Everyone Knows It's Windy

The wind was roaring like the MGM Lion when I turned on the American Top 40 this morning. We blew into late February 1980 as disco wound down and country and British super groups heated up the charts. Hits included Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall," Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County," Kenny Loggins' "This Is It," Fleetwood Mac's "Sara," Michael Jackson's "Rock With You," Andy Gibb's "Desire," and Donna Summer's "On the Radio."

That week's big hit came from one of the afore-mentioned British super groups. Queen had the majority of their best-known hits in the late 70s and early 80s, including their first to make it to #1, the peppy "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

I had a LOT I needed to get done today, starting with a quick trip to the bank. After I left there, I rode straight up to the Logan Presbyterian Church to drop off more donations. I gave them some Christmas boxes I didn't need, a few more knick-knacks, the bag of stuffed Pokemon (I lost interest in Pokemon years ago), and three collectable bears. It was elbow-to-elbow in the main room with the clothing when I arrived at 10, and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered they were selling bags stuffed with as many clothes as you could get in them for two dollars. I don't really need much in the way of clothes right now, and I didn't see anything else I wanted, so I moved on.

The wind was at my back as I scurried up the White Horse Pike to Barrington. Barrington is the last town before you pass the entrance to the Expressway, and it's such a charming place, I wish I had the time to visit there more often. Like most of the towns in this area, it's has a lovely main street, including one of the coolest antique stores in the universe.

The Barrington Antique Center is an enormous 30s-40s barn of a place crammed to the rafters with every kind of antique you can imagine. Everywhere you turn, there's boxes of records and Victorian linens, shelves of Depression glassware and china, racks of books and dolls, chairs with stuffed animals and vintage gowns, and crates filled with ancient magazines, sheet music, and advertisements. It's one of the coolest stores anywhere. I never fail to walk out of there without something, and today was no exception. I turned up two American Girl Felicity books (Learns a Lesson and Saves the Day), both perfectly mint and with their original illustrations (Elizabeth is a brunette) and catalog-order cards in the back, and a really cute spoof of toy collecting, The Care and Feeding of Stuffed Animals.

I actually had less luck in the Deptford Mall area. Despite this being a Saturday, there just didn't seem to be much in the way of sales. There were only a few things I really needed anyway. I grabbed a few items at Target, including cooking spray and vanilla, that's genuinely cheaper there. Didn't see any hair clips or headbands I liked, though, and they had no interesting DVD or toy sales. Had a quick but tasty Veggie Lover's Personal Pan Pizza at Pizza Hut for lunch.

I was pulling my red Isotoner gloves on when...ouch! I stepped on one of the large rocks from the landscaping and turned my left ankle. Thank goodness I could walk fine, but it was sore. I stumbled over to a very busy Deptford Mall.

(I actually prefer Deptford to Cherry Hill, for one big reason - it's pedestrian-friendly, with lots of sidewalks and narrower streets that are generally easier to cross.)

It may be just as well that I found even less at the mall. I took a look at CD/cassette/MP3 stereos at Sears and Boscov's, but I didn't see anything I liked and could afford. (The CD player on my Emerson stereo has been acting funny for ages.) The WebKinz sale at American Greetings was Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off. I only wanted one, and their original prices weren't all that great. The Disney Animator's Collection Belle at the Disney Store was on sale and tempting, but I finally decided to hold off on her until my birthday in April. I just ended up buying socks at Boscov's and JcPenney's. At least four or five pairs of socks have gotten holes in them in the last couple of weeks, and another pair looks like they're on the verge of doing so.

I got into Barrington around 4PM. I had a hot cocoa and black and white cookie at the Barrington Coffee Shop, then rode home in the gale-force winds. When I finally blew in, I made Feather Nutmeg Muffins and Chicken with Broccoli-Mushroom Sauce for dinner and ran the 1997 animated version of Anastasia.

Like most of Don Bluth's films, this is one peculiar animated musical. The title character is an feisty  orphan (voice of Meg Ryan) whose only clue to her identity is a key around her neck with the inscription "Together In Paris." On her arrival in Moscow, she encounters a pair of con men (John Cusack and Kelsey Grammer). They need a girl to play the part of the lost Grand Duchess Anastasia, so they can earn a reward from her grieving grandmother (Angela Landsbury). Anya's not at all sure at first, but she finally begins to enjoy the adventure...until it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Anya reuniting with her family...

