A Couple of Characters

Began a rainy morning with breakfast, the last chapters of Sonnet of the Sphinx, and Julie London. The heavy showers and gloomy, gritty clouds seemed especially appropriate for The Unforgettable Julie London. "Cry Me a River" is only the tip of the iceberg in her many melancholy ballads. "A Cottage for Sale," "Little White Lies," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?" "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "No Moon at All" go into similar dark turf. "Cuddle Up a Little Closer," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Daddy," and "Hot Toddy" are a bit more upbeat.

Though the rain had slowed down considerably by 9 AM, it was still raining. I called Uber. No trouble there. The driver going to work arrived in 8 minutes. It took me a while to get a ride going home and cost me a bundle, but when I did, they came in 7 minutes. No trouble either way, not even with some flash flooding in Oaklyn in the morning.

It's probably a good thing it did stop raining. Though I did have to return cold items for a half-hour, I spent most of the morning and early afternoon outside. In fact, the sun came out later on, and it got hot and murderously humid. It was really busy from about 11 AM onward, too. People were getting ready for the first Eagles game of the season against the Commanders at 4:25. It wasn't until almost before I left that we managed to corral the carts again.

Stopped at the pharmacy after work to get my Covid vaccine. I don't want the kids getting sick or making me sick. I've been meaning to get this done and kept putting it off. Talked to the pharmacist. She figured out my insurance. I waited a minute, then went in the room next to the pharmacy. They gave me the injection and covered it with a Band Aid, and I moved on. 

When I got home, I changed...and went straight into bed for a nap. I was up way too late last night and had to get up early this morning (and will for most of this week.) Put my head on the pillow at quarter after 3 and didn't get up until 5:30.

I originally woke up just in time for tonight's Match Game marathon...but YouTube kept giving Match Game Productions a hard time. It blocked two marathons before we found out that the YouTube Studio was glitchy and blocking all new uploads. 

(At least things went better for the Eagles. They hit the ground running to start and were up 14-9 when I checked at half-time. The Commanders caught up in the second half, but it wasn't enough. The Eagles finally outran them 24-22.) 

I finished up the night with CDs featuring two true characters of American film and theater instead. Jimmy Durante may not have been traditional leading man material, but darned if he couldn't put over a ballad almost as well as Julie London. His "As Time Goes By" on As Time Goes By: The Best of Jimmy Durante was so iconic, it's on the Sleepless In Seattle soundtrack. That also features his delightful version of "Make Someone Happy." As Warners Archives says on the back of the CD box, only Walter Huston did "September Song" better. I've also never heard "Try a Little Tenderness" done as a jazz ballad.

Elaine Stritch was an entirely different type of character, but one who was just as memorable as the gentler Durante. I remember hearing great stuff about her one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty when it opened on Broadway in 2002, and no wonder. The 2-disc cast album was recorded live at the original off-Broadway show. Stritch is obviously having a ball telling her life story. And what a life it was! She really had been there, known everyone from a young Marlon Brando to Noel Coward. 

I kind of wish we could have gotten one song from the charming flop Goldilocks, where she played a silent film star and Don Ameche was her exasperated director and ex-husband. Her other famous roles were far better represented. In addition to her first song "Civilization" from the 1947  revue Angel In the Wings, "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company, "Zip" from Pal Joey, and "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?" from the Coward show Sail Away, there were bits of "There's No Business Like Show Business," "I Want a Long Time Daddy" as she recalled getting into trouble for sneaking out to see a drag queen in Detroit, "Broadway Baby" (which she sang in the 1986 Follies concert), and the Coward song "I Went to a Marvelous Party." 

This may be a party of one, but no one can party like Elaine Stritch can. If you love her or just want to hear someone tell a few great, slightly drunken stories, this is an absolute must-find. 

Dance Into the Matches

I got caught up reading Bayou Book Thief this morning and didn't have much time for anything else. Since it was sunny out this time, with no sign of rain, I wanted to take my bike. Unfortunately, I got too late of a start, which meant I was late to work.

Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. With the Sunday morning bagger around to sweep and do the trash, I was mainly outside pushing carts. It was a gorgeous day for it, too. Humid, yes, but also sunny, breezy, and searingly blue. I did bring back a few cold items inside, but other than that, I was out with the carts enjoying the weather.

I came up with an idea after work. I grabbed a Roar blueberry lemonade hydration drink and two slightly damaged boxes of chocolate fudge pudding mix off the clearance racks for half-off, mainly so I could take out money for the week. From now on, I'll take out $60 during the weekend, and that's what I have for eating out. If I spend it before the end of the week, I don't eat out anymore. I really need to start saving more money for vacation and to buy a condo.

Also, I've had enough condo-hunting when I can't go in them yet. I was going to check out condos in Voorhees, but first of all, that's further out and even more sprawling than Cherry Hill. Second, these walking jaunts tend to be rough on my bad heel. Third, I'm just getting kind of bored with exploring. I'll trade them with checking out libraries until I have a better idea of what kind of condo I can afford and where.

Stopped at the Yummies Palace in Oaklyn for a cool water ice treat after work. Their coconut water ice was deliciously sweet and creamy. It really hit the spot on a fairly hot day. I got to watch parents with two little girls decide what the young ladies wanted as I ate. The lady at the counter let them try their Fruity Pebbles ice cream flavor. The older girl went with a cone of that. Her little sister stuck to a vanilla cone with sprinkles.

Changed when I got home, then spent the next two hours finishing Bayou Book Thief while listening to Batman soundtracks on CD. The 1989 soundtrack was something of a comeback for Prince after his previous album and a concert film were flops. To be honest, most of the songs are more Prince than Batman and weren't in the movie. "Batdance" in the finale was just as big of a hit in 1989 as the movie, but I prefer his less goofy ballad "Scandalous" and the opening dance song "The Future." 

I actually think Batman Forever has the better songs. U2's hard rock raver "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" and Seal's classic R&B ballad "Kiss From a Rose" were massive hits in mid 1995. Other good ones here include "Where are You Now?" by Brandy, "Smash It Up" by the Offspring, and "Bad Days" by the Flaming Lips.

Finished the night after the CDs ended with today's Match Game YouTube marathon. Dancer Bobby Van was a friend of Richard Dawson's who made occasional appearances on the show from 1973 to 1977, with and without his wife Elaine Joyce. In fact, he and Elaine made their debut on the show together, sitting next to each other in 1973. That week is best-known now for the answer to a question about what Batman and Robin's relationship is that now has it banned from the airwaves.

Van would appear in less controversial episodes later on. One 1976 episode had a question about what he does when he can't get his toes to behave. That was also the one where Brett introduces her lovely grown daughter Leslie in the audience. He saw a very happy lady in 1974 win enough money to buy the piano her daughters had requested. Elaine Joyce sat under him in the ingenue seat for the first of two times that week. In 1975 there was Henry, the funny older man with a slight crush on Brett. Also in 1975, Betty White rolled Gene Rayburn's pants legs down to expose argyle socks. Somehow, a lady in the audience ended up with them. Prince Charming Richard put Gene's shoes back on. 

Several times he was praised for his work hosting Showoffs, the short-lived 1975 charades game show (that, alas, is mostly lost today). There were also several references to the notoriously bad Lost Horizon, where Van's dances were among the few stand-outs. 

Dance your way into the end of summer with these delightful episodes featuring one of the great "Showoffs" of musical film!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bobby Van, Elaine Joyce's Husband, Marathon

A Day for Mothers

Started off my morning with the Colliers Junior Classics Harvest of Holidays anthology. Did the material for Arbor Day first, since I forgot to do it last month. "Mr. Plum and the Little Green Tree" is the long piece here, a sweet story about a kindly cobbler who saves the little tree in front of his shop from being chopped down. The other material is all poetry, including the famous "Trees." The long Mother's Day piece is "My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman In the World." A little Ukranian girl gets lost in the wheat fields and tells people that her mother is the most beautiful woman in the world when they ask her where she is. People tease her when she does find her plump, genial mother, but her mom knows that her daughter can see with her heart.

Called my own mother even before I had breakfast. Mom herself seemed to be in a pretty decent mood. She's been walking into Yorktown, a small tourist enclave that, as fans of Hamilton know, was where Cornwallis surrendered to end the Revolutionary War. Mom says it's expensive but attractive and a nice walk. They're not far from Williamsburg, too. She's more concerned about my brother Keefe and his wife Julia. Keefe just had surgery on his eyes. One came out just fine. They're waiting to see how the other will be. They're also having difficulty with their older daughter Aurora, who may have special needs and need more help.

I told Mom about my own long week. She was really understanding about all the trouble I had, especially with Jessa and with getting loans. She's having a hard time buying a home down in Virginia, too. Apparently, they're one of the more expensive southern states. 

After I got off with her, I put on Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Songs of Cy Coleman while eating breakfast. Coleman's known for his songs from Broadway shows nowadays, like "Hey Look Me Over" from Wildcat, "I've Got Your Number" from Little Me, and "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity. What's not as well-remembered as that he also wrote pop songs with no stage connections. The best-known is probably the hit "The Best Is Yet To Come," which is usually associated nowadays with Frank Sinatra. Lee wrote three songs with Coleman she performs here, "I'm In Love Again," "That's My Style," and "Then Is Then (And Now Is Now)." "When In Rome, Do as the Romans Do" was written for Little Me but not used. "Pass Me By" is from the romantic comedy Father Goose.

