Started off a sunny morning with breakfast and the first episode of the second season of Smallville. We jump back a bit to experience a "Vortex" as Clark (Tom Welling) rushes from a formal dance with his gal buddy Chloe (Allison Mack) to rescue his crush Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk) from a tornado. Meanwhile, his father Johnathan (John Schneider) is trapped underground with Roger Nixon (Tom O'Brian), a whiny reporter who threatened to expose Clark's secret, and Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) manages to get his father Lionel (John Glover) to the hospital, only to see him lose his sight.
Headed out to get the laundry done as soon as the episode was over. I picked the right time to do it. The laundromat was dead when I arrived. I never saw more than one person the entire hour I was there. Good thing, too. I had a big load to do today, including towels. Worked on story notes and half-listened to soap operas and the news on Channel 10.
Put everything away when I got in, then had a quick lunch and swept the fuzzy seed pods off the porch. Continued Smallville while I worked. Clark's really feeling the "Heat" when a major heat wave and his gorgeous young biology teacher has him contemplating sexual thoughts...which triggers his heat vision. He nearly burns down his biology class before Mr. Kent helps him figure out how to control it. Meanwhile, Clark's teacher is using her abilities to breathe phenomenons that will make men go mad for her to marry Lex and gain his fortune. Clark and the girls have to keep her from controlling Lex and Johnathan, too.
Went back out after lunch to run a few errands. First stop of was the Oaklyn Library. With the clouds gone and the sun back out, the only people there were the librarians. I snatched up a few titles leftover from Free Comics Day (including a Solo: A Star Wars Story comic from last year) and focused on organizing DVDs.
Dodged late lunch traffic to hit Dollar General next. I ran out of laundry detergent doing that big load. Grabbed it, grabbed my favorite pecan log, got into a long line, got out.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by Dad and Jodie's house, mainly to confirm them picking up Lauren and opening the pool. While they're not quite finished with the pool yet (partially due to all the rain we've had), it'll be open eventually. Rose will pick Lauren up at 7:45 next Wednesday. I'll have to remind her (and get her to leave early, given how late she always is for everything). Jodie will drop her off the Thursday after.
Rode straight home after that. I still have quite a bit to do at my place. I washed the new windows inside and out, then dusted the living area as thoroughly as I could, given all the books, DVDs, and CDs I have to move.
Finished out the first disc while I worked. "Duplicity" introduced me to Clark's original best friend Pete (Sam Jones III). He finds Clark's spaceship in a cornfield, where the tornado dropped it during "Vortex." He's going to sell the story before Clark tells him that it's his and he's an alien. Pete's more upset that Clark didn't tell him before than about his origins...but his discovery has inadvertently put him in danger when it's stolen by a doctor (Joe Morton) who thinks he knows more about it.
Clark's seeing "Red" when the ruby-colored stone in his new class ring turns him into a nasty, black-leather-wearing biker who rebels against his parents and first asks Lana for a date, then a black-clad girl who just moved to town. It turns out that the girl is involved with some nasty people who want to kill her...but Clark's new persona is more than up to the challenge of getting rid of them.
Switched to an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures while finishing the dusting. It's "New Class Day" for the Toons as they learn all about comic book heroics in the Justice League spoof "The Just-Us League of Superheroes," silent movie gags in "Sound Off," and famous group acts in "A Night In Kokomo."
Did some writing for a while. Harris, Luke, and Leia sit in on a meeting with Dr. Dodonna, a professor of Leia and Luke at Coruscant U, and the mysterious "White Queen" who gives them their orders. Luke recognizes a couple of friends from school, including his old friend Brian "Biggs" Darkman and engineering student Wally "Wedge" Andrews. Luke agrees to help the Rebel League keep others from getting hurt like his uncle and father. Harris isn't as keen to stay, even if Chewbacca seems to be getting attached to Leia.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had tuna salad wraps while watching two short Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater episodes that spoof two of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of the 70's and early 80's. "Cat Wars" strands Hello Princess Kitty and Tuxedo Sam Skywalker on a planet far from home. It'll take the gift of the Fur from Obi-Wan Catnobi to remind Sam that he's got a lot of hero in that little frame. Kitty is "K.T: The Kitty Terrestrial" who has to phone home with the help of Sam and the others and avoid scientists Grinder and Catnip.
Moved on to Lego Star Wars after I ate. Completing "Jedi Destiny" and "Death Star Escape" ends the story portion of the game. I did manage to get the red brick and True Jedi on "Jedi Destiny," a boss round where Vader and Luke work together to fight Palpatine. Found half the pieces and the red brick on "Escape," but just missed True Jedi. I also played the original Pod Race as one of the bonus rounds. It was so hard, I did manage to finish it, but came out with no studs.
Ended the night with the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicle Roberta. I go more into this tale of fashion and romance at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Roberta
Oh, and after being cloudy off and on all day, it finally started raining hard a few hours ago. Looks like it's going to continue in some capacity for most of the week. We'll see what happens.
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 parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parents. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 07, 2019
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Dolls In Maytime
It was already in the 70's when I emerged this morning. Had breakfast and opened the windows while watching more Dick Van Dyke Show. "The Curious Thing About Women" is how Laura reacts to her name being used in Rob's sketch about a wife who opens her husband's mail. She doesn't like people thinking she's nosy...although she can't resist opening a certain package for Rob that arrives on their doorstep...
Let the disc run while I made the bed. Rob's wondering "Who Owes Who What?" when he finds a canceled check from Buddy and thinks his friend owes him money. He doesn't know how to ask him for it, until he comes up with the idea of using one of their sketches to do it.
Switched to 50's ballads and Elton John as I dressed the dolls for warmer weather. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets to wear her pink striped Birthday Dress and Ruffled Pinafore with the pinkish-lavender pearly boots from her Ice Cream Dress. Jessa is in (Ivy's) terrycloth Rainbow Romper with her purple jelly sandals. Josefina wears one of my favorites of her retired outfits, her colorful red, white, and gold Dress and Vest. Put Molly in a hand-made version of her very hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress.Ariel and Whitney both get Our Generation outfits. Whitney looks cute in the lavender cabbage rose early 60's-style dress with the lavender net petticoat, net stockings, and shiny purple strap shoes. Ariel is one of my few dolls who can fit into the tight lavender sundress with the hot pink pineapple print and crocheted white shrug. (Left Felicity in her pink Birthday Pinner Outfit. I don't really have much to change her into.)
Called Mom after I finished the dolls. I hadn't actually talked to her in a while; she only texted on my birthday and Easter. Turns out there was a reason for that. She put her house on the market...and got several interested buyers almost instantly. I kind of get the feeling she wasn't expecting to her house to sell so fast, probably because of that unfinished room. She has to finish cleaning up her home and find a place to live before the end of the summer, not an easy task in a summer resort and when she's still working at the Ferry, too.
Headed out as soon as I let her go. It was a gorgeous day for a walk. You'd never know it was so cold and gloomy yesterday. Today was hot, humid, and sunny, probably in the lower 80's. There were lots of people out and about, mowing lawns and walking dogs, as I made my way through the neighborhood and down to the Dollar General on the White Horse Pike. I needed cleaner for the sink and counter in the kitchen. I got in around 1:30, and they were still pretty busy with beginning-of-the-month people. Good thing a second person finally opened after I'd been in line for five minutes.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by Dad and Jodie's house to see how they were doing. I mainly wanted to know if they were going to open the pool this year, given how Dad's been feeling. Got that answer the moment I arrived and saw the two of them clearing debris and mucky water off the pool cover. I was wondering if I needed to buy a new bathing suit this year. Mine is badly stretched out. Looks like I do. They'd just started pumping the dirty water off the pool; they'll be doing this for a few days.