It sounds like a typical Disney movie from the 90s, doesn't it? Plucky heroine, cute puppy (although thankfully it doesn't talk), wisecracking animal sidekick, stage-worthy musical numbers, action, adventure, amazing animated set pieces. That's only on the surface. First of all, sassy Anya is no one's doormat. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself and cracking her own jokes, thank you. (When she looks under a dress and Dimitri asks her what she's looking for, she replies "The Russian Circus! I think they're still in here!") Dimintri ain't no prince, either. Actually, he reminds me a lot of Flynn Rider from Tangled - the thief who goes good in the end.

What's really strange here is the villain. Rasputin is...how can I put this delicately?...gross. He is literally falling apart, and no amount of quips from Bartok the White Bat can disguise the fact that a guy lurching around losing assorted body parts is more disgusting than funny. Doesn't help that he gets the film's worst number, "In the Dark of the Night," either. Almost nothing in the film has anything to do with real Russian history - it plays with the facts even more than the live-action Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman from the 50s.

The music, animation, and spirited Anya herself are the saving graces. The wonderful soundtrack, including the haunting "Once Upon a December," turned me into a fan of Broadway tunesmiths Lynn Aherns and Stephan Flahtery. There's some spectacular animation, including a really nifty sequence with a speeding train.

Rasputin's icky character and some fairly heavy violence (along with the muddled history)  puts this out of the realm of anyone under the age of 8, but older princesses who are just starting to look for their place in the world may find this fascinating.

Some Catching Up to Do

I intend to spend this week catching up on a lot of things I've been wanting to do, but either haven't had the time for or just plain haven't gotten around to. I started a chilly but sunny morning off with this week's run to the laundromat. It was surprisingly busy for early in the day, about 9:30 when I got in. I was just able to get a washer. Driers were easier, though there were still a lot of people when I left.

When I arrived home, I put the laundry away, then went right back out. I normally would have gone to the Haddon Township Library first...and I actually turned onto Newton River Park before I remembered I was going the wrong way. I needed to go to Collingswood first.

One of the things I've had to put off is getting my haircut. I usually get it sometime in mid-late February. I thought about doing it last week, but I got it done on the week of Valentine's Day last year, and I ended up spending several hours running to every salon in town...and almost all of them had a line.

I wanted to go to Haddon Hair Designs, but they were closed again. (I could have sworn I've seen them open...) I ended up back at the Hair Cuttery. This time, a guy did my hair (the girl who did it in August having left in the meantime). I must say, he did a very nice job on it. I had it cut a little shorter than I did last summer, to just below my shoulders. I like it shorter in the spring, since it gets so hot in summer.

After my hair was done, I headed to Rite-Aid next-door to buy some things I needed, then went out to lunch. West Side Gravy is basically a gourmet diner across the street from the Pop Shop, in the same building as a karate school and a dance troupe. Their menu consists of fancier versions of comfort food, like PB & J made with brioche and peanut/cashew butter and Cheesesteak and onions in egg roll wraps.

I ended up with the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup "Big Plate." It was delicious. The sandwich had three different cheeses (I nixed the fourth because I don't like American) on thick brioche slices. The soup was really more of a creamy tomato puree, and while it was a bit too salty, it was certainly thicker and tastier than anything you'd get from a can. That "big plate" wasn't all that big, either. I had no problems finishing it. Though it claims it's for a family audience, this is really for people who want diner-style food without the Pop Shop's perpetual noise and overstimulation for a similar price.

Rode over to the Haddon Township Library next for my volunteer session there. Truthfully, there wasn't much to do. They had plenty of help to shelve children's books and DVDs. For the first time in weeks, though, I had the time to take out DVDs and books. I ended up with the movies In Old Chicago, Kung Fu Panda, and 9 to 5, along with the newest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set, I Love Minnie. I also took out a book on starting a computer-based at-home business and the newest Daisy Dalyrumple and Maisie Dobbs mysteries.

Made short stops at Super Fresh and Dollar Tree after leaving the library. I didn't see the individual packs of yeast I like at Super Fresh, nor the sticks of Smart Balance spread. (Super Fresh must have stopped carrying them too, or they were discontinued.) I did get things to make a pudding pie. Picked up two packs of sponges at Dollar Tree.