Headed off to work after the record ended and got there on time for once. Good thing, too. As one of my co-workers pointed out, the Acme was a zoo for the entire afternoon. Everyone wanted flowers for Mom and to make her a big dinner. Thank heavens I spent the entire afternoon outside. There was plenty of help. The morning bagger was there when I arrived, the evening bagger when I left. They handled the trash and the inside chores. I just pushed carts, enjoying the sun this morning, then the clouds and occasional light showers when they rolled in around 2:30. Absolutely no trouble whatsoever. 

I had slightly more problems refilling my blood pressure medication after work. My insurance had expired. I already knew about it. Apparently, it expired this February, likely due to the lack of hours I had last winter. I just sent the paperwork for the extension in the mail today. Thankfully, the medicine only cost $13, which is hardly a problem. I forgot honey yesterday, too. 

After I got home, I changed and finished listening to Nature's Baby. This Lena Horne album couldn't be more 1971 if it tried. I think I like her version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" better than the Beatles' rendition, and she does nice versions of "A Song for You," "It's Not Easy Being Green," and "Your Song" too. "Think About Your Troubles" is from the unique animated TV musical The Point. "I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (Ain't Nobody Perfect)" and "Only the Moon and Me" are the best of the lesser-known material.

My Trolls album arrived from Amazon around this point. This was the only soundtrack played frequently at the after-school program that I didn't have. It's only $19 at Amazon right now, which is cheap for a recent soundtrack release. 

Finished the night with the Sunday Match Game marathon. Mothers appeared on the panel as well as in the audience. Peter Issakson's mother came to all his appearances, and apparently accompanied him wherever he went. Likewise, Betty White's beloved mother Tess often came to see her daughter play. Gene's mother was in the audience at least once. Brett proudly pointed out her beautiful redheaded daughter Leslie in the audience (who looked a lot like a younger version of her mother).

There were mothers on the panel, too. As mentioned last week, Jo Ann Pflug and Patti Deusch both appeared while pregnant, Patti multiple times. TV and movie moms who did at least one week on the show included Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time, Isobel Sanford of The Jeffersons, Esther Rolle of Good Times, Michael Lerned of The Waltons, Barbara Billingsly of Leave It to Beaver on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, Jamie Lee Curtis of the Freaky Friday films, and Ethel Merman, who played Gopher's mother on The Love Boat. 

Celebrate Mother's Day matching with some of the wackiest mothers on television in this sweet and heartfelt marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Mother's Day Bash 2026

(Oh, and the showers have continued off and on for the rest of the evening. There was even a thunderstorm at one point, though that's long gone.) 

Wild In the Library

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and the first episode of season five. "Horde Prime" is the ultimate Bond villain, slick on the outside, the world's biggest jerk on the inside. He thinks he can force Glimmer to tell him what happened to She-Ra, but...er, there's a slight problem. Adora broke her sword in "Destiny" and can no longer become She-Ra. She's been fighting more on her own, feeling she has nothing to offer her friends anymore. The others save her and remind her that there's a lot more to her than just being She-Ra.

Soon as the episode ended, I called Uber. Unfortunately, the driver took 12 minutes, and I was just barely late to work. Thankfully, work wasn't terribly busy. The weather is improving - it was a bit misty and cloudy, but not too cold - and we're between holidays again. In fact, I spent an hour doing three online training courses. When I finished, one of the college boys was sweeping, so I focused on the carts.

After work, I bought water for later, then walked in the back to Tang Asian Buffet. Thought I'd do them in honor of Chinese New Year yesterday. They weren't that busy at 1:30. I think more people do dinner there. I watched the Olympic Women's Freestyle Skiing Aerials on TVs over the buffet counters while I ate salad, pineapple chunks, sweet and sour chicken, chilled mussels, green beans, rice noodles with vegetables, a spring roll, a cheese-filled wonton, two pork dumplings, seafood salad, spinach souffle, tiramisu (which was really more of a tiramisu pudding), and a tiny square of chocolate mousse cake. (Incidentally, I later found out one of the two Chinese ladies came in first, followed by the Australian woman. The highest the US got was fifth.)

Walked back to the Acme as the sun was peeking around the mists and read magazines until it was time to call Uber. This was the only time all day it didn't take forever to get one. They picked me up in 7 minutes and got me to the Thomas Sharp School right on time, with no traffic anywhere.

The kids were wild today. Somehow, I ended up taking the 7 kids at my table to the bathroom, plus four more who really needed to go. The girls were so nuts in the bathroom, they got water and soap all over the floor. One young lady valiantly tried to clean up the floor while the others skated on it. I finally told her that I appreciated the help, but we would leave it to the custodians. 

It didn't get much better after lunch. The head teacher was busy with a visiting inspector, which meant the other teacher and I were frequently on our own with 20 bored kids who hadn't been on their playground in over a month. I tried reading to them at the book table in the cafeteria, but they all swarmed around me, and I had to stand so they could see it. They were even crazier in the library, running around and standing on tables and hiding under tables when we'd specifically told them not to. At least three kids bonked their heads and ended up taking ice packs home with them. We were in the library for so long trying to get the kids settled down, I stayed slightly later to help them clean up and get back to the cafeteria.

Had more trouble getting an Uber home. They didn't arrive for 13 minutes, and there was a little traffic around Collings Avenue and the White Horse Pike. No trouble after that, though. 

Went straight into dinner and Match Game Syndicated when I got home. Jon "Bowser" Bauman and his big, wide mouth and sneaker-shaped bag returned this week. Small and sensible Arte Johnson was more frustrated about being caught between slightly dizzy blondes Joyce Bulifant and Eva Gabor. Eva just wished oil from the pipes over them wouldn't drip on her pretty blue dress. Gene eventually gave her an umbrella to keep the drips off.

Finished the night after a shower with more fifth season She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. While Glimmer tentatively bonds with a frustrated Catra, Entraptra and the others try to keep the Rebellion going. Adora, overworked and undernourished, takes a long nap...and follows a light figure who finally reminds her that they do have a way to save Glimmer that doesn't involve her sword. Entraptra may not be great with people, but she can "Launch" Adora and Bow into space in their stolen First Ones ship. 

Before the Snow Came

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora wishes the Rebellion felt a "Pulse." The keep attacking empty transports. After Bow is hurt by a new, more powerful robot, Adora takes Spinerella and Netossa to destroy it. Frustrated at being left behind, Glimmer takes her magic out to help. Adora isn't happy that Shadow Weaver is teaching her magic...but Catra and Double Trouble are thrilled with their unraveling friendship.

Called Uber right after breakfast. I had trouble with them for most of the day. They took 10 minutes arriving this morning, and I was almost late to work. They took 17 minutes to get to the Acme at 2:20, and I was five minutes late to Thomas Sharp. I was surprised I didn't have any trouble getting home. I got a ride at quarter after 5 in 7 minutes.

It wasn't bad at the Acme when I arrived. In fact, I was entirely outside today. The head bagger did the sweeping and other indoor work. I even got to see men drop green salt on the sidewalks to keep them from getting too messy later when it starts to snow. Thankfully, it was just cloudy and cold when I was at work. It didn't start picking up until I was just about ready to leave.

Got my schedule at this point, too. It's pretty much the same schedule as this week with earlier hours on Sunday and next Saturday...but it's also easier than this week. I took Thursday off because the kids have a half-day then. The Collingswood School District is closed next Friday for a staff meeting, which means I'll only be working at the Acme next Friday. 

I found something on the bakery clearance rack called "celebration cookies" (M&Ms, white chocolate chips, sprinkles) I wanted to try. Changed, grabbed them, made my way through a rut in the snow across the street to Rexy's Bar and Grill. They were still pretty busy, despite it being quarter after 1 when I arrived. I had hot tea, a warm fried fish sandwich with Asian slaw, and crunchy onion rings for lunch. Picked up the Uber at the Acme after I ate.

The head teacher took today off, and the replacement ended up working with the older kids. We had the older woman who usually works with the older kids working with us, but she doesn't know our rhythm, and she certainly didn't have any music on her cell phone for dance parties. None of this was good. We had 25 kids today, all of them wild with cabin fever from being inside the last two weeks. At least my group of 7 was helpful cleaning up their own toys and not bad at the bathrooms.

The trouble started after snack time. Since reading The Gingerbread Man and one more book to the kids while they were playing before we went to the library seemed to calm them down a little (they kept coming at me with books they wanted me to read), I replaced the dance party with me reading The Bernstein Bears and Too Much TV and half of If I Ran the Zoo. When they were too noisy, I stopped reading to talk to them and ask them their feelings on the head teacher being missing and point out that, just because she wasn't there, didn't mean they shouldn't respect the teachers who were around. The kids spent so much time ripping the paper taped down for them to stencil on, I finally gave them regular paper to color on. There was arguing over books, too, including ones the kids could not have read at their ages. At least by 5 PM, it had cleared out enough that those who remained were big helps bringing everything back to the cafeteria.

(Oh, and it started to snow lightly when I was waiting for Uber at the school. It's snowed lightly off and on ever since.)

Watched Match Game Syndicated and had dinner when I got home. The first hour finished out the Robert Walden/Judy Landers week. The second hour brought in Gary Crosby, David Doyle, and the delightful Rita Moreno. I really wish Rita could have been on the show more often. She brought a spicy Caribbean flair to the show and was hilarious flirting with Gene. Down-to-earth Gary is a lot of fun, too.

Finished the night with Remember WENN after a shower. Frustrated when her agent Brian Wilburforce (Heath Lamberts) won't get her the lead role in a local production of Antony and Cleopatra, she fires him and becomes her own agent. Rex Noble (Daniel Benzali), who is producing the show, is so impressed, he wants to meet her agent. She literally plays "Hilary's Agent" to get the part, but ends up driving Betty crazy with her demands. The others try to make Hilary see that honesty is the best policy...but as Eugenia points out, Hilary does make a lovely couple.

