bette Davis vehicle Jezebel, and the first season of the 1989 Babar cartoon.
Rode across Westmont and Audubon to Simply Soups for a simple and late lunch. I had my favorite meal from them - the Italian Wedding Soup with breadsticks and a can of soda (Diet Mountain Dew today). Though it was 1:30 before I arrived, there were still quite a few people picking up containers of soup for office lunches. A father and his impatient toddler daughter enjoyed bowls of soup before she got bored and almost dragged Daddy out the door.
(I noticed a few changes since Lauren and I were there in May. That beautiful view of Pine Street from the wide front window has been blocked by dark plastic sheets and a heavy curtain. It's probably for privacy and to keep the metal furniture from getting boiling hot, but it's also a lot less interesting to look at.)
Went straight to the gym after lunch. This time, I remembered the iPod, and I had a great soundtrack as I worked up a sweat on the stationary bike and watched the American Women's Volleyball team play the Dominican Republic in the Olympics. (Team USA ultimately won, 3-0.) Had to wait for a couple of the leg machines, despite it not being that busy. The cardio machines were barely used. This is the first time I saw no one on the treadmills.
I was tired and spent the rest of the evening at home. Ran Jezebel when I got in. This is set in the same era as the recent Marie-Grace/Cecile American Girl books, early 1850s New Orleans. Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is no sweet little girl in pink ruffled dresses, though. She's a strong-willed, egotistical woman who knows what she wants - and what she wants is equally strong-willed banker Pres (Henry Fonda). He and her quieter aunt (Fay Bainter) are shocked when Julie opts for a red dress instead of white at a major ball. Pres is so mad, he makes her dance among the crowd that's treating her like a leper, even though she realizes she made a mistake and wants out. After that incident, he just drops the engagement.
A year later, Julie's still in shock over losing Pres. When she hears he's coming home, she holds a big party for him, including the white dress she was to have worn to the ball in the first place. Trouble is, he comes home with a bride...right in time for the yellow fever epidemic that also struck Marie Grace and Cecile's families, along with most of New Orleans. Julie is determined to prove to him that she can be as noble as anybody in the Old South.
Released to capitalize on the popularity of the novel Gone With the Wind and to pacify Davis after she lost the role of Scarlett O'Hara, I wasn't sure what to make of this one. I'm not a real big fan of Wind, either. Henry Fonda seems a bit uncomfortable; the ladies are generally happier, with Davis and Bainter both showing why they won Oscars for their work here. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, too, especially the two dresses that cause all the ruckus. (The infamous red dress is on the cover of my Classic Costumes From Great Movies paper doll book.) Great for fans of Davis or Fonda, Gone With the Wind, or southern-set stories...but watch out for the same racial stereotypes that mar Wind.
Switched to the far quieter Babar while having cornmeal-crusted chicken fingers, corn on the cob, and sauteed Chinese beans and peppers for dinner. The original 1989 Babar was an oddity in several respects. It followed the books fairly faithfully, it featured series-spanning storylines (which Western animated series were only just starting to do in the 80s) and characters who learned things, grew up, and changed, a far cry from the loonies and mystery solvers of 60s and 70s animation. This was intended for young children; there's a death scene in the first episode that's discussed in the following two, but after that, it settles down into a more kid-friendly affair.
I fondly remember watching this on I believe the Disney Channel in the late 80s. It's still a very sweet show, and I'm glad to see it again.
Friday, August 03, 2012
Afternoon In Oaklyn
Began the day with a slightly earlier gym run than I have recently. Even at 10:30, the gym was still pretty busy. I did cardio on the elliptical machine today, alternating between watching Let's Make a Deal and men's rowing and women's swimming on the Olympics. There were a few people on the weight machines, but no one was doing arms until I was done, thank goodness.