When I got in, I cleaned the kitchen while watching more Dick Van Dyke. "The Boarder Incident" occurs when Rob invites Buddy to stay with them while his wife Pickles is out of town. He brings Larry the dog, a ton of furniture, and his gargling at night and staying up to all hours. Laura and Rob can't figure out how to get rid of him. Rob finally confronts him at work.
Rob wants to "Punch Thy Neighbor" when his buddy next-door Jerry (Jerry Paris) makes jokes about this week's Alan Brady Show not being good. When Jerry comes back from a dinner with Rob with a black eye, rumors start to fly...and they get worse when Rob accidentally hurts Laura, too.
Richie asks "Where Did I Come From" while he and his parents look at old photos one night. Rob launches into the complicated story of how he was so nervous about Laura's pregnancy, he rushed home without his pants and with an (accidental) black eye and ran into several cars. They ended up having to take a laundry truck to the hospital.
Richie's proud to be learning "A Word a Day." His parents are proud of him, too, until one of those new words he brings home turns out to be a dirty one. Rob thinks that the new family on the block might be where his son is picking up his blue vocabulary.
Worked on writing after I finished the kitchen. Luke's horrified when Vader and Ben's duel nearly burns half the building and them with it. Ben finally steps back, letting himself be burned by Vader's fire...and giving the others a chance to escape.
Broke for leftovers at quarter after 6. Ate, and then made chocolate chip muffins while watching the Backyardigans hour-long special "Robot Rampage." Austin the kangaroo is a robot repairman in futuristic Mega City, where robots never break...until Tasha, Uniqua, and Tyrone's personal robots go haywire! Now the kids have to figure out how to wrest control of their robots from the evil Professor Bug (Pablo), before he takes over the whole city!
Played Lego Star Wars for an hour after the muffins were in the oven and while they cooled. Finished New Hope with the Trench Run round, then did the first two rounds of Empire, "Hoth Battle" and "Escape From Echo Base." The only one I did badly on was "Hoth Battle." I can't figure out how to dodge the many walkers and TIE Fighters that come after you, get enough walkers down to get the pieces, and keep from losing studs. I didn't get close to True Jedi and only got a few pieces. While I didn't get too many more pieces on the other two rounds, I did get True Jedi on both. (Just barely on "Escape.")
Finished the night with Maytime. I go more into this romantic vehicle for singers Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Maytime
And a final Wookie roar to the original Chewbacca, towering Peter Mayhew, who passed away today. He was the 7-foot British man in the furry bodysuit in the Original Trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, and The Force Awakens (and supervised his replacements in The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story). A real-life gentle giant who also appeared in Ray Harryhausen movies of the 1960's and 70's, Mayhew was apparently as sweet as Chewie is under all that fur. He and Han Solo were my favorite Star Wars characters during my childhood (along with Leia and Lando), and he will certainly be missed.
Let the disc run while I made the bed. Rob's wondering "Who Owes Who What?" when he finds a canceled check from Buddy and thinks his friend owes him money. He doesn't know how to ask him for it, until he comes up with the idea of using one of their sketches to do it.
Switched to 50's ballads and Elton John as I dressed the dolls for warmer weather. In the books, Samantha's birthday is in May. She gets to wear her pink striped Birthday Dress and Ruffled Pinafore with the pinkish-lavender pearly boots from her Ice Cream Dress. Jessa is in (Ivy's) terrycloth Rainbow Romper with her purple jelly sandals. Josefina wears one of my favorites of her retired outfits, her colorful red, white, and gold Dress and Vest. Put Molly in a hand-made version of her very hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress.Ariel and Whitney both get Our Generation outfits. Whitney looks cute in the lavender cabbage rose early 60's-style dress with the lavender net petticoat, net stockings, and shiny purple strap shoes. Ariel is one of my few dolls who can fit into the tight lavender sundress with the hot pink pineapple print and crocheted white shrug. (Left Felicity in her pink Birthday Pinner Outfit. I don't really have much to change her into.)
Called Mom after I finished the dolls. I hadn't actually talked to her in a while; she only texted on my birthday and Easter. Turns out there was a reason for that. She put her house on the market...and got several interested buyers almost instantly. I kind of get the feeling she wasn't expecting to her house to sell so fast, probably because of that unfinished room. She has to finish cleaning up her home and find a place to live before the end of the summer, not an easy task in a summer resort and when she's still working at the Ferry, too.
Headed out as soon as I let her go. It was a gorgeous day for a walk. You'd never know it was so cold and gloomy yesterday. Today was hot, humid, and sunny, probably in the lower 80's. There were lots of people out and about, mowing lawns and walking dogs, as I made my way through the neighborhood and down to the Dollar General on the White Horse Pike. I needed cleaner for the sink and counter in the kitchen. I got in around 1:30, and they were still pretty busy with beginning-of-the-month people. Good thing a second person finally opened after I'd been in line for five minutes.
Since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped by Dad and Jodie's house to see how they were doing. I mainly wanted to know if they were going to open the pool this year, given how Dad's been feeling. Got that answer the moment I arrived and saw the two of them clearing debris and mucky water off the pool cover. I was wondering if I needed to buy a new bathing suit this year. Mine is badly stretched out. Looks like I do. They'd just started pumping the dirty water off the pool; they'll be doing this for a few days.
When I got in, I cleaned the kitchen while watching more Dick Van Dyke. "The Boarder Incident" occurs when Rob invites Buddy to stay with them while his wife Pickles is out of town. He brings Larry the dog, a ton of furniture, and his gargling at night and staying up to all hours. Laura and Rob can't figure out how to get rid of him. Rob finally confronts him at work.
Rob wants to "Punch Thy Neighbor" when his buddy next-door Jerry (Jerry Paris) makes jokes about this week's Alan Brady Show not being good. When Jerry comes back from a dinner with Rob with a black eye, rumors start to fly...and they get worse when Rob accidentally hurts Laura, too.
Richie asks "Where Did I Come From" while he and his parents look at old photos one night. Rob launches into the complicated story of how he was so nervous about Laura's pregnancy, he rushed home without his pants and with an (accidental) black eye and ran into several cars. They ended up having to take a laundry truck to the hospital.
Richie's proud to be learning "A Word a Day." His parents are proud of him, too, until one of those new words he brings home turns out to be a dirty one. Rob thinks that the new family on the block might be where his son is picking up his blue vocabulary.
Worked on writing after I finished the kitchen. Luke's horrified when Vader and Ben's duel nearly burns half the building and them with it. Ben finally steps back, letting himself be burned by Vader's fire...and giving the others a chance to escape.
Broke for leftovers at quarter after 6. Ate, and then made chocolate chip muffins while watching the Backyardigans hour-long special "Robot Rampage." Austin the kangaroo is a robot repairman in futuristic Mega City, where robots never break...until Tasha, Uniqua, and Tyrone's personal robots go haywire! Now the kids have to figure out how to wrest control of their robots from the evil Professor Bug (Pablo), before he takes over the whole city!
Played Lego Star Wars for an hour after the muffins were in the oven and while they cooled. Finished New Hope with the Trench Run round, then did the first two rounds of Empire, "Hoth Battle" and "Escape From Echo Base." The only one I did badly on was "Hoth Battle." I can't figure out how to dodge the many walkers and TIE Fighters that come after you, get enough walkers down to get the pieces, and keep from losing studs. I didn't get close to True Jedi and only got a few pieces. While I didn't get too many more pieces on the other two rounds, I did get True Jedi on both. (Just barely on "Escape.")