"The Birth of a Station" was controversial online when it first debuted. A very pregnant young woman (Debra Wiseman) wanders dazedly into the station during a public transportation strike and promptly goes into labor, begging to see Young Doctor Talbot. Trouble is, he's a character on their big hospital drama. While Jeff plays him to keep her calm, we get a glimpse of Mackie on the road when he calls.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. This time, Martian Mickey comes to Earth, but he has a "Martian Mishap" when he crashes into a tree after Goofy makes a mistake getting him down. The others have to retrieve pieces of his ship from the forest, the lake, and the desert, so Martian Mickey can get the spices he needs for his Yumblatz (hot dog) Pie.

Switched to Supermarket Sweep while I made my grocery list. This was the end of their "Family Week," with three sets of sisters playing each other. Team 1 not only got almost all of the bonuses in the Big Sweep, they got twice as much time as anyone else. All of those bonuses resulted in them earning the show's biggest-ever Big Sweep total, over $1,900.

Hurried off to run errands next. I couldn't find an egg timer at Target or Dollar Tree. I want it to time me at night and make sure I go to bed and not stay up until 5 AM. Did a little better at Sprouts. Found sugar cookies and more containers of those apple fritter-flavored dried cranberries on clearance. Picked up coconut milk and sparkling water, too.

Sprouts hadn't been busy, and the Acme wasn't really, either. I mainly needed to restock yogurt and oranges here. Found Nature's Valley granola bars buy one, get one free. Cove sodas were $1.50. Got more sliced chicken, too. Bought stamps for when I get the Christmas cards together on Saturday. Found more Winter Spiced Sprite Zero and Diet Coke Lime $2 for 5. 

Newton Lake Park was gorgeous, if chilly, as I rode home. It was sunny, windy, and cold, in the upper 30's. The park is showing signs of winter now. The leaves are almost entirely gone from the trees, the grass is turning yellow, and fewer plants and animals are seen along the banks. 

Had a quick lunch when I got in while putting everything away and watching First a Girl. I go further into this British version of Victor/Victoria from 1935 with Jesse Matthews and Sonnie Hale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

First a Girl

The movie had just ended when I headed to the Thomas Sharp School. Though the older kids did get to run around on the blacktop, it was too cold for the younger kids to go on the playground. One of the teachers and I read Hot Wheels: Extreme Stunts, Tweety: The North Star's Magical Journey Home, and Move Over, Rover! After that, the kids spent the rest of the afternoon building towers from magnetic tiles that were so tall, they had to be leaned against the cafeteria wall to keep them standing, coloring, and playing with rubber play food.

After I finished, I had dinner at Crust n' Cravings. I was originally going to eat at Phillies Phatties, but Collings Avenue was closer to the school. Plus, to be honest, I just like Crust n' Cravings' pizza better. I ate a slice of cheese and a slice of broccoli and tomato while watching Action News on ABC. 

Stopped at Dollar General on my way home. I was hoping to find an egg timer, but no luck. (I just ordered one online.) I did get aspirin, ibuprofen, and cold medicine here. My head had been stuffed up and I'd had mild sinus headaches all day. Either my allergies are acting up from the wind and dryness, or I'm coming down with a cold. 

Went home briefly to park the bike and put everything away, then went right back out again. Oaklyn had its Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting this evening. They were just starting to hand out the fiber optic lights for the kids when I arrived. There was rich hot chocolate, brownie bites, and four different kinds of cookies. I tried what I believe to be butter pecan and red velvet. They were so delicious! Probably came from Shop Rite, but they still tasted good.

I only saw Rose once and I never did find Jessa, but I did get to see my 8-year-old niece Finley perform several carols with her class on the side of City Hall. Good thing she inherited her mother's height and was wearing a reindeer antlers headband! It was so crowded, I never would have seen her otherwise. At any rate, the kids did a wonderful job, their voices mostly smooth and clear. Near the end of their performance, a "snow" machine spewed foamy "snow" all over, which the kids absolutely loved. 

After the kids sang their carols, the Parade of Lights arrived at City Hall! They had a few actual floats this year, including one lavish gingerbread-themed one, and another with a costumed Grinch. There was one fire truck "pulled" by dalmatians, and others covered completely in lights. Santa arrived in the last truck for Oaklyn. 

Surprisingly, there was no speech or fanfare for the tree lighting this year. The tree just lit up. One minute, I had turned to City Hall to find Finley. The next, the massive "tree" blazed with reds, blues, greens, and yellows, with a huge glittering star on top. After the tree lighting, I gave up trying to figure out where Rose and Finley had gone and just walked home.

Finished the night working on the First a Girl review and listening to two more new (to me) Christmas CDs after my shower. I'm not as familiar with many of the artists in A Very Merry Christmas 5. Most of it is rap or pop that I'm just not that fond of, but there are a few good numbers. We get Stevie Nick's gorgeous version of "Silent Night," B.B King and John Popper doing "Back Door Santa," and Sheryl Crow getting into "Run Rudolph Run."

The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait is on more familiar turf. The most popular number from this one by far is the wistful standard "Merry Christmas Darling." Some of the covers are nice too, notably "Sleigh Ride," the aching "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." Richard Carpenter plays a lively "Selections from The Nutcracker." 

Sweet Day In the Rain

Kicked off the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Mother Rose's teas can heal any ailment, but she's "A Rose Between Two Thorns" when caring for the flowers after a damaging wind leaves her too tired to take care of her own bruised thorn. Alice and her friends deliver her teas, then teach her about the importance of self-care. Alice thinks there's a "Double Dinah" when her kitten suddenly seems to be everywhere while she's working on a surprise for the Cheshire Cat, but it turns out there's a more sensible explanation for why her cat seems to be in everything. 

Spent the next hour finishing out my training. Thankfully, neither the licensing tests nor the CPR course took that long. The online CPR course didn't even take 15 minutes. I might see if I can find a more hands-on course locally later in the summer for better training, but this will do for now. 

Worked on writing for the rest of the morning and early afternoon while a shower fell softly behind me. I decided to try something a bit controversial. I ran Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN through an AI Chat, just to see what I'd get. Actually, I got a lot of great suggestions. As long as I don't let it write the whole thing for me, I think this might be useful. I'll go back over it tomorrow and take some of those ideas down.

Began the second season of Remember WENN while I worked. "Radio Silence" reveals that Victor died in the London bombings and Jeff was injured. Hilary grapples with balancing her delight in Jeff's return with her remorse about Victor's death. Betty takes her grieving even further. She sequesters herself in the writer's room, pounding out script after script where nothing bad happens and everyone is happy, and insists on a minute of silence every hour for Victor. It's a frustrated Scott Sherwood who reminds the heartbroken young woman that we can't honor anyone by drowning in despair. 

Hilary and Jeff are gladly saying "I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife Again"...and being nauseating about it on the air. The others, especially Betty and Scott, are starting to get sick of their baby talk. Meanwhile, Mr. Medwick and Scott devise their own late-night show and get organist Eugenia to host it, but it's leaving her too tired for her daytime organ duties. 

I forgot new episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood just debuted. "Daniel and Max Visit the Farm" and learn to not only take care of the animals there, but take care of each other when the ducks overwhelm autistic Max. Prince Wednesday is delighted to introduce "Prince Wednesday's Pet," a cute guinea pig named CiCi, to Jodie. The kids learn how hard it can be to care for a pet...and how it can be even harder to watch a little one when Jodie's toddler brother Leo gets upset because CiCi is napping. 

The weather was still bad when I got off the computer, so I took Uber to the Thomas Sharp School again. No trouble either way. The one going there arrived in 7 minutes and there just in time. The one going home didn't even take 4 minutes. No traffic or trouble on the road.

Needless to say, the kids were inside the entire three hours. The weather was just too humid and rainy for running around playgrounds. They honestly behaved better than I figured they would. The only time they got really antsy or noisy was waiting in line for the bathroom. There were 35 kids today, more than double the amount we had yesterday. They also got pretty fidgety while one of the older elementary school kids read them a story...but in their defense, she read two and a half picture books, and The Lorax is pretty long and complicated for Dr. Seuss. The kids spent the rest of the afternoon happily playing with Mega Blox, giant Lego-type building toys. One sweet boy even gave me the picture he drew of Roberts Pool in Collingswood to "bring me joy." I will treasure it.

Once I got in, I had dinner and watched Song of Norway at YouTube. I go further into this kitschy operetta on the life of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Song of Norway

Finished the night while going over the AI chat and writing my review with some great memories. Tiffany's Hold an Old Friend's Hand was one of my favorite cassettes from 1989 through 1991. I rewound "All This Time" over and over, and even now, I nearly cried at how achingly familiar it was. "Radio Romance" was the other hit, but I preferred "It's the Lover (Not the Love)" and "I'll Be the Girl."

Likewise, I had at least three Mariah Carey cassettes I listened to frequently in the early and mid-90's, during the height of her initial success. If I wasn't listening to them, I hear #1s like "Vision of Love," "Dream Lover," and "I Don't Want to Cry" constantly on the radio. I thought "One Sweet Day" was impossibly romantic as a melodramatic 14-year-old and her "When You Believe" with Whitney Houston was beautiful (though I wouldn't see Prince of Egypt until I was an adult). 

Oh, and it's a good thing we didn't take the kids out, and I had no outside plans for today other than work. It's continued to rain off and on, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night. 

Calling All Matchers

Began the morning with breakfast and Train. My Private Nation would be one of their biggest hits in 2003, spawning the singles "Calling All Angels," "When I Look to the Sky," and "Get to Me." I remember hearing these songs on the radio when they were new. "Drops of Jupiter," their previous hit, had blown me away, and I was just as happy with these. 