I made a very quick stop at Marburn Curtains for a shower curtain, then went around the corner to the Acme for this week's paycheck and groceries. I didn't really need a lot of things, anyway. Raisin bread from the Acme's bakery (it's too hot to make it) and canola oil were the big ones. Also grabbed milk, chocolate chips, and fruit concentrate. Continued to stock up on chicken while it's on big sales for grilling season; got legs and tenderloins for incredibly cheap.
I'm tired of the freezer being so covered in ice, I can't get anything in there. As soon as I got home, I scooped as much of the ice on the bottom out as I could and dumped it in my sink. In my digging, I uncovered a huge bag of ice I used for my knee the last time I hurt it five years ago, a giant slab of salmon Dad gave me a while back, and at least two old frozen fruit bars. The salmon should be ok - I'll eat it this week - but I got rid of everything else. I'm still going to need to defrost the top, but I cleared off the bottom enough to be able to load my meat and frozen vegetables in there.
Ran Midnight In Paris as I made leftover chicken breast and cucumber-tomato salad for lunch. I was quite impressed with this sweet love letter to the magic of Paris and the lure of the past. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a successful screenplay writer who wants to try his hand at writing a novel. He's in Paris on a business trip with his obnoxious fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her conservative, snobby parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). What he really wants is to see the Paris of the 20s, when groups of writers and artists lived in small studios and traded witty repartee with each other, but shallow Inez would rather drag him to museums to listen to her silly interllectual friends (Michael Sheen and Nina Arianda) drone on about art works they probably looked up on Wikipedia.
Gil gets his wish one night when he's out for a walk. Suddenly, at midnight, he's picked up by a vintage vehicle and whisked off to a smashing party with Zelda (Alison Pill) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston). Cole Porter (Yves Heck) plays his own songs; Josephine Baker (Sonia Rolland) shimmies at a party for black performers. Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) gives him writing advice and offers to bring his novel to Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates.)
Gil enjoys his trips into the past, despite Inez's increasing assumption that he's going nuts. He has conversations with artists Salvador Dali (Adrian Brody) and Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzi Bo), gives screenplay ideas to director Luis Brunel (Adrien de Van), and falls for charming artist's model Adriana (Marion Cotilliard). It's Adriana who finally teaches him a lesson when she insists on doing some time warping of her own. Gil discovers that you can't live in the past, but you can live your life to the fullest, the life you have now, this minute.
This is the second time in less than a month that I've found myself thoroughly enjoying a Woody Allen movie. In a way, it has a great deal in common with Hugo and The Artist, which also deals with France in the past and were nominated for Oscars. Paris certainly deserved its Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if nothing else. Sheen, Stoll, and Bates in particular have a lot of fun with their roles; Cotilliard does wonders with what could have been a wooden love interest. If you like Allen's recent films, Paris, literary or 20th century history, or are looking for an unusual romantic comedy, this is very highly recommended.
I continued the theme of fantasizing with Garfield's Feline Fantasies. In this special from the early 90s, Garfield imagines him and Odie as everything from airline pilots to gunslingers to globe trotters searching for the fabled Banana of Bombay. No matter what scrape the cat-and-dog duo get into, they know that John will always be there to get them out of it.
I had just enough time to get the budget done while Garfield was running. I didn't spend nearly as much as I had the past few months, but I haven't had nearly as much to spend. That huge 4th of July paycheck was a big help; I actually had a little leftover. I shouldn't need much next month, either. I do want to make a few day trips to the Jersey Shore, but there isn't much I really need clothes/shoes-wise for a while.
Work was busy through about 8PM, after which the dark clouds cleared people out, despite the fact that it still hasn't rained. My schedule next week is even less wonderful. While I do have Tuesday and Thursday off, I have fewer hours and an awful lot of late ones.
Began the day with a slightly earlier gym run than I have recently. Even at 10:30, the gym was still pretty busy. I did cardio on the elliptical machine today, alternating between watching Let's Make a Deal and men's rowing and women's swimming on the Olympics. There were a few people on the weight machines, but no one was doing arms until I was done, thank goodness.