It was cloudy, cold, and windy when I finally made it home. Still feeling tropical, I made a Blood Orange-Coconut-Strawberry Mousse Pie, then ground chicken burgers with roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner while I ran Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. As you can guess, the ladies of the Clubhouse were generally in the spotlight. The cutest was the title episode, as Daisy prepared a surprise party for Minnie while the others tried to keep her busy and away from the Clubhouse. The St. Patrick's Day episode, with Leprechaun Pete trying to keep the "Clubhouse Rainbowers" from chasing his pot of gold, was enjoyable as well.

Adventures at the Gym and the Aquarium

I did finally make it to Lucile Roberts today. I got in with about ten minutes to spare. I pushed my backpack and coat into a locker, locked it, bought a bottle of water, and joined the others waiting for the orientation to start.

Lucile Roberts is the cleanest, newest gym I've ever seen. Most gyms I've encountered have been shoved into small spaces or rooms in a college or high school. Not this one. It took over one of the large new storefronts in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center, a few doors down from Staples and next-door to the Chinese restaurant. It has an enormous wood floor for classes and state-of-the-art equipment. We were shown how to use the stationary bike, the elliptical (walking) machine, the treadmill, and the various weight machines.

I decided to keep it pretty simple today. I tried some of the machines that concentrated on the lower body first, since I got a pretty good upper body workout with the various yoga DVDs this week. I think I can go up a weight on most of them. I had problem with the one that works the thighs, but it turns out that the metal piece used to hold the weights in place was bent. I had to move to another one.

The stationary bike turned out to be almost too simple. I put it on 20 minutes, with no resistance...which just wasn't enough to get my heart rate going. I added a little more resistance. Next time, I think I'll either try the elliptical machine or add more resistance. I do ride a bike every day, after all.

I headed out to lunch around quarter of 1. I had no idea where to go that wouldn't completely blow my diet. I decided to hitch my wagon to some of Bassett's delicious barbecue. I had cole slaw and their BBQ Sliders - three mini-versions of their pulled pork, beef, and chicken sandwiches. Very tasty. As usual, the small cole slaw was a bit too much. I brought some of it home.

Stopped at the Acme next to do my grocery shopping. It was a little busy there, but nothing too horrible. I did the sale where you filled an insulated bag with meat and got the bag free. I didn't fill it. I only bought chicken legs, chicken cutlets, and stew meat...and the cutlets were the only things that were part of the sale. That's ok. I really just wanted to replace my insulated bag. The one I've had for a few years now is falling apart. I also stocked up on brown sugar, grapefruit, strawberries, bananas, good cheddar cheese from the deli, yogurt, and eggs. Took advantage of that sale on Emerald products and the coupons I've cut out of the boxes for the trail mix bags to get two boxes of the trail mix bags and two containers of almonds.

Called my sister Rose the moment I got home. Yes, she'd forgotten she said we'd get together. No matter. She invited me to go to the Adventure Aquarium on the Camden Waterfront with her, her best friend Colleen (who is visiting from Harrisburg), and 1 1/2-year-old son Khai. I gladly accepted. I'd had no other plans for today but doing my taxes.

The trio picked me up about an hour later. The Adventure Aquarium is one of Camden's biggest attractions. It's the home of hundreds of species of fish, sharks, hippos, and other marine animals. (And some non-marine animals. An African-themed exhibit has birds and, for some reason, a porcupine.) I don't know if Khai quite got what was going on. We browsed through all of the exhibits that we could. (Adventure Zone C was closed to be remodeled into the Aquarium's kid area.) Khai was a little apprehensive about the dark and some of the scarier animals, especially the huge alligator Mighty Mike.

He was happier (and so was Colleen) when we went outside to look at the African Penguins and the seals. The penguins were hanging around the door to their area; apparently, it was close to their feeding time, and they knew where to get their lunch! There was only one seal outside, and he was napping. A lot. He was napping when we first went outside around 3:30, and he was still asleep on the same rock an hour later (though by that time, he'd been joined by a second seal who at the very least was going for a swim). One little girl noted that the seal even looked like he had a flipper stuck in his mouth like a thumb.

Khai seemed to enjoy the concrete walkway in the back of the building more than anything inside. No wonder. It was bright, sunny, and windy, and there was plenty of room for him to out-run his mother, giggling happily. He loved watching the choppy green waves lap against the concrete. I enjoyed the spectacular view of Philadelphia, the river, and the Ben Franklin Bridge.