Called Uber after I ate. It rained earlier, and I did hear it was supposed to rain later. And even if it wasn't, it was cold, damp, and windy, certainly not a bike day. The driver going to work arrived in 7 minutes. The one going home came in 6. No trouble on the road or with their arrivals. I got to work just in time.

No trouble at work, either. I swept the store and pushed carts for the first two hours. When the afternoon bagger arrived, he took over the sweeping and trash and I concentrated on the carts. Good thing he was there. While not overwhelming, it was still pretty busy today, especially around noon. 

(And I got lucky. It rained briefly around 10, when I was sweeping. It wouldn't rain again until 3 PM, shortly after I got home. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then.)

After I got dressed, I read Donna Parker: A Spring to Remember for an hour, then listened to three of the rock records I picked up on Thursday. Double Gold features early hits from Neil Diamond, mainly from the late 60's and early 70's. There's two here that had been covered by the Monkees. His "I'm a Believer" isn't bad, but I really like his version of "Love to Love," even more than the one Davy Jones did. Other familiar favorites here include "Girl, You'll Be a Woman," "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry," and "Kentucky Woman." (We also get another song that had been sung by an earlier band, "Monday Monday.")

Herman Hermits' music was a little different from most British Invasion bands. Though they did have pop hits in "Can't You Hear My Heart Beat" and "I'm Into Something Good," their real specialty were British music hall ditties like "I'm Henry the Eighth" and "Leaning On a Lamp Post" and remakes of earlier rock songs like "Silhouettes." The latter two are mainly represented on The Best of Herman's Hermits, along with "Something Good," "Heart Beat," and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter."

Rock of the Westies continued Elton John's winning streak in the 1970's. "Island Girl" was the huge hit here, though I prefer the harder-rocking "Grow Some Funk of Your Own." Other good ones here include "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" and "Hard Luck Story."

Finished up at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. Despite Gene's frequent admonishment that they weren't supposed to be eating in the studio, panelists did manage to sneak food in anyway. Richard once took a bite out of an apple someone gave Brett during the week with Penny Marshall in 1974. There was also the syndicated episode seen on Buzzr last week where Charles and Diana Sorvino handed spaghetti and meatballs around. Mary Wickes brought cookies that Gene found to be a little tough. Charles in particular frequently could be seen eating food from the green room. In 1977, Gene once asked Susan Sullivan to prosecute him, but Susan would rather defend. More rarely, food was mentioned in a question, or as in the Audience Match with "__ Henry," the bonus round questions.

Have a treat on Match Game in this funny and very tasty marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bon Appetit Marathon

All Time High

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Mickey's Fishy Story" has him and his friends heading to the jungle to find a friend for Daisy's goldfish Goldie. Not only are Goofy and Donald distracted by Coco the Coconutty Monkey's jungle party, but then they have to get help from mischievous Jungle Pete, too. 

I actually spent most of the time looking at all the new goodies on American Girl website. Their groovy 70's miss Julie got the lion's share of the attention this time. I knew there was a reason they recently retired the vast majority of her merchandise. They gave her two brand-new outfits and re-released one from about 14 years ago. 

Julie never had an actual school outfit. Her "school outfit" has always been her basketball uniform, since basketball is important to her story. American Girl finally corrected this by giving her a really cute "School Outfit" with a purple, blue, and white crocheted granny square vest over a purple turtleneck and a blue miniskirt. She has a second roller skating outfit, bright blue shiny shorts with a pastel heart print shirt and matching striped socks and skates. The last outfit I expected them to re-release was her Floral Jumpsuit, a white zippered turtleneck under a floral pants jumper. This version comes with sandals (the original release didn't come with shoes). It disappeared in 2015 and has been pricey on eBay ever since. 

The other big news with the historicals is yes, they finally re-released the much-requested 1850's pioneer  Kirsten Larson, along with her birthday dress. They also put Addy and Josefina out in their original meet outfits and re-released their birthday dresses. I am happy that all outfits now come with shoes or boots. Out of the four re-released outfits, the only one that originally came with shoes is Josefina's birthday outfit. Supposedly, the re-released dolls are limited editions, but we'll see how long that lasts. (And I wouldn't be surprised if Felicity reappeared in a year or two for America's 250th birthday bash.) 

Kirsten is a lovely doll, but I never did get into the pioneer era. I'm mildly interested in Addy. I'm not that into the Civil War, either, but she does have local connections. The bulk of her story takes place in Philadelphia, and she has a short story that's set in Cape May. You can still find a lot of Addy merchandise in both places. However, I did just pick up Kit last year, and I'm not really in the market for another doll at the moment. I found Josefina's Feast Day outfit on eBay over a decade ago. 

So, yeah, I just ended up with Julie's School Outfit and Floral Jumpsuit for Ariel. The roller skating outfit is cute, but I found the original red and blue version at the Cottage Shoppe in Marlton last year. I also finally dug up Kit's Bathing Suit for a half-way decent price on eBay. It was retired ages ago and is hard to find without the umbrella and other little accessories that came with it. Kit can go barefoot or borrow someone's sandals. Ari will have a new late fall-winter outfit and something for back to school, and Kit can cool off in August with my other 20th century dolls who have bathing outfits. 

Switched to Press Your Luck as I got organized. I only caught the second half of the noon episode. A young man from Parsippany in North Jersey won the first episode hands down, picking up money there. He had a harder time with a guy who definitely had a New York accent in the second, but managed to win with more cash and a "Heritage Tour" of American history sites on the east coast.

Headed out after the second episode ended. My first stop was the Shamrock Deli down the street on Cuthbert. They were busy with older women coming out from their walks for deli meat or sandwiches, but I did get a bottle of Coke Zero, a roast beef and provolone hoagie, and two chocolate chip cookies fairly quickly.

Cut across Audubon, heading down Market and around winding streets to Haddon Lake Park. I thought the spot by the Audubon Recreation Center where they held Audubon Day last week was lovely, and I wanted to check it out without thousands of people milling around. Found a unique spot at two teardrop-shaped yellow vinyl and metal tables. The grassy area was surrounded by four different forms of xylophone. There was one that looked like a larger silver metal version of a toy xylophone a kid might play, a wooden one that made a softer sound, a tower line of huge silver tubes, and one tube one that was larger than the xylophone, but smaller than the tall ones. I ate lunch, then got to play a few tunes. 

My back got stiff reading fairy tales at the table, so I moved to a low bench near the playground. At that point, it was still pretty quiet. One little girl played on the spring animals with her mom. Otherwise, it was mostly me, the birds chirping, and the breeze rustling through the new pale green leaves. It was really a gorgeous day today, all sunshine, fresh wind, and insanely warm temperatures for early May, in the mid-80's. When more teenagers started showing up from the high school across the street on their way home, I knew it was time for me to go as well.

(I really enjoyed my picnic and will absolutely do it again...later this summer, after pollen season ends. I spent the rest of the afternoon sneezing.) 

Went straight into job hunting and Rio Rita when I got in. I go further into this MGM remake of the 1929 hit with Abbott and Costello as pet-store workers who get caught up with Nazis south of the border at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Rio Rita (1942)

Worked on writing for a while after the movie ended. I've been trying to figure out exactly what to do with Sir Michael. I considered taking out Lord Jerrick, but I ultimately restored him. Kathleen tries to run off in the woods, but the snow is getting thicker. She needs shelter. Then she sees one of the rabbits who raised the flower garden earlier. It almost seems to be beckoning to her...

Switched to Buzzr and Match Game '77 during dinner. We met Buzz in these two episodes, an older gentleman in a yellow coat who claimed he got his neat coat and tie from his job as the proprietor of a junk yard. This led to many junk jokes, including Charles bringing out a trash can and his sock-less loafers to make Buzz "feel more at home." There were so many tiebreakers in the first episode, they barely got the Audience Match in at the last minute.

Finished the night working on my review for Rio Rita and listening to my newly-acquired James Bond soundtracks. The Spy Who Loved Me was a massive hit that is generally regarded as the best of Roger Moore's Bond vehicles. It's Oscar-nominated theme song "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon was a huge hit in its own right. Moonraker takes an odd left turn into sci-fi territory, but its lovely title ballad is one of the most underrated Bond songs in the entire series. Most critics don't give high marks to Octopussy, likely because of it's fairly absurd plot. It was probably the first Bond movie I saw as a kid, and for that reason alone it has a special place in my heart. It's theme song "All Time High" is one of the better Bond ballads of the 80's as well. 

How to Make Changes

Slept until 10:30 this morning and didn't really get going until nearly noon. Came in half-way through Match Game '74. Jo Anne Worley and Nipsey Russell were among those giving provocative answers to what Eve didn't want Adam to do to her fig leaf, while Brett proudly announced that her younger son Adam made another appearance on The Odd Couple. They all have a lot more trouble with "Stuffed __" in the Audience Match.

For some reason, they skipped the last episode of that week and moved on to the shows with Adrienne Barbeau and Robert Morse. Brett and Charles took a lot of ribbing in this episode, including a question about what they traded. Meanwhile, the frisky redheaded contestant is more interested in kissing the ladies, especially Brett!

Went online for a little while after the show ended. I wanted to learn more about the Center for Independent Living. I'd really rather use the one in Gloucester County than attempt Camden City, but I called the Camden one anyway because I had their number. Turned out to be a moot point. I got their answering machine. I left a stammering message, but I don't think it was very coherent. I'll try e-mailing them next week.

Headed out to run errands around 2:30. First stop of the day was Target. I needed shampoo and D vitamins, and they were having a sale on those date bars again. Had a spinach-egg white-feta wrap, a frosted lime-coconut bar, and a lemonade iced tea at Starbucks for lunch as kids chattered on the wide window ledges. 