I made a very quick stop at Marburn Curtains for a shower curtain, then went around the corner to the Acme for this week's paycheck and groceries. I didn't really need a lot of things, anyway. Raisin bread from the Acme's bakery (it's too hot to make it) and canola oil were the big ones. Also grabbed milk, chocolate chips, and fruit concentrate. Continued to stock up on chicken while it's on big sales for grilling season; got legs and tenderloins for incredibly cheap.
I'm tired of the freezer being so covered in ice, I can't get anything in there. As soon as I got home, I scooped as much of the ice on the bottom out as I could and dumped it in my sink. In my digging, I uncovered a huge bag of ice I used for my knee the last time I hurt it five years ago, a giant slab of salmon Dad gave me a while back, and at least two old frozen fruit bars. The salmon should be ok - I'll eat it this week - but I got rid of everything else. I'm still going to need to defrost the top, but I cleared off the bottom enough to be able to load my meat and frozen vegetables in there.
Ran Midnight In Paris as I made leftover chicken breast and cucumber-tomato salad for lunch. I was quite impressed with this sweet love letter to the magic of Paris and the lure of the past. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a successful screenplay writer who wants to try his hand at writing a novel. He's in Paris on a business trip with his obnoxious fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her conservative, snobby parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). What he really wants is to see the Paris of the 20s, when groups of writers and artists lived in small studios and traded witty repartee with each other, but shallow Inez would rather drag him to museums to listen to her silly interllectual friends (Michael Sheen and Nina Arianda) drone on about art works they probably looked up on Wikipedia.
Gil gets his wish one night when he's out for a walk. Suddenly, at midnight, he's picked up by a vintage vehicle and whisked off to a smashing party with Zelda (Alison Pill) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston). Cole Porter (Yves Heck) plays his own songs; Josephine Baker (Sonia Rolland) shimmies at a party for black performers. Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) gives him writing advice and offers to bring his novel to Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates.)
Gil enjoys his trips into the past, despite Inez's increasing assumption that he's going nuts. He has conversations with artists Salvador Dali (Adrian Brody) and Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzi Bo), gives screenplay ideas to director Luis Brunel (Adrien de Van), and falls for charming artist's model Adriana (Marion Cotilliard). It's Adriana who finally teaches him a lesson when she insists on doing some time warping of her own. Gil discovers that you can't live in the past, but you can live your life to the fullest, the life you have now, this minute.
This is the second time in less than a month that I've found myself thoroughly enjoying a Woody Allen movie. In a way, it has a great deal in common with Hugo and The Artist, which also deals with France in the past and were nominated for Oscars. Paris certainly deserved its Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if nothing else. Sheen, Stoll, and Bates in particular have a lot of fun with their roles; Cotilliard does wonders with what could have been a wooden love interest. If you like Allen's recent films, Paris, literary or 20th century history, or are looking for an unusual romantic comedy, this is very highly recommended.
I continued the theme of fantasizing with Garfield's Feline Fantasies. In this special from the early 90s, Garfield imagines him and Odie as everything from airline pilots to gunslingers to globe trotters searching for the fabled Banana of Bombay. No matter what scrape the cat-and-dog duo get into, they know that John will always be there to get them out of it.
I had just enough time to get the budget done while Garfield was running. I didn't spend nearly as much as I had the past few months, but I haven't had nearly as much to spend. That huge 4th of July paycheck was a big help; I actually had a little leftover. I shouldn't need much next month, either. I do want to make a few day trips to the Jersey Shore, but there isn't much I really need clothes/shoes-wise for a while.
Work was busy through about 8PM, after which the dark clouds cleared people out, despite the fact that it still hasn't rained. My schedule next week is even less wonderful. While I do have Tuesday and Thursday off, I have fewer hours and an awful lot of late ones.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Birthday Daze
First of all, two birthday shout-outs, one belated. My dad Bruce's birthday was on the 28th. My oldest nephew Skylar's birthday is today; he turns 8 years old. I hope they both had a great day!