We finally headed home around quarter of 5. Rose drove us past the buildings of Rutgers University, where she finished her law degree, to show them to Colleen. I amused her son in the back seat with a Dr. Seuss board book on animal sounds. He loved it when I mooed, whoo-whooed, and knocked on his child's seat to simulate knocking on a door.

When I got home, I spent the next hour or so doing my taxes. My taxes take less than an hour. I own no large property and have no dependents. The sun had just finished setting when I sent my file to the IRS. I direct-deposited again this year, so I should be seeing both my federal and New Jersey returns within a week.

Watched the Bowery Boys and finished up Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated while making a quick omelet with broccoli and cheddar cheese for dinner. I never knew goofy ol' Fred could be put to such dramatic ends. I won't spoil anything here, but suffice to say, I will be waiting for the debut of this show in May with a great deal of interest.

Running Balance

I started today quietly with That's Entertainment Part III and a baking session. I just got rid of the remaining cookies I bought on sale from the Acme's bakery last week and decided I wanted a less dry successor. I finally ended up making the last bag of Gingerbread Cookie Mix from last month. Ran That's Entertainment III as I baked. The That's Entertainment films are perfect for when I just need background, or when I want to watch a musical and can't decide. It's like picking all of them.

It had been cloudy and cool but not too cold or warm all morning, and it remained so when I headed out around 11:30 with a bag of books and CDs to donate to the Haddon Township Library. I had a few stops to make on the way. Went to Dollar Tree first for sponges, scrubbers, and a back brush for the shower. Skipped a few doors down and had a nice, simple lunch of Minestrone Soup, a bottle of water, and a toasted honey-oat bagel at the Westmont Bagel Shop. It was past noon by then, so they were fairly busy.

(And I noticed that the Party Shop party goods store in the Westmont Plaza seems to be moving across the parking lot to the freestanding building that once housed Blockbuster Video. I guess they needed more room. I wonder what will move into the store they're vacating? That store was empty for years before they opened.)

Rode over to the Haddon Township Library next for this week's volunteering session there. There were plenty of DVDs to put away, so I mainly concentrated on doing them. I encountered my sister Rose carrying a gigantic box while I was shelving the adult movies. She mentioned first that she wants to know more about Lucile Roberts when I finally get there; she's considering joining up, too. She then told me that her best friend Colleen will be visiting from Harrisburg on Saturday, and she thought I might want to get together with them. Besides, she still needs to pick up her son's winter hat that he lost at work. She says it's his favorite.

I did end up taking out a couple of DVDs this week. Grabbed the animated film Rio, the first set for the new Scooby Doo series Mysteries Incorporated, and two movies, the 70s Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version of The Great Gatsby, and the recent version of True Grit with Jeff Bridges.

The pavement and my bike were a little bit wet when I got out, but it wasn't too bad. It was still showering slightly as I pushed my bike down the hill, but the rain was long gone when I arrived at the Collingswood Library. My session there was much faster. I just shelved and organized a few DVDs. There was nothing to do upstairs, and not a lot going on besides high school students doing homework. I left a little early. Headed across the street briefly to take a look at the Antique and Used Book Shop where I bought Uncle Ken's Rachel Ray cookbook last fall, but there wasn't much left there.

Yoga was next. Lee had just come back from six days in Jamaica. She was energized and full of ideas and inspiration from her trip. We did a lot of work on twisting this time and on standing poses. I think I'm finally getting the hang of the slower pace. It's also nice to see a lot of less-coordinated people, which doesn't often happen in the morning classes or with most workout DVDs.

Rode home via Newton River Park, since I didn't go through the park this morning. It was almost dark by the time I pulled up next to CVS. I picked up Pantene curl formula shampoo and conditioner on sale there, then quickly made my way home for dinner and an East Side Kids movie, Spooks Run Wild.

Making Some Changes

Started out a late morning with my journal, then Brunch With the Beatles. The theme today was "Songs that came out in or around January." These included "Penny Lane," "She Loves You," "In My Life," and "A Day In the Life."

I made Cocoa-Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast, then called Mom. Got Dad, but that was cool. I haven't talked to him since Christmas Eve. He was watching CNN. He's a huge Giants fan and gave me a lot of talk about how "revved" they were for tonight's game. He said Mom was in the shower. I'd call her back later.