Went down to the Haddon Township Library next. I wanted to look up books on ADHD in adults. Most of what they had was advice for parents of kids with ADHD, but there were some books intended for those who were diagnosed later in life. I ended up with ADHD - What Everyone Needs to Know, The Mindfullness Prescription for Adult ADHD, and Organizing Solutions for People With ADHD. I also learned that they dropped the volunteer program when the pandemic began and have been slow to pick it back up again, due to government red tape and the virus constantly mutating.

Thought about going to the Westmont Acme, but the Acme is really the last place I felt like being on my day off. Ended up at Dollar General instead. Found a really nice pack of Paper Mate mechanical pencils that reminded me of the ones I used as a kid, only in a rainbow of colors instead of just yellow. Needed more electrolyte drink mix; went with Dollar General's generic lemon-lime and Propel's strawberry-kiwi. Found a better plastic drink bottle for my electrolyte drinks than the old Propel bottle I was using. 

Took a look at the library books when I got home. All I want to know is how to deal with my attention and executive function problems without medication, so I can get a decent job and house. That, and how to better-organize my thoughts. I can organize things and keep my space neat, but my ideas come too quickly to be put into sequence properly. That's why my story notes are all over the place and I forget half of what I intend to write on this blog by the time I start it.

Finally started writing around 5:30. Brett's thrilled to be on dry land after Richard's horse makes it to the ground. Not only that, but she discovers a crown on her head, and that she, Richard, Charles, Jimmie, and Orson all wear fine clothes. She finally checkmated the Red King. His castle is her castle. Richard and Charles lead her through the gate on their arms. 

Broke for dinner at 7. Watched Let's Make a Deal while I ate. Came into the first episode as two dice played a pricing game. They turned down a car and got a trip to Mexico...and, ironically, they finally got the car when they chose the right door for the Big Deal of the Day. A lady in her bathrobe got lucky too, trading in money for a trip to Paris that really did sound lovely.

Finished the night on Amazon Prime with Beach Blanket Bingo, which is currently free there. I go further into Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello's last "Beach Party" movie together at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Beach Blanket Bingo

Against the Wind

The wind was still howling violently when I awoke this morning. I drowned it out with more Buck Rogers as I ate breakfast and made my bed. "The Golden Boy" is a gold-skinned lad that the Searcher crew finds in a life pod. Shortly after, they get trapped in a an asteroid and can't get loose, even with the boy's metal-altering powers. He claims his larger friend who landed on a near-by planet has stronger powers and can help them. Buck, Hawk, and the boy have to find his taller companion among the members of a medieval-like prison colony, before they use him for their own purposes and an ion storm destroys the ship.

Headed out to get the laundry done after the episode ended. Maybe because it was almost noon by that point, but they were pretty busy. It didn't help that I had a big load, thanks to having put it off for so long. I was lucky to get a washer, but driers were easier to come by. I read a book on finding your calling and ignored the news and soap operas.

Put the laundry away when I got home, then had a quick Coffee-Chocolate-Banana Smoothie for lunch. Cheered myself up with the the Rainbow Brite record I found a while back as I worked. Some of the songs here are just so fun, and they're all much better than the music on my somewhat similar Care Bears record. "Starlite - Rainbow Brite," about Rainbow and her brilliant-maned equine friend, is insanely catchy. I've had it stuck in my head on and off since I listened to it. I also like "Make a Room For a Rainbow Inside" and the Color Kids' "The First Part of Friendship Is Friends."

I had a few errands to run, but the wind was way too wild for the bike. I had a hard enough time getting home from the laundromat! Opted for a short walk instead. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. I had just enough time to do some quick organizing on the adult DVDs. They're still finishing re-labeling them. The labels for the fantasy/sci-fi section was now done, or mostly done (doesn't look like they finished it) in red. They were surprisingly busy for them, with several people grabbing books or looking up something on the computer before they closed for the afternoon.

I ran into the mother of my friend Erica, Miss Helen, while I was organizing the DVDs. She said she and her other daughter Debbie were on their way to Collingswood and would be willing to take me to Dollar General, which was my next stop. Between the wind and all the hiking I did last week, I wasn't about to look a gift ride in the mouth.

Unlike the library, they actually weren't that busy when they dropped me off. I mainly needed eggs. They're only $1.25 there, much cheaper than they are at the Acme. I was hoping to pick up shampoo, but while their larger Pantene bottles are smaller than the Acme's, they're not that much cheaper. I'll wait for a good sale or hit Rite Aid tomorrow. I did get rubber bands for my hair. I've had mine forever, and they're all stretched out.

I was walking down Manor when Miss Linda, the wife of my former landlord, drove by and offered me another ride. Once again, I figured why not. We had a short chat before I got off at my place. As the grandmother of Khai's friends Bree and Chloe, she knows what's going on with Dad. I told her I'm feeling worthless and stuck...and I am. I feel like I'll never find a use for my abilities. She said I wasn't worthless, and that I shouldn't talk that way. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that.

Did some reading on my newly-made bed for the next hour and a half. Finished out Work Reimagined. I've begun to realize that I've never really had any concrete ideas of what I wanted work to look like. As a young child, I wanted to be a marine biologist because I'd always been around the ocean; a little later in my childhood, I wanted to write because everyone always said I was such a good writer. No one ever said what I should write, or what I should do with it, or what else I could do. The career center at Stockton sat me down in a room filled with books on jobs and told me to pick one. They were otherwise no help whatsoever.

I presumed, after I got out of college, that I'd get a job with a local newspaper or radio station, or I'd become a secretary at a local office, and that would be that. No one in Cape May County wanted me. Turnover at most Cape May County media is rare to non-existent. People keep their jobs down there for as long as thirty years or more - and then they turn their job over to a friend or relative. No one ever needed help. I took the Acme job to earn money while I was in college, not for the rest of my life.

That's the trouble. I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life, besides write and volunteer. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, or what I should be doing. I know it's not retail. I just want something I enjoy to supplement my income, and maybe help me figure out what I can do beyond pushing carts. I'm just so nervous about pushing forward. It's easier to read than it is to move.

Worked on writing around quarter after 4. I think I'm going to try to wrap up my current Robin Hood/Han Solo story earlier than planned. It's not going as well as I'd like. Not only do I have a lot of other things on my mind, but there's at least three or four ideas that I have in my head that are probably more developed than this one. Han tries to get to Luke and Vader, but he's stopped by Sir Boba of Gisbourne, who knows he, Luke, and Leia are in charge of the outlaws. Han gets him to cut off his bonds, and they end up dueling.

Decided I needed a decent dinner for a change, and not just something thrown together. I finally had the pasta with chicken meatballs I was originally going to make last week. Used the spaghetti sauce mix packet from the buy-one, get-one Acme spice pack deal to make my own tasty pasta sauce. Had it over whole-wheat penne pasta, with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Yum! Ooh, I love the Acme's spaghetti sauce mix. My sauce was nice and tangy; the meatballs were incredibly tender.

Returned to Buck Rogers as I made my meal. Finished out disc 2 with "The Crystals." Buck, Hawk, and Wilma are among a group searching what they believe to be an uninhabited planet for crystals to power the Searcher. They find a muck-covered creature that Buck calls a mummy. They think it's dead, until it goes after their crystals. Meanwhile, Buck encounters a pretty young girl who can't seem to remember anything about herself or where she's from...but the mummy sure seems interested in her. Buck and the others try to save her from this wrapped-up menace, while Crichton and Twiki (the latter now performed by Mel Blanc again) learn more about the planet's previous inhabitants.

Went back to Angry Birds Star Wars after I ate. I'm still working my way through the "Path of the Jedi" rounds to earn an upgraded lightsaber for Luke. The space rounds alternated between being annoyingly tricky and actually kind of easy. A lot of them involve just needing to hit a Darth Porker helmet that's using the Force to hold things up just the right way, causing everything to fall down and destroy the structures and the other pigs.

Finished the night with Three Billboards Outside of Ebbings, Missouri. We head down to the deep south for this story of what people will do when they're grieving, and how different folks handle grief. Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) handles the death of her daughter by buying and painting three billboards with messages that basically indicate that Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) isn't doing his job. Her daughter was raped and murdered, and no one has caught the killers yet. No one's happy that she did it, especially since Willoughby has cancer and isn't in good shape. While Willoughby is understanding, his obnoxious and racist officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) is far less so. He threatens the man who sold Mildred the billboards and arrests a friend of hers on trumped-up charges. Even her ex-husband Charlie (John Hawkes) thinks she should let the billboards go. Mildred is determined to make them stay and have her voice heard, no matter what.

Yow. This is a very, very dark story of how grief and anger can lead people to do some pretty frightening, violent things. McDormand, Abbie Comish as her equally troubled friend, and both of the leading men are excellent; McDormand and Rockwell won Oscars for their strong performances.

This isn't for kids (there's a ton of swearing, some occasionally nasty violence, and a lot of discussion of rape and how justice isn't always done as fast as we'd like), but for adults who are looking for something thoughtful with some incredibly courageous performances, this is a very dark but very interesting look at what grief can do to all of us.

Snow Day Love Story

It was snowing when I rolled out of bed this morning. It was also late. I closed my eyes for five minutes at 7...then opened them at quarter after 8. I had to work at 9! Good thing the main roads were just wet. The snow was only sticking to the grass and to the Veteran's Park end of Manor Avenue. (Also, Charlie must have had to run errands early this morning. His car wasn't there when I dashed out the door, and no one got upset with me for rushing around upstairs.)