I slept in this morning and spent an hour finishing Out West. It was near noon when I finally got moving to the gym. The mailman must have shown up early today. The mail had already arrived by 10:30. It usually doesn't come until between 11:30 and 12:30. I dropped off my nephew's birthday card and present in the "out of town" slot at the Audubon Post Office instead.
The gym was busy when I arrived. Maybe the women were just interested in watching Team USA play Germany in Men's Indoor Volleyball. (USA won, 3-0.) I even saw one of the college students from the Acme working out in the weight area. I got a really nice stationary bike session in, then did the leg weight machines. I also brought my iPod in for the first time to listen to while on the bike. It worked really well; better than the same five songs Lucile Roberts keeps playing over and over.
Went straight home after the gym. Had a quick leftover lunch while watching Snow White and the Three Stooges, then went for a short walk to Dad's to bring him his Lime Mousse Pie and birthday card. I had a short chat with him and Jodie, who were just watching one of the 900 Law & Order re-runs on cable. They just went out to lunch together on his birthday, but they seem to have enjoyed themselves.
I came home and finished the Stooges before heading to work. Work was pretty much the same has it has been - quiet when I come in and leave, very busy during rush hour. (It was so quiet when I came in, I spent an hour organizing shelves of Goya items.) We actually had plenty of help, unusual for this time of year, but we're also coming up on the beginning of the month. Some people may have gotten their money already.
First of all, two birthday shout-outs, one belated. My dad Bruce's birthday was on the 28th. My oldest nephew Skylar's birthday is today; he turns 8 years old. I hope they both had a great day!
I slept in this morning and spent an hour finishing Out West. It was near noon when I finally got moving to the gym. The mailman must have shown up early today. The mail had already arrived by 10:30. It usually doesn't come until between 11:30 and 12:30. I dropped off my nephew's birthday card and present in the "out of town" slot at the Audubon Post Office instead.
The gym was busy when I arrived. Maybe the women were just interested in watching Team USA play Germany in Men's Indoor Volleyball. (USA won, 3-0.) I even saw one of the college students from the Acme working out in the weight area. I got a really nice stationary bike session in, then did the leg weight machines. I also brought my iPod in for the first time to listen to while on the bike. It worked really well; better than the same five songs Lucile Roberts keeps playing over and over.
Went straight home after the gym. Had a quick leftover lunch while watching Snow White and the Three Stooges, then went for a short walk to Dad's to bring him his Lime Mousse Pie and birthday card. I had a short chat with him and Jodie, who were just watching one of the 900 Law & Order re-runs on cable. They just went out to lunch together on his birthday, but they seem to have enjoyed themselves.
I came home and finished the Stooges before heading to work. Work was pretty much the same has it has been - quiet when I come in and leave, very busy during rush hour. (It was so quiet when I came in, I spent an hour organizing shelves of Goya items.) We actually had plenty of help, unusual for this time of year, but we're also coming up on the beginning of the month. Some people may have gotten their money already.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Olympic Heat
Team USA aren't the only ones who wanted a workout today. I headed to the gym around 11 for a good session at Lucile Roberts. Worked on the elliptical machine while watching The Price Is Right and worked up quite a sweat. I did a quick session on the arm weight machines after that. It was surprisingly busy for a day that remained hot and humid despite the rain yesterday.
Headed to the Acme next for my paycheck and groceries. While Lucile Roberts was busy, the Acme, surprisingly, was not. I was easily able to restock eggs, milk, the Emerald Trail Mix bags, Kool Aid, and yogurt. I needed salad dressing; I had a coupon for Acme's generic Essential Everyday brand from the Giveway Game. Also grabbed two of the smaller Kraft salad dressings for a dollar each in nifty fruit flavors. I was almost out of sugar; good thing the Acme was having a good sale on their 4lb bag. Chicken was still on sale, too, as was Acme's generic Cheerios. Since I had a coupon for free Essential Everyday whipped topping, I bought things to make a mousse pie for my dad Bruce's birthday tomorrow. Grabbed cards for Dad and for my nephew Skylar, whose birthday is Tuesday. Treated myself to another Greek frozen yogurt on sale, this one called Adonia. I just went with their vanilla. It's pretty good, smoother than Ben & Jerry's - I tried a little when I got home.