Finished the night with Maytime. I go more into this romantic vehicle for singers Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Maytime
And a final Wookie roar to the original Chewbacca, towering Peter Mayhew, who passed away today. He was the 7-foot British man in the furry bodysuit in the Original Trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, and The Force Awakens (and supervised his replacements in The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story). A real-life gentle giant who also appeared in Ray Harryhausen movies of the 1960's and 70's, Mayhew was apparently as sweet as Chewie is under all that fur. He and Han Solo were my favorite Star Wars characters during my childhood (along with Leia and Lando), and he will certainly be missed.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Sunny Spring Days
Slept in a little bit this morning before awakening to an absolutely gorgeous morning. Began the next Rick Steves disc while I ate breakfast, and then while making Coconut Crisps from that Duncan Hines baking book I found a few weeks ago. His side trips from Paris and into the Loire Valley mostly concentrated on the stunning palaces and chateaus built by French nobility before the Revolution, including the wonders of Versailles.
His trip into Turkey was even more interesting. Turkey is a fascinating land, with a diverse culture of Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and many others living in one small country. I enjoyed seeing Rick visit several holy sites and talk with an actual family of Muslims.
(By the way, the cookies tasted pretty good, but I really made them too big. Plus, the first batch got a little burnt, though they're not inedible.)
Spent the next two hours online, writing, messing around, and waiting for Camden County to call. I didn't hear from them until 2:30. Same deal as the last two times they did this - they asked me how much money I make and said they'll send me a packet with the rest of the paperwork.
It was such a nice day, I went out for a walk after a very quick lunch. Left the bike at home and struck out on foot. My first stop was the House of Fun. They were pretty busy with kids and young adults off school and college. I browsed around, but eventually decided I'd wait for Lauren to visit.
The next stop was more important. I really needed to talk to Dad and Jodie. Dad was napping when I arrived, but Jodie was there. Yes, she'll drop Lauren off at the train station in Cherry Hill, and she'll tell Rose to pick her up. She and Dad are mostly fine. She went out to a family member's house for Easter. Dad stayed home. She wasn't happy when I told her that Rose is trying to find another doctor. She said she'll either get on Rose's rear and tell her to call the first doctor again, or get the paperwork and do it herself. (I hope either them do it. Jodie says she thinks the doctor will be perfect for me. Whatever. I just want a second opinion and someone to help me with my anxiety problems.)
It was too nice to go straight home after I left Dad and Jodie's. I treated myself to a Frozen Chocolate from Dunkin' Donuts on the White Horse Pike. It obviously came from a hot chocolate mix - it was kind of grainy - but it tasted pretty good. They were a lot busier on the drive-through than inside. The girl took my order while helping another customer at the window!
When I did go home, I briefly resumed writing, partially to drown out Charlie working on the siding. Luke does manage to rescue Leia...only to be nearly knocked out by a wall of water. Vader flooded the room and tried to drown her. Once Luke frees her, she manages to use her fire powers to (accidentally) knock out the computer consoles. Harris hands them his homemade weapons that shoot sticky gunk at people or freezes them.
Made flounder cooked in vegetable stock with steamed asparagus for dinner. Had it while watching the remaining Rick Steves episodes. Turkey, Isreal, and Palestine are all fascinating countries...but Rick doesn't shy away from a short discussion of all the trouble the latter two are having with their border disputes. The Dead Sea and the Jordan River are both gorgeous areas - no wonder people insist on being baptized in the latter.
Returned to Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga after dinner. Thought I'd give this one a third shot. Got through the first three Phantom Menace rounds in a little over an hour. Got True Jedi on all three, but the only one where I found a lot of pieces was the second that introduces Jar Jar. Didn't find much on the other two.
Finished the night with something totally different. I was looking up some game shows I used to love as a kid when I noticed that a lot of them were now run on a channel called Buzzr...and that they stream for free online. Got to see one episode each of Press Your Luck, Match Game, Password Plus, and Card Sharks, and two of Supermarket Sweep. Password is the only one that's totally new to me. I watched Press, Supermarket Sweep, and the later CBS version of Card Sharks when they first ran, and I'm pretty sure I saw at least a little of Match Game in re-runs.
This brought back so many memories. I used to watch game shows all morning when I was home, and then catch them in re-runs on the USA Network later. It annoyed the heck out of Mom, who would have rather I been outside, but I loved learning all kinds of crazy trivia and getting to make fun of bad fashion. If you want to relive some fond memories too, here's the link:
Buzzr
His trip into Turkey was even more interesting. Turkey is a fascinating land, with a diverse culture of Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and many others living in one small country. I enjoyed seeing Rick visit several holy sites and talk with an actual family of Muslims.
(By the way, the cookies tasted pretty good, but I really made them too big. Plus, the first batch got a little burnt, though they're not inedible.)
Spent the next two hours online, writing, messing around, and waiting for Camden County to call. I didn't hear from them until 2:30. Same deal as the last two times they did this - they asked me how much money I make and said they'll send me a packet with the rest of the paperwork.
It was such a nice day, I went out for a walk after a very quick lunch. Left the bike at home and struck out on foot. My first stop was the House of Fun. They were pretty busy with kids and young adults off school and college. I browsed around, but eventually decided I'd wait for Lauren to visit.
The next stop was more important. I really needed to talk to Dad and Jodie. Dad was napping when I arrived, but Jodie was there. Yes, she'll drop Lauren off at the train station in Cherry Hill, and she'll tell Rose to pick her up. She and Dad are mostly fine. She went out to a family member's house for Easter. Dad stayed home. She wasn't happy when I told her that Rose is trying to find another doctor. She said she'll either get on Rose's rear and tell her to call the first doctor again, or get the paperwork and do it herself. (I hope either them do it. Jodie says she thinks the doctor will be perfect for me. Whatever. I just want a second opinion and someone to help me with my anxiety problems.)
It was too nice to go straight home after I left Dad and Jodie's. I treated myself to a Frozen Chocolate from Dunkin' Donuts on the White Horse Pike. It obviously came from a hot chocolate mix - it was kind of grainy - but it tasted pretty good. They were a lot busier on the drive-through than inside. The girl took my order while helping another customer at the window!
When I did go home, I briefly resumed writing, partially to drown out Charlie working on the siding. Luke does manage to rescue Leia...only to be nearly knocked out by a wall of water. Vader flooded the room and tried to drown her. Once Luke frees her, she manages to use her fire powers to (accidentally) knock out the computer consoles. Harris hands them his homemade weapons that shoot sticky gunk at people or freezes them.
Made flounder cooked in vegetable stock with steamed asparagus for dinner. Had it while watching the remaining Rick Steves episodes. Turkey, Isreal, and Palestine are all fascinating countries...but Rick doesn't shy away from a short discussion of all the trouble the latter two are having with their border disputes. The Dead Sea and the Jordan River are both gorgeous areas - no wonder people insist on being baptized in the latter.
Returned to Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga after dinner. Thought I'd give this one a third shot. Got through the first three Phantom Menace rounds in a little over an hour. Got True Jedi on all three, but the only one where I found a lot of pieces was the second that introduces Jar Jar. Didn't find much on the other two.
Finished the night with something totally different. I was looking up some game shows I used to love as a kid when I noticed that a lot of them were now run on a channel called Buzzr...and that they stream for free online. Got to see one episode each of Press Your Luck, Match Game, Password Plus, and Card Sharks, and two of Supermarket Sweep. Password is the only one that's totally new to me. I watched Press, Supermarket Sweep, and the later CBS version of Card Sharks when they first ran, and I'm pretty sure I saw at least a little of Match Game in re-runs.
This brought back so many memories. I used to watch game shows all morning when I was home, and then catch them in re-runs on the USA Network later. It annoyed the heck out of Mom, who would have rather I been outside, but I loved learning all kinds of crazy trivia and getting to make fun of bad fashion. If you want to relive some fond memories too, here's the link:
Buzzr
Sunday, November 05, 2017
The Eagles Gallop Over the Broncos
Cheered up a gloomy fall morning with Pear-Peanut Butter Pancakes for breakfast. I had a pear that was going soft, so I thought I'd try something a little different. Not bad. The peanut butter actually complimented the sweetness of the pear nicely; also added a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar. I burned the bottom of one, but it was still edible.