It continued to snow lightly through around 11. I did have to push some slush off the sidewalk (someone from the complex had already shoveled the front patio earlier) and take the long lines of carts that had been brought inside to keep dry back out, but I mainly did returns. By the time I finished my break, another bagger had arrived to do the carts. I spent the rest of the afternoon organizing and hanging gift cards, including the new iTunes cards. The various colors and swirly designs that reek of the 90's-early 2000's have been replaced by plain blue cards that say "App Store & iTunes." I made sure they were in perfect order in the kiosk for when they're ready to be put out.

The snow had long ended by the time I headed home. There was still plenty of snow left on the ground, which made for a cozy backdrop while reading Heir to the Empire and writing in my journal. I left in such a hurry this morning, I didn't have a chance to get to either.

Worked on my story after I finished my journal entry. Sir Kylo Ren turns BB over to Hux and Phasma, then drags Rey into the square. Leia's already there with Snoke. Ren orders his men to hold swords on Han and Poe, keeping them as hostages until their sweethearts agree to the wedding.

Leia has just told Barnaby she'll never agree to marry him or give up her deed to the factory when a lone shadow falls on the group. Luke, the Toymaker and Leia's brother, strolls out to the town square. He's totally unconcerned, even when Snoke and Sir Kylo Ren order their men to attack him...

Got so into this scene, I didn't break for dinner until 7. Did a quick episode of Good Eats while downing leftovers. "Pantry Raids IV: Lentils" discusses the versatility of this inexpensive and very nutritional and easy to cook legume. I can definitely vouch for this one. I ate a lot of lentils when I was out of work with a broken ankle four a couple of months in late 2012. Not only are they really cheap, but they make an amazing stew.

Ended the night after a shower with Love Story, one of the great romantic dramas of American cinema. Oliver Barrett (Ryan O'Neal) meets Jenny Cavalleri (Ali MacGraw) when he has to take books out of the library where she works. She's likes his good nature; he appreciates her wit and love of music. It takes a few dates, but they hit it off and want to marry. Oliver's rich parents don't like him marrying a poor Catholic girl and cut him off without a penny. They get married anyway. Other than Oliver's continuing frustration with his father (Ray Milland) and their struggling to make ends meet, they're mostly very happy and deliriously in love with each other. It all comes crashing down when Jenny is diagnosed with an incurable disease. Oliver gives her the best care he can, even reconciling with his father to get the money. Jenny's time may be up, but she has no regrets about their relationship. After all, "love means never having to say you're sorry."

This was much better than I thought it would be. It has a reputation of being mawkish and overly sentimental...and while yeah, it was melodramatic, I thought it was mostly very sweet. MacGraw and O'Neal give it just the right tone as the nice white guy and the sassy smart girl who fall in love despite their differences. It actually reminds me a bit of The Way We Were, set in modern times and with a far more tragic ending.

The ending is my only real complaint. A lot of critics have pointed out that Jenny never looks or acts like she's even a little sick. This is where the melodrama starts to boil over, and yeah, it is a little much.

If you're a fan of romantic dramas with a boy, a girl, and a lot of problems, you'll never be sorry for checking this one out.

Dark Tales from American History

Began a sunny Martin Luther King Jr. Day with some reading. I don't have anything on Martin Luther King Jr. himself, but Colliers Harvest of Holidays has a section on United Nations Day with essays and poems on peace that work for this holiday, too. King was an advocate for peace all his life, and actually did win the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.

Ran another Dr. Seuss special while eating breakfast. The Hoober Bloob Highway may be the most unique Seuss cartoon out there. Mr. Hoober Bloob and his walking mandolin assistant have to show a newborn child all the ins and outs of being human, from where you live to having fun to figuring out what you're going to do with your life, before they send him down to Earth.

Worked on writing for the next couple of hours. BB ducks out of the confrontation between Han Shaftoe and his son Sir Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Boy Blue. The little girl dodges trolls invading the main factory floor and rushes upstairs to the Toymaker's office. She finds him calmly painting a doll and demands he comes downstairs. Trouble is, like Luke in the current movie, he doesn't think his rushing into battle is going to solve anything. BB drags him downstairs to show him otherwise.

Broke at 1 for lunch and to get ready for work. Did another episode of She-Ra as I got organized. Bow's friend Sorrowful the cowardly dragon becomes one of "The Prisoners of Beast Island" when he's captured by Catra and the Horde. Bow feels guilty for not watching over him more closely and goes after him.

It was still sunny when I headed to work. Though clouds moved in later, it never rained, or did anything worse than look a little gloomy. It wasn't even windy. It was cold, probably in the lower 30's, which is really pretty normal for this time of year. Though we weren't that bad when we came in and were dead by the time I left, rush hour did get busy. I bagged when we were busy, but mostly did carts and the outside trash.

Did two episodes of sitcoms set during the 40's and 50's during dinner. Radio station WENN of Remember WENN gets its first black actor in the early first season episode "The Emperor Smith." Waiter and aspiring actor George Smith takes over for regular Mackie Bloom when he damages his voice as the "man of mystery" Lord Branley. However, the show is set in late 1939. People wouldn't have accepted him as the dashing leading man in a steamy soap opera. The cast has to keep his identity a secret from the press, especially obnoxious reporter Walter Snell.

Race relations in the mid-20th century are also discussed in the Happy Days third season episode "Fonzie's Friend." Fonzie's found a drummer for Richie's big Hawaiian-themed party - a black guy named Sticks. Richie doesn't mind having the guy, and even finds a date for him. Though he and Fonzie may think Sticks is cool, most of Milwaukee's teen population doesn't agree. Even Fonzie's cool can't overcome their parents' prejudice.

Ended the night with 12 Years a Slave.  Based after an 1853 memoir, this tells the story of Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejlofor), a free man in New York who was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Louisiana in 1841. He ends up at the plantation of a man named Epps (Michael Fassbinder), who brutally beats his slaves. Solomon endures harsh lashings from Epps, but he does make friends with favored slave Patsy (Lupita Nyong'o). After a bad season, he and Epps' other slaves are rented out to a plantation owned by Judge Turner (Bryan Batt). Turner takes a liking to him, and even lets him play the violin at a wedding. Solomon tries to get two letters out to his family after he's able to earn money with his violin playing. His first attempt is unsuccessful, but he does better when he befriends Canadian worker Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt) who disagrees with Epps' treatment of his slaves. It's him who finally finds the shopkeeper who is able to return Solomon home to his family.

Wow. This story of a very dark and tragic part of American history was a surprise hit in 2013 and deservedly won Oscars for Best Picture, for Nyong'o's touching performance, and for the stark screenplay by John Ridley. I really like Hans Zimmer's score, including the period-appropriate banjo music.

This harrowing tale isn't for kids, but adults with an interest in American, African-American, or 19th-century history will find much to enjoy.

Yankee Doodle Girl

Began the day with the first of two early work sessions in a row. I mopped the floor in the men's bathroom (which I never got to yesterday) and did some returns, but I was mostly outside gathering carts. Also ended up sweeping cigarette butts again. The managers put up signs saying only to smoke in certain places, but I really doubt most people will listen.

It was steady all morning, though thankfully never overwhelming. I was able to use the free iodized salt coupon I couldn't use yesterday because they were out after work. It was still sunny, breezy, and warm at this point, and had been all morning. I took advantage of the nice weather to head down Nicholson Road for a bike ride. The traffic was fairly heavy down by Wal Mart and the Hispanic church. The closer I go to Oaklyn, the faster it vanished.

When I got in, I put on a record while making Peanut Butter Pancakes for lunch (since I didn't have the time to make them for breakfast). Yankee Doodle Mickey is a collection of patriotic songs performed by the Disney characters, the Disneyland Chorus, and a young Molly Ringwauld, I believe from the late 70's-early 80's. Along with folk tunes like "Yankee Doodle," two George M. Cohan tunes ("Yankee Doodle Dandy," "You're a Grand Old Flag"), and the expected hymns and anthems ("God Bless America," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") are some unique or unusual numbers. The Disneyland Glee Club puts in a rousing performance of "The Liberty Tree" from Disney's version of Johnny Tremain, while the Disney characters do a medley to honor the Armed Services. (Mickey sings for the Air Force and the Marines, Goofy for the Army, and of course, Donald gets the Navy.)

Finally finished Shadow Games after lunch, since I didn't have time for reading this morning. Since I was already in bed, as soon as the book was done, I took a nap. It's been a while since I had a really early work day, and I did a lot of running around. I was just tired out.

I was only out for about an hour or so. When I pulled myself out of bed, I did a little writing. Langdon wants to take back his home and make up for Henry's arrest and abduction. He orders his own valet Laurence and his stable boys to subdue the Coruscant soldiers. Leia and Charles aren't ready to trust him. Cedric does - after all, he's a gentleman! Charles nearly squeezes the life out of him before he reveals that Fettson has Henry in the stables and is just about ready to leave.

It was almost quarter of 7 before I finally broke for dinner. Had chicken salad sandwiches on hot dog rolls for a quick dinner. Played Lego Star Wars: Clone Wars while I ate. I had more luck with this one on my own than I did with Lauren. Managed to get Anakin onto one of the critters and take a preying mantis-like monster out before the Jedi Calvary arrived. When they did get there, I had to make sure they got back on their ships and close the door safely.

Unlike Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which is based after linear films, Clone Wars was inspired by a weekly ongoing action cartoon. Instead of just moving on to the next mission from the hub, two missions opened. I tried one, with Obi-Wan and Anakin chasing Count Dooku, but I didn't get far. Did much better with Anakin's apprentice Ahsoka, one of the clone commanders Rex, and a little black astometech droid setting up explosives to blow up a clone-making facility. Once I figured out what I was doing, that one was kind of fun. It ended with the black droid turning out to be a spy...and Artoo actually dueling with him while the others escaped.