I had enough time when I got home to put everything away, have leftovers for lunch, and run two Peanuts specials revolving around sports and competition. You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, throws Chuck into the exciting world of motocross racing. He and the other Peanuts learn that slow and steady wins the race when he's pitted against Peppermint Patty and "The Masked Marvel" in a big biking competition. "The Masked Marvel" returns for You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown. This time, Chuck and Marcie are entered in the decathalon for their school's big track meet. The Masked Marvel and obnoxious Freddy Fabulous from Fremont are determined to win. Marcie and Chuck, on the other hand, know that being a good sport is just as important as winning.
Work was steady for most of the evening. It's Friday, and we're getting close to the beginning of the month. It was actually busy until right before I left at 8:30. I even got to see a little of the Olympic opening ceremony as I was retrieving my bike from the break room to head out.
My schedule is par for the course for this time of year. My only very minor complaint is, after tomorrow, I don't get a day off until Thursday. On the other hand, this is offset by no hours as late or as long as this week. (The latest is 9:30.)
Team USA aren't the only ones who wanted a workout today. I headed to the gym around 11 for a good session at Lucile Roberts. Worked on the elliptical machine while watching The Price Is Right and worked up quite a sweat. I did a quick session on the arm weight machines after that. It was surprisingly busy for a day that remained hot and humid despite the rain yesterday.
Headed to the Acme next for my paycheck and groceries. While Lucile Roberts was busy, the Acme, surprisingly, was not. I was easily able to restock eggs, milk, the Emerald Trail Mix bags, Kool Aid, and yogurt. I needed salad dressing; I had a coupon for Acme's generic Essential Everyday brand from the Giveway Game. Also grabbed two of the smaller Kraft salad dressings for a dollar each in nifty fruit flavors. I was almost out of sugar; good thing the Acme was having a good sale on their 4lb bag. Chicken was still on sale, too, as was Acme's generic Cheerios. Since I had a coupon for free Essential Everyday whipped topping, I bought things to make a mousse pie for my dad Bruce's birthday tomorrow. Grabbed cards for Dad and for my nephew Skylar, whose birthday is Tuesday. Treated myself to another Greek frozen yogurt on sale, this one called Adonia. I just went with their vanilla. It's pretty good, smoother than Ben & Jerry's - I tried a little when I got home.
I had enough time when I got home to put everything away, have leftovers for lunch, and run two Peanuts specials revolving around sports and competition. You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, throws Chuck into the exciting world of motocross racing. He and the other Peanuts learn that slow and steady wins the race when he's pitted against Peppermint Patty and "The Masked Marvel" in a big biking competition. "The Masked Marvel" returns for You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown. This time, Chuck and Marcie are entered in the decathalon for their school's big track meet. The Masked Marvel and obnoxious Freddy Fabulous from Fremont are determined to win. Marcie and Chuck, on the other hand, know that being a good sport is just as important as winning.
Work was steady for most of the evening. It's Friday, and we're getting close to the beginning of the month. It was actually busy until right before I left at 8:30. I even got to see a little of the Olympic opening ceremony as I was retrieving my bike from the break room to head out.
My schedule is par for the course for this time of year. My only very minor complaint is, after tomorrow, I don't get a day off until Thursday. On the other hand, this is offset by no hours as late or as long as this week. (The latest is 9:30.)
Friday, July 20, 2012
A Windy Place
It was surprisingly windy and cool when I headed out today, barely in the 70s. It looked like it rained overnight, but by the time I finally rolled out to the gym around 11:30, it was barely spitting. No matter. We needed any rain we could get. The gym was pretty busy, too, possibly because of the improved weather. There were quite a few people doing cardio with me this morning, especially on the bikes. I had fewer problems getting the arm weight machines.