In honor of Election Day and Veteran's Day later this week, I did Yankee Doodle Mickey while I ate. This is a collection of patriotic songs performed by Disney characters, the Disneyland Chorus and Glee Club, and a kid's chorus (with solos by a very young Molly Ringwauld). This has become one of my favorite kids' records over the years. I'm especially fond of the rousing version of "The Liberty Tree" (from Disney's live-action version of Johnny Tremain) and the Armed Services Medley, with Mickey singing for the Air Force and Marines, Goofy for the Army, and Donald, of course, for the Navy.
Had an hour to work on writing after I cleaned up from breakfast. Leia comes downstairs, ready to give all four frog-men a piece of her mind. She meets Finn and Snap at the door. They say their Master is in the tower and can't be disturbed. Leia will have none of that and charges upstairs...to find the horned toad-king battered and bruised. She orders Jess to bring bandages and Finn to bring their breakfasts upstairs while she tends to his wounds.
Broke at noon for a quick lunch and to get ready for work. Put on the soundtrack for The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band as I got organized. This is another one that's gradually grown on me, to the point where I think it's the best of the three scores the Sherman Brothers did for Disney's purely live-action musicals. I'm especially fond of the ballad "'Bout Time" and two lively ensemble numbers, "Ten Feet Off the Ground" for the family of the title and "West O' the Wide Missouri" for the townspeople at the Election Day party.
Work was a mess all day long. I did gather some carts early on, but I was mostly doing returns. Every time I'd finish putting one cart away, I'd return to find two more filled. And I was pulled in the last ten minutes to take a customer and gather baskets. Not to mention, the other baggers who were there complained about not having enough help with the carts. I really should have been outside all day.
At least the Eagles had fun. The Broncos played badly and couldn't get anywhere near them. They eventually walloped them 51-23...which puts them at 8-1 and makes them the top team in the NFL. I think the entire Delaware Valley is probably as stunned as I am. I was hoping the Eagles would make the playoffs, given they haven't been there for a few years...but people are starting to consider them Super Bowl contenders. This is so awesome. They haven't played like this in over a decade. They're off next week too, giving them time to rest for their game on the 19th against Dallas.
I texted Jodie during break, asking her if she and Dad were doing anything at their house. Jodie invited me over for cheesesteaks. They were the only ones still there by the time I arrived. The cheesesteaks were worth it, though. Jodie used provolone cheese, real sliced beef, and lots of fried mushrooms and onions. I also had macaroni salad and a slice of deliciously moist gingerbread. Jodie had a gigantic bowl of macaroni salad left and let me take home a big container of it.
The Eagles were done by the time I got in, but there were other games on. The poor San Francisco 49ers couldn't get anything going against the Arizona Cardinals. They lost 20-10 and remain winless. The Redskins did better, managing to sneak past the Seattle Seahawks 17-14.
Went right into the bath when I got home. Ahhh. After the lunacy at work today, that felt really nice. I sat back, read obscure Grimm's Fairy Tales from the book I bought last month, listened to a jazz CD of Jerome Kern music, and just relaxed.
I'm finishing off the night with more patriotic music. America the Beautiful is a two-LP Reader's Digest collection of songs about the US, created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. I actually found this at a thrift shop the year I moved here and have listened to it on or before patriotic holidays ever since.
I'm now listening to that most stirring of all American marches, "The Stars and Stripes Forever," on Side 2, Disc 2. The remaining songs are the themes from all of the branches of the US military - the disc just moved on to "Anchors Aweigh."
In honor of Election Day and Veteran's Day later this week, I did Yankee Doodle Mickey while I ate. This is a collection of patriotic songs performed by Disney characters, the Disneyland Chorus and Glee Club, and a kid's chorus (with solos by a very young Molly Ringwauld). This has become one of my favorite kids' records over the years. I'm especially fond of the rousing version of "The Liberty Tree" (from Disney's live-action version of Johnny Tremain) and the Armed Services Medley, with Mickey singing for the Air Force and Marines, Goofy for the Army, and Donald, of course, for the Navy.
Had an hour to work on writing after I cleaned up from breakfast. Leia comes downstairs, ready to give all four frog-men a piece of her mind. She meets Finn and Snap at the door. They say their Master is in the tower and can't be disturbed. Leia will have none of that and charges upstairs...to find the horned toad-king battered and bruised. She orders Jess to bring bandages and Finn to bring their breakfasts upstairs while she tends to his wounds.
Broke at noon for a quick lunch and to get ready for work. Put on the soundtrack for The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band as I got organized. This is another one that's gradually grown on me, to the point where I think it's the best of the three scores the Sherman Brothers did for Disney's purely live-action musicals. I'm especially fond of the ballad "'Bout Time" and two lively ensemble numbers, "Ten Feet Off the Ground" for the family of the title and "West O' the Wide Missouri" for the townspeople at the Election Day party.
Work was a mess all day long. I did gather some carts early on, but I was mostly doing returns. Every time I'd finish putting one cart away, I'd return to find two more filled. And I was pulled in the last ten minutes to take a customer and gather baskets. Not to mention, the other baggers who were there complained about not having enough help with the carts. I really should have been outside all day.
At least the Eagles had fun. The Broncos played badly and couldn't get anywhere near them. They eventually walloped them 51-23...which puts them at 8-1 and makes them the top team in the NFL. I think the entire Delaware Valley is probably as stunned as I am. I was hoping the Eagles would make the playoffs, given they haven't been there for a few years...but people are starting to consider them Super Bowl contenders. This is so awesome. They haven't played like this in over a decade. They're off next week too, giving them time to rest for their game on the 19th against Dallas.
I texted Jodie during break, asking her if she and Dad were doing anything at their house. Jodie invited me over for cheesesteaks. They were the only ones still there by the time I arrived. The cheesesteaks were worth it, though. Jodie used provolone cheese, real sliced beef, and lots of fried mushrooms and onions. I also had macaroni salad and a slice of deliciously moist gingerbread. Jodie had a gigantic bowl of macaroni salad left and let me take home a big container of it.
The Eagles were done by the time I got in, but there were other games on. The poor San Francisco 49ers couldn't get anything going against the Arizona Cardinals. They lost 20-10 and remain winless. The Redskins did better, managing to sneak past the Seattle Seahawks 17-14.
Went right into the bath when I got home. Ahhh. After the lunacy at work today, that felt really nice. I sat back, read obscure Grimm's Fairy Tales from the book I bought last month, listened to a jazz CD of Jerome Kern music, and just relaxed.
I'm finishing off the night with more patriotic music. America the Beautiful is a two-LP Reader's Digest collection of songs about the US, created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. I actually found this at a thrift shop the year I moved here and have listened to it on or before patriotic holidays ever since.
I'm now listening to that most stirring of all American marches, "The Stars and Stripes Forever," on Side 2, Disc 2. The remaining songs are the themes from all of the branches of the US military - the disc just moved on to "Anchors Aweigh."
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
And So This Is Christmas
It was sunny and clear but more seasonably chilly as I awoke this morning. I read a few stories from Tales Told Under the Christmas Tree first. Along with more famous stories, like "Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus," my favorite segment was "December." A father takes his children and their surprised old-maid cousin to the seashore for Christmas. They stay at a beach-side house, decorate a tree with sea shells, and explore the shore line. It reminded me of the lovely, windy winter walks I used to take on the beach as an older child and when I lived in Wildwood.