Clone Wars is slightly more complex than Complete Saga, both in graphics and in game play. With so many Jedi around, you use the Force a lot more, including for most building. The clones and their grappling guns replace Indy's whip here. It's also a lot easier to get killed. Enemies are stronger, and there's more of them. It's more like what I've seen of Lego The Force Awakens online. I'll see if I can return to the Dooku mission the next time I play, now that I have a better understanding of how the basics work.

Oh, and the clouds were scuttling in, even as I rode home. It didn't start raining until a few hours ago, though. Thankfully, it sounds like the rain is going to peter out by early morning. Jodie invited me over for burgers and hot dogs tomorrow at 4, and I suspect she'd be happier cooking them while dry.

Everyone Says "Don't"

I woke up with just enough time for grits and a half of a grapefruit and some music before I headed out. Among the songs on Barbara Streisand's Back to Broadway album are two of my favorite Stephan Sondheim numbers, "Everyone Says Don't" (cut from Anyone Can Whistle) and "Children Will Listen" (from Into the Woods). "Don't" is encouragement to try, even when you might fall, and I could certainly use that right now. "Listen" is a lovely ballad about raising children, what you learn from them and what they can teach you.

Work was, once again, very busy. It was even nicer than yesterday, probably in the upper 60's. It was so warm, despite the wind, I was outside in my long-sleeved work shirt, and I was too hot. I spent the first half of my shift running around, bagging and doing returns. It wasn't too bad when I arrived, but by noon, people were starting to come in droves. I practically had to beg to go on break at a decent time. I'm glad I did, seeing how I was on my feet the rest of the afternoon. There were two baggers out with me, and we still had a hard time rounding up all the carts.

I was so pooped, I went straight home afterwards. Opened the window, changed into a t-shirt and capris, and worked on writing. Leia and her family are taken across the River Corel to the palatial home of Senator Mon Mothma, the main representative for the district. Mon Mothma is an elegant, outspoken older woman who is much-involved in Coruscant politics.

Also visiting her home are ruthless Coruscant military leader Governor Tarkin and Luke's guardian, handsome, roguish shipping tycoon Henry "Han" Solo. Solo turning down an offer to ship steel for a "special" project of Tarkin's when they arrive. While Mothma argues with Tarkin about the state of the roads, Luke helps Han to his feet. Turns out he didn't rise for the ladies because he couldn't. His right leg is crippled. When Aunt Breha makes a careless comment, Han gets defensive. Leia defends her aunt, and they end up arguing.

Broke for dinner around 6:30. I had leftover chili while listening to my Reader's Digest collection of various operettas. The swashbuckling Naughty Marietta, with its romantic old New Orleans plot, is my favorite of the three on the disc. There was also the Northwest Canadian adventure Rose Marie, and the bittersweet tale of doomed romance in old Europe, The Student Prince.

Read for a couple of hours before going online. Went over the Rogue One material first. It's...different, I will say that. I like that it has a grittier feel than most Star Wars media. One of the major complaints about the prequels was that there was too much of the Jedi and politicians and not enough "normal" folk, like Han and Luke's aunt and uncle. The recent Star Wars films have done much to restore this, including bringing Han back (if only briefly).

Also read You are a Badass, at least the first few chapters. I don't know why I'm so afraid of breaking out of my comfort zone. I've been hedging on things I should have done ages ago, like order that birth certificate, renew my non-driver's ID, make the list of needed improvements for Willa (she's the landlady, not Charlie - he just lives here), upgrade my cell phone, and get food stamps and rental assistance. I'm proud of being able to live on my own. I'm proud of my independence. No one during my childhood ever thought I'd be able to live independently. I just get used to things.

I don't know why I'm so nervous about going forward. I don't mind seeing a doctor, or getting assistance. I know it's important. It's just such a pain to deal with. I know paperwork is a part of adulthood, but I hate doing it. Part of me wants to run and hide and keep hiding, so the pain will all go away. The other half of me craves control over my life, but is afraid of what that'll entail. I don't want to lose what I already have.

My heart's been hurt for a long time. I feel like every time I open it, it just gets kicked again. There's still that little girl in my heart who is afraid that someone will come and take everything away, because she's weird and different and that's the worst possible thing anyone can be.

Dolls In the Garden Next Door

Started a sunny, cool morning at work. We were very busy all day with people buying things for parties and impromptu barbecues. (The Eagles don't play until tomorrow night.) We had more trouble with the registers than with the customers. The computer at register 5 was down all morning. Register 8's coupon machine wouldn't print. It kept spitting out blank paper. The monitor at register 4 kept blanking out. I had to continually turn it off and on to get it to work. I'm glad I only worked four hours, and my relief was on time.

When I got out, it was still sunny and breezy, but a little warmer than it had been this morning. I decided to treat myself to lunch at Sonic. I wasn't the only one who did, either. There were at least three families enjoying their meals on the patio when I ordered my favorite grilled chicken sandwich, tater tots, and cherry limeade. It was the perfect day to eat outside, warm but not too hot or windy.

Headed home after I ate. I changed into regular clothes and spent an hour or so reading Dying Cheek to Cheek, a mystery about a wealthy debutante who does legwork for a popular gossip columnist in Los Angelas in 1947 and gets involved with the murder of an early TV station's first newscaster.

It was too nice to be inside all day. I decided to do something I'd wanted to try for a while. I dragged my Samantha, Felicity, and Josefina dolls next-door to the park to take photos of them in the garden. I got a couple of shots of them on the porch, too. I think the photos came out pretty well, other than Samantha got dirt stains on her new stockings when her loose legs wouldn't let her pose properly for her picking a pepper picture. (I was able to wash the stockings out later.)

Dolls In the Garden Next Door

I spent the next hour or so in a nice, warm bath, looking over cake decorating books and listening to a Jerome Kern jazz CD. When I got out, I put on my Show Boat studio cast album from 1988 while eating a bagel with raspberry preserves and a can of fruit cocktail for dinner. I also have the 1994 revival, but this has a couple of songs that didn't make it onto that one, including two comic favorites of mine, "I Might Fall Back On You" and "Life Upon the Wicked Stage."

Tales of Winter

It was still sunny outside when I got up this morning. Started off with breakfast and a couple of cartoons revolving around snow and winter. Jack Frost is one of the better 70s Rankin-Bass specials. The title character falls for a human girl and begs to be made human himself in order to woo her. Unfortunately, an evil Cossack king and a handsome knight are also interested in her. When the Cossack threatens her village, Jack gives up his new life to save his friends.

An earlier Rankin-Bass special gives us another version of Jack Frost. In Frosty's Winter Wonderland, the little sprite is jealous because Frosty's getting all the attention from the kids. He becomes determined to keep a mere snowman from showing up the creator of winter! Meanwhile, Frosty's lonely. The kids create a "snow wife" named Crystal to be his companion. It's good-natured Crystal who finally stops Jack Frost from disrupting the wedding and shows him that he can be their friend, too.

The Backyardigans are having their own problems in the snow. Uniqua wants to know "The Secret of Snow," but Ice Lady Tasha has no time for her queries. She keeps sending Uniqua to warm places. Uniqua keeps coming back, with Tyrone and Pablo joining in later. They show Tasha and her bored assistant Austin that there's no real "secret of snow," but friendship is even more important.

Olive chooses Popeye to accompany her on a skiing jaunt in "I-Ski-You-Ski," but Bluto doesn't want to share the lanky lass. He does his best to put their romance on thin ice!

I spent most of the day at work. I ended up there until 7; I was originally only supposed to work until 5. We were steady, busier than yesterday, but still not overwhelming. While the main roads are mostly clear, the back roads are covered in ice and congealed salted snow. They were afraid they wouldn't have enough people to help them when some stock people called out and they had to pull cashiers to help stock shelves.

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. Mom sent me all of my old school information from various Child Study Teams for me to show my counselor to explain why I ended up in Special Ed schools and classes in the first place...and to explain it to me.

I've always had trouble with my peers, going back as far as elementary school. Even in high school, I had trouble, though it wasn't as pronounced as it was in grade school. Simply put, I had emotional issues and didn't get along with my peers, thanks to my early puberty, years of being Cape May Elementary's favorite butt of every joke, the teachers' inability to admit there was a problem, and my parents' ongoing war.

Some of the emotional issues did clear up once I got away from Cape May Elementary and my parents got marital counseling. Others linger to this day - I still prefer to work alone and have trouble getting along with my peers. I'm not good at dealing with my emotions, and I just can't be "logical" like Mom and Rose can.

Mom also sent me a really interesting book called The Tao of Womanhood. I'll see if I can go over that starting tomorrow.

Come Together

Started a gloomy, rainy morning with the last Brunch With the Beatles of 2013. In addition to George's "Ring Out the Old, Ring In the New," they always finish the year with "A Decade of #1 Hits." Among the Beatles songs heard that made it to the top in the US were "She Loves You," "We Can Work It Out," "A Hard Day's Night," "Yesterday," "Penny Lane," "Something," "Come Together," "Let It Be," and "The Long and Winding Road."

Called Mom around 11:30. She was in a good mood, having spent a fun evening with her grandsons. 5-year-old Collyn rarely sleeps over, but he seemed to have fun. She was going to spend a rainy day at home, baking. She was very happy to have spent Christmas Day with us and had nothing but praise for my home and Rose's and how well everything went.

It was still pouring, even after I called Mom. There was no way around it. I had to call for a ride to work. I tried for Rose, but she wasn't in. I then went for Jodie. She was going into Philadelphia with her sons, but said Jessa could give me a ride. I spent the remaining 40 minutes or so listening to my soft rock CD set and reading.