The Acme wasn't too busy when I arrived to do this week's shopping. Even so, they'd apparently wanted to call me in at 2 - there was a call-out. It was almost 1 when I got there! I still had to get to the bank, too. I wouldn't have time tomorrow. Besides, I needed a lot of groceries. I finally ran out of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, whole wheat flour, and brown sugar. Acme's having good chicken and seafood sales. I picked up skinned chicken breasts, chicken tenders, and a container of shrimp for lunch today. Grabbed blueberries; restocked milk, buttermilk, and fruit concentrate (which was on a good sale).
When I got home, I put everything away and had shrimp and leftover ratatouille and Blackberry Flummery for lunch while watching more Three Stooges. "Three Pests In a Mess" puts the boys in a cemetery, burying a dummy they think is a dead body. Things really get scary when three cops in costume show up to see just what they're doing! And in "Idle Roomers," the Stooges are bellhops who hope to impress pretty customer Christine McIntyre (in her Stooge shorts debut), but wind up tangling with a wolf man who hates music instead.
I made a very quick run to the bank after lunch. The weather remained cloudy and windy, which was fine by me. It was also still very humid...but the rain continued to hold off. The bank was a little busy, but there was no line, and I did get in and out.
When I got home, I had enough time to get some things organized, pack lunch, change, and start A Summer Place. Oh boy, are we in both the 50s and soap opera territory. A wealthy couple (Richard Egan, Constance Ford) and their daughter (Sandra Dee) come to a dilapidated Maine inn owned by a lush (Arthur Kennedy) and his sensible wife (Dorothy McGuire) and their son (Troy Donahue). MacGuire and Egan were lovers years before, and while they renew their affair, the kids fall heavily for each other, too. Trouble is, their conniving spouses won't let the kids go, and Ford has repression issues wide enough to fill the Atlantic Ocean. Will the lovers ever find a "Summer Place" of their own?
If you love other Technicolor melodramas of the 50s and early 60s like Madame X or Peyton Place, you'll adore this one. There's no denying that it's dated as heck, but some really good performances (including Egan and Dee) cut through the mush at times. There's also the lush Max Steiner score, which is probably the best-known aspect of this today; the instrumental theme tune was a huge hit in its own right.
Work was far less fun. The cashier who took my order this morning insisted it hadn't been busy, and it wasn't bad when I was there...but I came in at rush hour, and it was packed then. One of the managers said it was busy before that, too. Everybody must have come out of the woodwork now that the weather is more tolerable. It was crazy up through the end of rush hour, off-and-on busy thereafter.
It was surprisingly windy and cool when I headed out today, barely in the 70s. It looked like it rained overnight, but by the time I finally rolled out to the gym around 11:30, it was barely spitting. No matter. We needed any rain we could get. The gym was pretty busy, too, possibly because of the improved weather. There were quite a few people doing cardio with me this morning, especially on the bikes. I had fewer problems getting the arm weight machines.
The Acme wasn't too busy when I arrived to do this week's shopping. Even so, they'd apparently wanted to call me in at 2 - there was a call-out. It was almost 1 when I got there! I still had to get to the bank, too. I wouldn't have time tomorrow. Besides, I needed a lot of groceries. I finally ran out of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, whole wheat flour, and brown sugar. Acme's having good chicken and seafood sales. I picked up skinned chicken breasts, chicken tenders, and a container of shrimp for lunch today. Grabbed blueberries; restocked milk, buttermilk, and fruit concentrate (which was on a good sale).
When I got home, I put everything away and had shrimp and leftover ratatouille and Blackberry Flummery for lunch while watching more Three Stooges. "Three Pests In a Mess" puts the boys in a cemetery, burying a dummy they think is a dead body. Things really get scary when three cops in costume show up to see just what they're doing! And in "Idle Roomers," the Stooges are bellhops who hope to impress pretty customer Christine McIntyre (in her Stooge shorts debut), but wind up tangling with a wolf man who hates music instead.