After I finished my journal, I opened my presents. Linda and James Young always give me a couple of presents to open on Christmas morning. This year's "stocking stuffer" was a really cool book on the Beatles with a lovely padded silver cover. The large, flat gift was a sweet daybook; Linda suggested I could use it to write down happy things that had happened to me day by day. That bumpy package that was so intriguing was a much-needed container for yarn. It'll probably end up holding all of my current crocheting projects and get them out of that basket I keep tipping over.
Ran A Christmas Story as I made Banana-Chocolate Chip-Coconut Muffins for breakfast. It's become a tradition for me to run this one sometime during Christmas Day (in the morning the last few years). It's December 1940, and all normal midwestern kid Ralphie Parker wants is a Red Ryder BB Gun. He does everything he can to secure this big present, from writing an essay on it for his none-too-amused teacher to telling Santa Claus. In the end, it comes from the least-likely source. Meanwhile, his father battles with local dogs and the family furnace, Ralphie does his best to out-run bullies, and his mother tries to figure out what to make of it all.
I headed to Rose's around 11:15 for her Christmas Day brunch. This year, they were holding it at their new home a couple of blocks from me on Kendall. I figured I'd get there quicker and simpler if I just walked, especially since I had no idea what I was doing later. I arrived at the same time Craig's brother Keith, his girlfriend Jamie, and their sweet old golden retriever Grace did.
I offered to help Rose in the kitchen. She was doing her best to set up the wassail punch and the vegetable and fruit trays and frost cookies at the same time. I frosted the butter cookies while 3-year-old Khai put the sprinkles on (after dumping more than a little in his mouth). Rose's kitchen sinks looked like a bomb exploded in them; they were wall-to-wall dishes and cups. I did the dishes for a grateful Rose while she greeted Craig's mother and stepfather and Jamie's stepmother and father.
The party went very well. Khai loved his presents from everyone. The biggest hits were the remote control fish from Craig's parents (a blow-up clown fish with a swishing tail that could be moved around by remote control) and the markers Mom gave him that could draw on windows. Everyone ended up creating their own Christmas scenes (or scribbles, in Khai's case) on Rose's many living room and front porch windows.
Yes, Mom and Dad-Bill did finally arrive, around quarter after 1. Despite Mom's misgivings, all of the grandparents seemed to get along just fine. Dad-Bill had new people to tell his many fishing stories to, and he and Dad-Bruce swapped old sailor stories. Both sets of parents are in the midst of expensive remodeling and don't have much money, so I didn't get a lot of presents. Mom gave me the home-made cookies she brought up on Sunday, along with an Amazon.com gift card. Dad-Bruce gave me $200.
Poor Khai finally started to drop off around 4:30, after running around, playing with his new voice-activated dinosaur robot, and watching Dreamworks animated movies on FX all day. (I caught bits and pieces of How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa, and Shrek Forever After.) Dad-Bill, Mom, and I were among the last people to leave. They drove me home. I finally got to show them, if just briefly, my apartment. They admired the view, the woodwork, and how I'd organized everything.
Jodie and Dad-Bruce invited me to Jodie's family's big Christmas dinner. To be honest, between the Acme's party last Saturday, Dad's party last night, and Rose's party, I was stuffed to the gills and just not up to it. I opted to spend the rest of the night on my own instead. I went for a brief but lovely walk down to Goff Avenue to watch the sun set rosily behind chenille clouds. I took a nice, long bath while looking over my new Beatles book. I chatted with Lauren and listened to some of my Beatles LPs and CDs.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas doing things that were equally enjoyable and relaxing. : )
After I finished my journal, I opened my presents. Linda and James Young always give me a couple of presents to open on Christmas morning. This year's "stocking stuffer" was a really cool book on the Beatles with a lovely padded silver cover. The large, flat gift was a sweet daybook; Linda suggested I could use it to write down happy things that had happened to me day by day. That bumpy package that was so intriguing was a much-needed container for yarn. It'll probably end up holding all of my current crocheting projects and get them out of that basket I keep tipping over.
Ran A Christmas Story as I made Banana-Chocolate Chip-Coconut Muffins for breakfast. It's become a tradition for me to run this one sometime during Christmas Day (in the morning the last few years). It's December 1940, and all normal midwestern kid Ralphie Parker wants is a Red Ryder BB Gun. He does everything he can to secure this big present, from writing an essay on it for his none-too-amused teacher to telling Santa Claus. In the end, it comes from the least-likely source. Meanwhile, his father battles with local dogs and the family furnace, Ralphie does his best to out-run bullies, and his mother tries to figure out what to make of it all.
I headed to Rose's around 11:15 for her Christmas Day brunch. This year, they were holding it at their new home a couple of blocks from me on Kendall. I figured I'd get there quicker and simpler if I just walked, especially since I had no idea what I was doing later. I arrived at the same time Craig's brother Keith, his girlfriend Jamie, and their sweet old golden retriever Grace did.
I offered to help Rose in the kitchen. She was doing her best to set up the wassail punch and the vegetable and fruit trays and frost cookies at the same time. I frosted the butter cookies while 3-year-old Khai put the sprinkles on (after dumping more than a little in his mouth). Rose's kitchen sinks looked like a bomb exploded in them; they were wall-to-wall dishes and cups. I did the dishes for a grateful Rose while she greeted Craig's mother and stepfather and Jamie's stepmother and father.
The party went very well. Khai loved his presents from everyone. The biggest hits were the remote control fish from Craig's parents (a blow-up clown fish with a swishing tail that could be moved around by remote control) and the markers Mom gave him that could draw on windows. Everyone ended up creating their own Christmas scenes (or scribbles, in Khai's case) on Rose's many living room and front porch windows.
Yes, Mom and Dad-Bill did finally arrive, around quarter after 1. Despite Mom's misgivings, all of the grandparents seemed to get along just fine. Dad-Bill had new people to tell his many fishing stories to, and he and Dad-Bruce swapped old sailor stories. Both sets of parents are in the midst of expensive remodeling and don't have much money, so I didn't get a lot of presents. Mom gave me the home-made cookies she brought up on Sunday, along with an Amazon.com gift card. Dad-Bruce gave me $200.
Poor Khai finally started to drop off around 4:30, after running around, playing with his new voice-activated dinosaur robot, and watching Dreamworks animated movies on FX all day. (I caught bits and pieces of How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa, and Shrek Forever After.) Dad-Bill, Mom, and I were among the last people to leave. They drove me home. I finally got to show them, if just briefly, my apartment. They admired the view, the woodwork, and how I'd organized everything.
Jodie and Dad-Bruce invited me to Jodie's family's big Christmas dinner. To be honest, between the Acme's party last Saturday, Dad's party last night, and Rose's party, I was stuffed to the gills and just not up to it. I opted to spend the rest of the night on my own instead. I went for a brief but lovely walk down to Goff Avenue to watch the sun set rosily behind chenille clouds. I took a nice, long bath while looking over my new Beatles book. I chatted with Lauren and listened to some of my Beatles LPs and CDs.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas doing things that were equally enjoyable and relaxing. : )
Monday, August 02, 2010
By the Beautiful Sea
The morning started cloudy and fairly quiet. Keefe and Anny came over to pick up Skylar for an appointment with doctors at Cooper River Hospital in Camden. Dad went to work. Mom went out for a hair appointment (and came back with a very cute and short new do). I hung around here, played Super Mario Wii, read Mom's craft books, and watched cartoons.
Mom came home around quarter of 11. She first chatted with my sister Rose. Anny and Keefe were supposed to be meeting Rose after Sky's appointment, but they weren't sure how long they were going to be there or if they were going to have the time to go to the Please Touch Museum in Philly. We chatted on the porch about my sibligns for a little while after she got off with Rose.