Work was mildly steady, surprising for a Sunday with a huge Eagles-Cowboys game. The rain and the game being moved to 8:30 likely kept a lot of people at home. It was so quiet and we had so much help, I spent the last hour shelving candy. There were no major problems, and I got out with no fuss. It was wet but no longer raining when I got out; Jessa still drove me home.

I listened to the rest of the soft rock CD as I made a mushroom and cheese omelet for dinner, then switched to Barbara Cook's The Disney Album as I climbed into a short but much-needed bath. I read a couple of American Girl book set in the week between Christmas and New Year's, or on or directly after New Year's. Happy New Year, Julie! has the groovy 70s girl frustrated with her divorced parents not being together during Christmas and her teenage sister's anger with her father. Her best friend Ivy invites her to her family's Chinese New Year's celebration. Julie hopes her family will be able to get along...and learns about good fortune and new beginnings.

Civil War-era girl Addy also faces family separation in Changes for Addy. She and her family are still trying to find their aunt, uncle, and baby sister, who fled the plantation where they were slaves after the war ended. Addy now lacks the support of her best friend Sarah as well. Sarah has had to leave school and work to help her family. When her family does make it to Philadelphia, it isn't quite the happy reunion that she'd hoped for. Reading the Emaciation Proclamation on New Year's Eve at her local church gives her courage and reminds her that even though some of them are only there in spirit, she and her family are still free.

Ruthie Smithens loves fairy tales, fantasy, and princesses...things that are all in short supply in Great Depression-era Cincinnati. When her best friend Kit's family faces foreclosure if they don't get money fast, Ruthie proves that she can be Really, Truly Ruthie and provide a happy ending by going to Kit's Aunt Millie in the Appalachians and getting the money herself.

After I got out of the bath, I went right online to watch the Eagles-Cowboys game. Right now, the score is 17-13 in the beginning of the second half, but the teams are pretty evenly-matched, and it really could be anyone's game. I really hope the Eagles win. If they win, they'll go onto the playoffs and play the Saints next week.

Hot Day Among the Books

Started out a hazy, wet morning with this week's American Top 40 re-run. Early fall 1983 saw my sister and I preparing for a new dad, while the rest of the world turned to pop, New Wave, country, and dance tunes. Hits in early October included "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, "Island In the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Pardon, "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" by Laura Brannigan, "Promises, Promises" by Naked Eyes, "One Thing Leads to Another" by The Fixx, and two songs from very 80s musicals, "Maniac" by Michael Sambello from Flashdance, and "Far From Over" by Frank Stallone from the campy Stayin' Alive.

That week's top song was one of the most famous ballads of the early 80s, the dramatic "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler.

There were yard sales all over the place today, starting with at least six in Oaklyn alone. Only one on East Haddon Avenue had anything of interest. I picked up some more yarn for a dollar, including one large multi-colored skein I intend to use for my friend Lauren's Christmas present. Did better at an estate sale on Park Avenue across from Knight Park in Collingswood. They had some really nice appliances and pots and pans for sale, many of which looked like they'd never been used. I finally bought a beautiful 8-inch non-stick frying pan for three dollars. I've needed to replace my much-abused old frying pan for years, but I could never find one I liked for a good price.

The Farm Market was could-barely-squeeze-in packed today. The fall harvest is starting to make its debut. Peaches and large cucumbers are pretty much done, but I did buy the first cranberries and broccoli of the season. I also picked up tiny Empire apples (I like the smaller ones - easier to pack in a lunch bag and less to eat), pears, baby spinach, mushrooms, and a garlic bulb.

Part of the reason the Farm Market was so busy today was because of Collingswood's Book Festival a block away on Haddon Avenue. No crafts, cars, or rides at this show, and no games that don't relate to reading - it's all books, and everything you can imagine that's related to books, along with a few food booths. There were authors selling their wares. There were large displays from publishing companies like Scholastic. There were tents set up for poetry readings and author signings. Teens and children had their own sections, with puppet shows, costumed characters (I saw someone as Skippyjon Jones the Siamese kitten), and games for the kiddies, and author signings and readings for the older guys. I even saw my friend Cassandra touting her young adult novels. 

The main reason I was there was for the used book sellers. The final two or three blocks of the Festival is devoted to booths and tables filled with nothing but used books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and videos. I made some wonderful finds after much hot and sweaty searching:

Two American Girl mysteries, the Kit story A Thief In the Theater and the Felicity supernatural tale Lady Margaret's Ghost

501 Movie Stars, a thick guide to popular screen stars and character actors from the silent era through the book's publishing in 2007

The 70s version of The Nutcracker featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov as the title character. I've been looking for this on DVD for a decent price for years. The cheapest I've seen it is $9 on eBay, still a little high for a 79-minute ballet performance I watch a few times a year. I picked it up for $2.

 It had been hot and humid ever since the clouds had cleared around 9 and left a hazy blue sky. There's no shade on the part of Haddon Avenue where the used book sales were. Despite buying a frozen raspberry lemonade from the Philly Pretzel Company, I was dripping sweat by the time I bought 501 Stars. It was time to go home. I headed back for my bike, passing several musical acts, including a pianist who was really burning up the keys and a girl group doing a cute rendition of "I'm a Believer." I also took a brief look at a book sale at a church and one last yard sale in Oaklyn, but finally decided enough was enough and bought nothing else. I was in the house by 12:30.

I'm a little embarrassed to say I spent the rest of the day reading. I got so caught up with my new finds, one hour turned into two, and then another, and before I knew it, it was almost 5PM and time for a bath! It's lazy of me, but I don't often get a chance to just rest like this, without running from one place to another. I'd planned on cleaning this afternoon, but I never got to it.

A cool, fragrant bath felt so nice after my hot walk at the Book Festival. I read my 501 Stars book, listened to jazz, and just relaxed. I really need to start doing yoga again, too. I don't want to take any classes of any kind until I can figure out what I want, but I could rent some DVDs and look over a few books.

I had just enough time after my bath for a dinner of Chicken Fingers with light cornmeal breading and leftover Chinese beans with spinach and mushrooms. Ran Pooh's Grand Adventure while I ate. This sweet and surprisingly touching direct-to-video tale has Pooh and the gang searching for Christopher Robin in the dreaded Forbidden Mountains. They're worried he may have been taken by the fearsome Skullasaurus! While Tigger, Rabbit, and Piglet face their fears, Pooh wonders why his beloved human friend has left him alone.

Similar to the 2011 Winnie the Pooh, but more bittersweet. For all the cute numbers and comedy, there's some genuinely scary or sad moments as well. You may want to have a hand waiting for the little ones when Pooh sings the heartbreaking "Wherever You Are," and don't forget to have a tissue for you as well.

Jazz For a Late Summer's Day

I got up a little earlier than usual for a Sunday. I had to work at 11, so I skipped the Brunch With the Beatles show and listened to one of my Classic Disney CDs instead. I did have just enough time to make Chocolate Chip Spice Pancakes for breakfast before heading off to work.

Given that today was a very lovely Sunday and the Eagles played at 1PM, you probably won't be surprised to hear it was busy all afternoon. My stepsister Jessa came through my line at one point. She'd been drafted to do shopping for Dad and Jodie. They were having a small get-together for the Eagles game - Rose and her family, Mark and Vanessa, a couple of neighbors, nothing like the huge blow-outs Uncle Ken used to have - and invited me to join them after work.

I debated for the next few hours whether or not I'd be up for it. I finally decided that I'd spent way too much time alone at home this week. When I did get off, I hurried home, changed into regular clothes, and rode over to Dad's.

Although Jessa herself came in later (she'd been upstairs in her room), there were plenty of other people there, including Mark and Vanessa and neighbors who had little kids who were friends of Khai's. It wasn't as crowded as Uncle Ken's parties were, but there was food. Rose made a spicy seafood gumbo. (I don't care what she says. Her definition of "spicy" is different than mine. To her, mildly spicy is "anything that doesn't set the entire inside of your head on fire.") Jodie made her famous chili. Jessa made a dip from yogurt and confetti icing that was surprisingly good. Someone brought a fudgy chocolate cake and a tasty tomato-basil salad.

The game was a hot one. The Eagles were losing badly when I saw them in the Acme's back room during my break. By 3:30, they had caught up to the Chargers 23-20. By almost the end of the fourth quarter, they were tied 30-30. Alas, a last-minute field goal gave the Chargers the win. The Eagles still put up a good fight, and they've certainly played better than anyone would have thought they would with a new coach. (I just hope they do as well on Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only are they playing against their former coach Andy Reid, but I'll be watching that one with Mom - I'll be on vacation by then.)

I spent another hour or so after the game talking to Rose, Jodie, and the kids' mom while watching Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and episodes of the most recent version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Khai's favorite Turtle is Michelangelo, by the way.) I'm a little worried about Rose. She says she hasn't been feeling well and will be going to the doctor's tomorrow for some tests. I hope it isn't anything serious.

When I got home, I called Mom and had a quick chat with her. I then gave my porch and steps a much-needed sweeping (there's still acorn and pepper nut pieces all over the place), then spent a blissful hour listening to my Jazz For the Quiet Times CD and finishing Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. I had just enough time to change my sheets to the slightly heavier ones I use for spring and fall before going online.

Oh, and I'm now getting a ride to Erma on Wednesday. Dad and Jodie are going to Cape May on Wednesday for Dad's class reunion. They offered to drop me off at Mom's on their way. It does mean that I'll be leaving later than I planned, but it'll also save me some money and time getting down there. I'll still take the bus and train home on Friday.