I made a very quick run to the bank after lunch. The weather remained cloudy and windy, which was fine by me. It was also still very humid...but the rain continued to hold off. The bank was a little busy, but there was no line, and I did get in and out.
When I got home, I had enough time to get some things organized, pack lunch, change, and start A Summer Place. Oh boy, are we in both the 50s and soap opera territory. A wealthy couple (Richard Egan, Constance Ford) and their daughter (Sandra Dee) come to a dilapidated Maine inn owned by a lush (Arthur Kennedy) and his sensible wife (Dorothy McGuire) and their son (Troy Donahue). MacGuire and Egan were lovers years before, and while they renew their affair, the kids fall heavily for each other, too. Trouble is, their conniving spouses won't let the kids go, and Ford has repression issues wide enough to fill the Atlantic Ocean. Will the lovers ever find a "Summer Place" of their own?
If you love other Technicolor melodramas of the 50s and early 60s like Madame X or Peyton Place, you'll adore this one. There's no denying that it's dated as heck, but some really good performances (including Egan and Dee) cut through the mush at times. There's also the lush Max Steiner score, which is probably the best-known aspect of this today; the instrumental theme tune was a huge hit in its own right.
Work was far less fun. The cashier who took my order this morning insisted it hadn't been busy, and it wasn't bad when I was there...but I came in at rush hour, and it was packed then. One of the managers said it was busy before that, too. Everybody must have come out of the woodwork now that the weather is more tolerable. It was crazy up through the end of rush hour, off-and-on busy thereafter.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
In the Heat of the Morning
Whew! It was a scorcher here today, hitting the upper 90s...with a heat index that went into the 100s and climbing. I once again slept in, but this time, I hit the gym before work for a little exercise in air conditioning. Once again, it wasn't too busy. I got a really nice run in on the stationary bike, then worked on my legs. I'm so happy with how my weight machine workouts are progressing. I can lift 40 pounds on most of the leg machines now.
Needless to say, I went straight home after that. I had leftovers for lunch while running some more Stooges. "You Natzy Spy!" and "I'll Never Heil Again" from 1940 are historic entries in the Stooge canon for more than just some dead-on political satire. These were the first American comedies to outright spoof Hitler and what he was doing in Europe at the time. It helps that Moe does look like Hitler (with or without the right mustache). Moe is the dictator of the Kingdom of Moronika, Curly and Larry are his men, and they proceed to chase every woman in sight, including spies for the dethroned king.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been - steady during rush hour, otherwise not that busy. Thanks to being short on baggers, I did get to round up carts later in the evening. It was a good time to get carts. By 7PM, clouds had moved in and covered the unrelenting sun, and there was a nice breeze. It was still very hot and humid, but a bit easier to take than earlier in the day. I got my second workout of the day in.
Whew! It was a scorcher here today, hitting the upper 90s...with a heat index that went into the 100s and climbing. I once again slept in, but this time, I hit the gym before work for a little exercise in air conditioning. Once again, it wasn't too busy. I got a really nice run in on the stationary bike, then worked on my legs. I'm so happy with how my weight machine workouts are progressing. I can lift 40 pounds on most of the leg machines now.
Needless to say, I went straight home after that. I had leftovers for lunch while running some more Stooges. "You Natzy Spy!" and "I'll Never Heil Again" from 1940 are historic entries in the Stooge canon for more than just some dead-on political satire. These were the first American comedies to outright spoof Hitler and what he was doing in Europe at the time. It helps that Moe does look like Hitler (with or without the right mustache). Moe is the dictator of the Kingdom of Moronika, Curly and Larry are his men, and they proceed to chase every woman in sight, including spies for the dethroned king.
Work was pretty much the same as it has been - steady during rush hour, otherwise not that busy. Thanks to being short on baggers, I did get to round up carts later in the evening. It was a good time to get carts. By 7PM, clouds had moved in and covered the unrelenting sun, and there was a nice breeze. It was still very hot and humid, but a bit easier to take than earlier in the day. I got my second workout of the day in.
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