Our next stop was the Peebles and JcPenny in Rio Grande. Mom had good-naturedly fussed that my shorts were too tight and too short. Well, of course they are! I'd just gained weight, and really hadn't planned on buying new clothes until I'd lost weight. I wasn't going to argue with her, though. So, I ended up with two pairs of capris (I don't care what Mom says, they're too long for shorts) and a new shirt in a nice brown/black pattern.
(And while I appreciated the clothes, I'm still really embarrassed. I'm still at a large/1X in shirts...but I've gone back up to 18s again in pants. That means I'm back to plus sizes. I'm so upset! I was so, so proud of being able to lose so much weight and get out of plus sizes. Mom says I look better than I did at Christmas, and my pants have been a little looser at home. At least all the walking and swimming I've been doing lately does seem to have paid off, even just a little.)
Mom had a cell phone call from Dad even before we made it back to the house. He was at home. He'd postponed his fishing trip again when he was overwhelmed by paint fumes and had heart papatations. He was at home, resting. We decided to let him rest and head into Cape May for lunch and a walk after I dropped off my clothes.
It took longer to get to lunch and a walk than we planned. First of all, the lady at the counter at Peebles forgot to take the ink-thing off my pants, and we had to go back there. Then we were chatting and Mom lost track of where we were going and kept going straight instead of turning off to the Garden State Parkway. We ended up taking the "scenic route" through Wildwood Crest to get into Cape May. That was cool, too. I got to see the outside of the rebuilt Wildwood Acme (which looks GREAT, BTW - Doo Wop without being as overdone as some of the other newer 50s-style buildings in the area).
While I did enjoy the drive through Wildwood Crest and seeing some of my old haunts, I was very happy that the drawbridge from Wildwood Crest to the boat docks in Lower Township was just going down when we pulled up there. (Mom did have to scramble for $1.50 for the toll, though. Apparently, it used to be a dollar, and she wasn't prepared for the rise in price.) We went past the boat docks, across the marshes, around the country club marinas, and over the big Cape May Bridge and into town.
Mom parked next to the water tower in central Cape May, a few blocks from the former Madison and Blue Amber Motels. (The Madison, at least, is now a condo-hotel, and both had elaborate remodels that make them fit in far better with the tony neighborhood than they did when I was a kid.) We strolled up to the Boardwalk first, past lovely old bed-and-breakfasts and condo buildings with gorgeous gardens, along with the Chalfonte, one of the oldest hotels in Cape May.
We ended up at the Promenade, Cape May's concrete boardwalk, and had lunch at Henry's By the Beach. Henry's is literally by the beach; we ate on a porch area that looked out onto a picture-perfect day. It was a day out of a Cape May postcard - clear blue sky, bright-colored umbrellas dotting the white beach, cooling breeze. The clouds and humidity had disappeared by the time we were in Rio Grande. It was 2:30 by then, so we both had the "mini meals." I had a crab cake and salad. Mom had a small cut of blackened salmon, salad, and a tomato-seafood soup. We enjoyed our lunch tremendously.
After we ate, we walked a couple of blocks to downtown Cape May and the Washington Street Mall. The Mall is three blocks of restored Victorian buildings filled with cute shops and literally some of the best restaurants in New Jersey. We visited some of my favorite stores there, in many cases since childhood.
We walked through Carpenter's Square Mall. We browsed in the Whale's Tale, a wonderful gift shop. (Mom bought Keefe a dragon card for his room - he collects dragon items. I didn't get anything. I was disappointed they only had a few AG things. In the early and mid 90s, the were the only place in Cape May to buy anything American Girl.) We went through a shop that had really cute hats. We went to Bath Time, a bath store. Mom got a lotion she really likes. I a coconut-lime bar of soap. Good Scents mostly specializes in scented items like candles, but they have other gift-items, too. I bought a journal with real dried flowers in the cover. We went across the street to the mall where the Cape May Acme is. Mom browsed in the yarn store; I browsed in Oma's Doll Shop. We admired the adorable Japanese-girl sign in front of Cape Orient. (It looked so much like a life-sized Japanese doll, I wondered if someone at Oma's Doll Shop next door made it.)
We strolled back to the car after leaving the mall, past more older homes, the post office, and Alexander's Restaurant. Mom used to live in that area, in an apartment behind a long-gone leather store; she had some great stories about living in Cape May in the mid-70s, and I told her mine about when I would visit a friend of mine who lived near the post office in high school.
Unlike getting to Cape May, we had no trouble whatsoever getting home. Dad called Mom while we were in Cape May. He was feeling much better and was up for joining us for a stroll on the Boardwalk in Wildwood. Mom wanted coffee, and we both needed to sit down for a while after our walk. Mom and Dad watched an antique show downstairs, while I browsed through Mom's old Christmas With Southern Living books. I've always loved the heck out of those. Not only do they have awesome recipies, but the first chapters talks about Christmas both in the old and new Southern US. This may be where at least some of my love of Christmas traditions in other parts of the US stemmed from.
(Oh, and Mom answered my question as to why I walk so fast. She does, too. We've spent most of our lives walking against the sea winds and blowing sands, not to mention the tides of tourists. You either walk fast...or get blown back several feet or carried off by the throngs.)
Dad, Mom, and I took Dad's truck into Wildwood around 6:30. There were no problems getting there this time. Dad parked in the big lot next to the Wildwood Convention Center and the cool, cute beach ball sculptures.
The boardwalk was busy at 6:30, but it wasn't packed. There was a lovely, fresh breeze coming off the beach. We browsed in the Boardwalk Mall (where I got a Wildwood T-shirt), then had dinner at the Original Hot Spot next to Mariner's Landing. I had a tasty mushroom cheesesteak that wasn't too stuffed, like some of the ones up north tend to be. It was just the perfect size. Mom and Dad had gyros. We had the funniest waitress, too. She was a tall, cute Russian girl with an adorable accent and a great sense of humor. She handled Dad's good-natured teasing very well, and even gave him two high-fives.
Everyone wanted some candy to go with dinner. I suggested Douglass Fudge, the most elegant of all Wildwood candy stores, and one just a few doors down from the Original Hot Spot. I found my favorite candy of all, the fruit slices. Mom bought her favorite candy, Almond Butter Crunch, and peanut butter fudge. Dad got raspberry jelly squares.
Mom wanted to check out a kitchen store on the Boardwalk between Mariner's and Morey's. It's a larger version of a tiny kitchen store in Collingswood. They sell gourmet mixes and cute and kooky kitchen gadgets of all kinds. I bought a buckwheat pancake mix as a special Sunday treat for me next weekend and a new address book. Dad got a piece of metal that's supposed to make your hands smell better. Poor Dad always gets fussed at about the way his hands smell after work; one of the hazards of being a fisherman.
Dad wanted soft-serve ice cream, so we next took a look at several ice cream booths. It was around 8:30 by this point. The boardwalk was filling up fast, and getting busier and busier by the minute. It was getting colder, too. The nice breeze from earlier was quickly becoming a chilly wind. We walked back to the car, stopping at the Kohr Brothers stand at Wild Wheels for soft-serve cups. Mom had Peanut Butter-Chocolate. Dad had Orange-Vanilla. I had Mint Julep. We enjoyed our treat while watching people play games. I also tried a Care Bear crane machine that had larger Care Bears in it than usual; didn't win anything.
There was a little bit of traffic on Rio Avenue in downtown Wildwood when we went home, but once we got off the bridge, it was smooth sailing. Dad's downstairs, probably watching action movies. Mom is in her room, watching Guys and Dolls. I'm about to take a shower. Tomorrow, I'll be on my way home; everyone here has to work. I'm glad I came up here. I had a wonderful day. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my parents, and I rarely got them to myself as a kid. This was really lovely of both of them.
The morning started cloudy and fairly quiet. Keefe and Anny came over to pick up Skylar for an appointment with doctors at Cooper River Hospital in Camden. Dad went to work. Mom went out for a hair appointment (and came back with a very cute and short new do). I hung around here, played Super Mario Wii, read Mom's craft books, and watched cartoons.
Mom came home around quarter of 11. She first chatted with my sister Rose. Anny and Keefe were supposed to be meeting Rose after Sky's appointment, but they weren't sure how long they were going to be there or if they were going to have the time to go to the Please Touch Museum in Philly. We chatted on the porch about my sibligns for a little while after she got off with Rose.
Our next stop was the Peebles and JcPenny in Rio Grande. Mom had good-naturedly fussed that my shorts were too tight and too short. Well, of course they are! I'd just gained weight, and really hadn't planned on buying new clothes until I'd lost weight. I wasn't going to argue with her, though. So, I ended up with two pairs of capris (I don't care what Mom says, they're too long for shorts) and a new shirt in a nice brown/black pattern.
(And while I appreciated the clothes, I'm still really embarrassed. I'm still at a large/1X in shirts...but I've gone back up to 18s again in pants. That means I'm back to plus sizes. I'm so upset! I was so, so proud of being able to lose so much weight and get out of plus sizes. Mom says I look better than I did at Christmas, and my pants have been a little looser at home. At least all the walking and swimming I've been doing lately does seem to have paid off, even just a little.)
Mom had a cell phone call from Dad even before we made it back to the house. He was at home. He'd postponed his fishing trip again when he was overwhelmed by paint fumes and had heart papatations. He was at home, resting. We decided to let him rest and head into Cape May for lunch and a walk after I dropped off my clothes.
It took longer to get to lunch and a walk than we planned. First of all, the lady at the counter at Peebles forgot to take the ink-thing off my pants, and we had to go back there. Then we were chatting and Mom lost track of where we were going and kept going straight instead of turning off to the Garden State Parkway. We ended up taking the "scenic route" through Wildwood Crest to get into Cape May. That was cool, too. I got to see the outside of the rebuilt Wildwood Acme (which looks GREAT, BTW - Doo Wop without being as overdone as some of the other newer 50s-style buildings in the area).
While I did enjoy the drive through Wildwood Crest and seeing some of my old haunts, I was very happy that the drawbridge from Wildwood Crest to the boat docks in Lower Township was just going down when we pulled up there. (Mom did have to scramble for $1.50 for the toll, though. Apparently, it used to be a dollar, and she wasn't prepared for the rise in price.) We went past the boat docks, across the marshes, around the country club marinas, and over the big Cape May Bridge and into town.
Mom parked next to the water tower in central Cape May, a few blocks from the former Madison and Blue Amber Motels. (The Madison, at least, is now a condo-hotel, and both had elaborate remodels that make them fit in far better with the tony neighborhood than they did when I was a kid.) We strolled up to the Boardwalk first, past lovely old bed-and-breakfasts and condo buildings with gorgeous gardens, along with the Chalfonte, one of the oldest hotels in Cape May.
We ended up at the Promenade, Cape May's concrete boardwalk, and had lunch at Henry's By the Beach. Henry's is literally by the beach; we ate on a porch area that looked out onto a picture-perfect day. It was a day out of a Cape May postcard - clear blue sky, bright-colored umbrellas dotting the white beach, cooling breeze. The clouds and humidity had disappeared by the time we were in Rio Grande. It was 2:30 by then, so we both had the "mini meals." I had a crab cake and salad. Mom had a small cut of blackened salmon, salad, and a tomato-seafood soup. We enjoyed our lunch tremendously.
After we ate, we walked a couple of blocks to downtown Cape May and the Washington Street Mall. The Mall is three blocks of restored Victorian buildings filled with cute shops and literally some of the best restaurants in New Jersey. We visited some of my favorite stores there, in many cases since childhood.
We walked through Carpenter's Square Mall. We browsed in the Whale's Tale, a wonderful gift shop. (Mom bought Keefe a dragon card for his room - he collects dragon items. I didn't get anything. I was disappointed they only had a few AG things. In the early and mid 90s, the were the only place in Cape May to buy anything American Girl.) We went through a shop that had really cute hats. We went to Bath Time, a bath store. Mom got a lotion she really likes. I a coconut-lime bar of soap. Good Scents mostly specializes in scented items like candles, but they have other gift-items, too. I bought a journal with real dried flowers in the cover. We went across the street to the mall where the Cape May Acme is. Mom browsed in the yarn store; I browsed in Oma's Doll Shop. We admired the adorable Japanese-girl sign in front of Cape Orient. (It looked so much like a life-sized Japanese doll, I wondered if someone at Oma's Doll Shop next door made it.)
We strolled back to the car after leaving the mall, past more older homes, the post office, and Alexander's Restaurant. Mom used to live in that area, in an apartment behind a long-gone leather store; she had some great stories about living in Cape May in the mid-70s, and I told her mine about when I would visit a friend of mine who lived near the post office in high school.
Unlike getting to Cape May, we had no trouble whatsoever getting home. Dad called Mom while we were in Cape May. He was feeling much better and was up for joining us for a stroll on the Boardwalk in Wildwood. Mom wanted coffee, and we both needed to sit down for a while after our walk. Mom and Dad watched an antique show downstairs, while I browsed through Mom's old Christmas With Southern Living books. I've always loved the heck out of those. Not only do they have awesome recipies, but the first chapters talks about Christmas both in the old and new Southern US. This may be where at least some of my love of Christmas traditions in other parts of the US stemmed from.
(Oh, and Mom answered my question as to why I walk so fast. She does, too. We've spent most of our lives walking against the sea winds and blowing sands, not to mention the tides of tourists. You either walk fast...or get blown back several feet or carried off by the throngs.)
Dad, Mom, and I took Dad's truck into Wildwood around 6:30. There were no problems getting there this time. Dad parked in the big lot next to the Wildwood Convention Center and the cool, cute beach ball sculptures.
The boardwalk was busy at 6:30, but it wasn't packed. There was a lovely, fresh breeze coming off the beach. We browsed in the Boardwalk Mall (where I got a Wildwood T-shirt), then had dinner at the Original Hot Spot next to Mariner's Landing. I had a tasty mushroom cheesesteak that wasn't too stuffed, like some of the ones up north tend to be. It was just the perfect size. Mom and Dad had gyros. We had the funniest waitress, too. She was a tall, cute Russian girl with an adorable accent and a great sense of humor. She handled Dad's good-natured teasing very well, and even gave him two high-fives.
Everyone wanted some candy to go with dinner. I suggested Douglass Fudge, the most elegant of all Wildwood candy stores, and one just a few doors down from the Original Hot Spot. I found my favorite candy of all, the fruit slices. Mom bought her favorite candy, Almond Butter Crunch, and peanut butter fudge. Dad got raspberry jelly squares.
Mom wanted to check out a kitchen store on the Boardwalk between Mariner's and Morey's. It's a larger version of a tiny kitchen store in Collingswood. They sell gourmet mixes and cute and kooky kitchen gadgets of all kinds. I bought a buckwheat pancake mix as a special Sunday treat for me next weekend and a new address book. Dad got a piece of metal that's supposed to make your hands smell better. Poor Dad always gets fussed at about the way his hands smell after work; one of the hazards of being a fisherman.
Dad wanted soft-serve ice cream, so we next took a look at several ice cream booths. It was around 8:30 by this point. The boardwalk was filling up fast, and getting busier and busier by the minute. It was getting colder, too. The nice breeze from earlier was quickly becoming a chilly wind. We walked back to the car, stopping at the Kohr Brothers stand at Wild Wheels for soft-serve cups. Mom had Peanut Butter-Chocolate. Dad had Orange-Vanilla. I had Mint Julep. We enjoyed our treat while watching people play games. I also tried a Care Bear crane machine that had larger Care Bears in it than usual; didn't win anything.
There was a little bit of traffic on Rio Avenue in downtown Wildwood when we went home, but once we got off the bridge, it was smooth sailing. Dad's downstairs, probably watching action movies. Mom is in her room, watching Guys and Dolls. I'm about to take a shower. Tomorrow, I'll be on my way home; everyone here has to work. I'm glad I came up here. I had a wonderful day. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my parents, and I rarely got them to myself as a kid. This was really lovely of both of them.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Spent the morning dusting the music, dining, and TV areas of the living room and putting up the Christmas garlands, wreath, and nativity. It takes me far less time to dust the living room area than it does my bedroom, mainly because there's a lot less stuff out there!
Mom gave me the garlands a few months before I moved. She always puts garlands of fake greenery, ribbons, bows, and strings of beads over the windows at her house, but she'd gotten tired of doing every window in the house over the years and decided to give some of the garlands to me. I can kind of understand her frustration. The garlands are pain in the rear to tack up, but the effect is wonderful when it's finally done. Mom gave me the wreath for an early Christmas present the year I moved. The nativity is dark and somewhat grimy but very old. According to Mom, it was one of the items she got from her mother when SHE moved on her own. She and my stepdad bought a newer, brighter nativity a few years ago and gave the old one to me. It goes on the top of the video drawers.
Called my stepdad right before going to work. He seemed to be all right, maybe because he was the only one at home. Mom and Keefe seemed to have gone to work on the new house. He was watching the New York Giants-Minnesota Vikings game and just kicking back; he's a huge Giants fan. (And ouch - I just checked the score, and it seems the Giants got ripped big-time, 41-17. Poor Daddy! I wanna hug him now.)
(On the other hand, the Eagles are 7-7 at press time against the 10-0 New England Patriots. Just the fact that we actually scored a touchdown against them, in the first quarter, no less, makes me happy even if we don't win.)
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - steady, long lines only because we were severely short on help. As nice as full-time hours would be all the time, I think only head people and head managers are full time. I think most cashier positions are part-time. Even some of the cashiers who have literally been there for decades are only part-time!
Spent the morning dusting the music, dining, and TV areas of the living room and putting up the Christmas garlands, wreath, and nativity. It takes me far less time to dust the living room area than it does my bedroom, mainly because there's a lot less stuff out there!
Mom gave me the garlands a few months before I moved. She always puts garlands of fake greenery, ribbons, bows, and strings of beads over the windows at her house, but she'd gotten tired of doing every window in the house over the years and decided to give some of the garlands to me. I can kind of understand her frustration. The garlands are pain in the rear to tack up, but the effect is wonderful when it's finally done. Mom gave me the wreath for an early Christmas present the year I moved. The nativity is dark and somewhat grimy but very old. According to Mom, it was one of the items she got from her mother when SHE moved on her own. She and my stepdad bought a newer, brighter nativity a few years ago and gave the old one to me. It goes on the top of the video drawers.
Called my stepdad right before going to work. He seemed to be all right, maybe because he was the only one at home. Mom and Keefe seemed to have gone to work on the new house. He was watching the New York Giants-Minnesota Vikings game and just kicking back; he's a huge Giants fan. (And ouch - I just checked the score, and it seems the Giants got ripped big-time, 41-17. Poor Daddy! I wanna hug him now.)
(On the other hand, the Eagles are 7-7 at press time against the 10-0 New England Patriots. Just the fact that we actually scored a touchdown against them, in the first quarter, no less, makes me happy even if we don't win.)
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - steady, long lines only because we were severely short on help. As nice as full-time hours would be all the time, I think only head people and head managers are full time. I think most cashier positions are part-time. Even some of the cashiers who have literally been there for decades are only part-time!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Pride and Embarrassment
As you can probably tell from the entry below, I'm completely disgusted with myself right now. I went over on Weight Watchers for the third time in four days. I've NEVER done this badly in the almost two months I've been doing it! I'm eating way too much junk food and not enough of the right foods, like fruit and vegetables.
I just can't help it. I like muffins, cakes, and breads, but people aren't supposed to eat them. They're supposed to eat fruits and vegetables. I think I'm making the right foods and that they'll be low-fat, but of course, the recipes never are.
I'm proud of my 14-year-old brother Keefe. He won his middle school's Outstanding Achievement In Band Award and got a $200 saving's bond! He was the lead drummer in the school's marching band, and Mom and Rose both said he and the whole band were fantastic. They won several awards, including first place in the New York's marching band-heavy St. Patrick's Day Parade.
He looked very handsome in his suit and tie. I'm glad he's the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting dressed up. ;)
I don't know how my brother puts up with my mom and stepdad, though. All they do is bicker! They bickered the whole five minutes to Teitleman Middle School, then bickered all the way home, and kept fussing at each other even while Mom served the rest of us cake! Mom blamed my stepdad's immaturity, but she's at fault, too. She's bossy and, as I know too well, she can be a nag.
Maybe it's just as well Rose had to work and we only stayed a few hours. I don't know how long I could have taken the two of them going at it. :p
I did something stupid after getting home. I locked myself out while leaving to go out to dinner, and of course, my landlady is out of town. I was lucky she has reletives in the neighborhood (who happen to be friends of my uncle), but I really need to be more careful. I can't go into hysterics every time there's trouble, either. Everyone took it really well, but it's immature of me to cry and get upset every time something bad happens. It's just a habit. I get scared and worried and I don't know what to do.
And of course, the salad I ordered at the Italian restaraunt I went to when I finally did get my keys turned out to be a hell of a lot of points, thanks to the ham, turkey, and cheese used.
I wish I were a lot smarter.
As you can probably tell from the entry below, I'm completely disgusted with myself right now. I went over on Weight Watchers for the third time in four days. I've NEVER done this badly in the almost two months I've been doing it! I'm eating way too much junk food and not enough of the right foods, like fruit and vegetables.
I just can't help it. I like muffins, cakes, and breads, but people aren't supposed to eat them. They're supposed to eat fruits and vegetables. I think I'm making the right foods and that they'll be low-fat, but of course, the recipes never are.
I'm proud of my 14-year-old brother Keefe. He won his middle school's Outstanding Achievement In Band Award and got a $200 saving's bond! He was the lead drummer in the school's marching band, and Mom and Rose both said he and the whole band were fantastic. They won several awards, including first place in the New York's marching band-heavy St. Patrick's Day Parade.
He looked very handsome in his suit and tie. I'm glad he's the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting dressed up. ;)
I don't know how my brother puts up with my mom and stepdad, though. All they do is bicker! They bickered the whole five minutes to Teitleman Middle School, then bickered all the way home, and kept fussing at each other even while Mom served the rest of us cake! Mom blamed my stepdad's immaturity, but she's at fault, too. She's bossy and, as I know too well, she can be a nag.
Maybe it's just as well Rose had to work and we only stayed a few hours. I don't know how long I could have taken the two of them going at it. :p
I did something stupid after getting home. I locked myself out while leaving to go out to dinner, and of course, my landlady is out of town. I was lucky she has reletives in the neighborhood (who happen to be friends of my uncle), but I really need to be more careful. I can't go into hysterics every time there's trouble, either. Everyone took it really well, but it's immature of me to cry and get upset every time something bad happens. It's just a habit. I get scared and worried and I don't know what to do.
And of course, the salad I ordered at the Italian restaraunt I went to when I finally did get my keys turned out to be a hell of a lot of points, thanks to the ham, turkey, and cheese used.
I wish I were a lot smarter.
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