Spent the rest of the morning re-arranging my bedroom. There's a lot of furniture in the bedroom that I really can't put anyplace but where they are. I tried to find somewhere else for the closets and the dresser that came with the apartment, but they were both too big to fit anywhere but against the walls. I can't move the desk away from the internet cable, either. Plus, there's only two electrical outlets in the room, and one phone jack in the whole apartment.

I originally wanted to push my "bed" (really, a very worn mattress and box spring that I've had since I was a kid) against the wall and turn it into a daybed, but it took up too much room that way...not to mention, I would be sleeping against that electrical outlet. I moved both Ikea "Billy" bookshelves in the alcove on the end of the closets, the old vanity chair that's the home for some of my collectable Effanbee dolls next to the wooden crate I use for an bed table, and the American Girl dolls' bed to the foot of my bed. The American Girl dolls themselves now sit on their bed instead of blocking the closets; the Disney Animators dolls will just stay on my bed.

Once again, I pushed too long. I barely had enough time to grab two muffins and a pear for lunch, change into my uniform, pack a bag for grocery shopping later, and hurry out the door! Though Manor Avenue was still icy, Kendall Boulevard and the Black Horse Pike were fine. I had to walk my bike on Manor, but I was able to ride normally when I hit the main roads.

Work was very busy for most of the day with people restocking after yesterday and getting ready for today's big football games. The Baltimore Ravens played the New England Patriots for the AFC title, while the San Francisco 49ers took on Dad's beloved New York Giants in the later game for the NFC. It did clear out slightly later on. Work went quickly with no problems; I was in and out.

My only real trouble today was my nose. I hadn't moved some of the furniture in my bedroom since I came to Oaklyn in January 2006, and the bookshelves weren't touched since April of that year. It was really dusty under those shelves, and it got into my lungs. I've been sneezing like crazy all day.

I already did fast food this week and I wasn't hungry enough for a big meal at Bassett's Memphis Barbecue or Applebee's, so I rode over to Tu Se Bella's to grab a slice of pizza. The place was hopping when I got in. All eyes were on the last few minutes of the Ravens-Patriots game. Even as I waited for my slice of Broccoli Rabe-Sausage Pizza to warm up, the Ravens missed a heartbreaker of a field goal that lost them the game, 23-20.

Went back to the Acme for a major grocery shopping session after dinner. I needed a LOT. In fact, I needed so much, I couldn't get it all tonight. I wouldn't have been able to carry it on my bike! The Acme is having a "buck a bag" vegetable sale and I needed to stock up, so I bought celery and a bag of cauliflower and broccoli, along with grapefruit, pears, and bananas. I also grabbed milk, brown eggs, ground chicken, cubed steaks, peanut butter, honey, oatmeal, cereal, green tea, small wraps for sandwiches until I can get to making bread, and canned tomatoes and low-sodium chicken stock in a carton to replace what I used yesterday. And I still need whole-wheat flour, baking soda, and mushrooms!
I finally got a hold of Mom when I arrived home. She was watching the 49ers-Giants game in her room and doing things online. She, too, wants to look into taking online business courses. In fact, she's looking at some of the same ones I am, these from Atlantic County College. I'm going to see if I can find any other online business schools around here this week.

(And alas Mom, the Giants finally beat the 49ers in overtime just a few minutes ago, 20-17. That means that the Giants are going to the Super Bowl, which isn't good...but I don't like the Patriots, either. Is there any way for both teams to lose? ; ) )

Learning Balance

Started a day with reading The Fences Between Us and writing in my journal. After breakfast, I made some phone calls I've been putting off. I received a bill in the mail from South Jersey Radiology last week. I thought they said they were waiting for the insurance to come through! When I called them, they said they hadn't heard from them. I called the Union, and they directed me to AmeriHealth. The woman on the line said her boss "has it in the pile on his desk with 15,000 others" and will get to it eventually. I was (and am) steamed. Will get to it eventually? I sent it to them over a month ago! What are we paying these people for? Don't they have people who can run these things through a computer and get them organized in five seconds? Isn't that what computers and secretaries are for? What's that "boss" doing, playing video games? And people wonder why I put off doing my health insurance for so long. If this is what health insurance is like for everyone, the system needs more than an overhaul. It needs to be dragged by its hair and shaken to its very roots.

I called the Foot & Ankle Center next. I hadn't heard anything about my orthopedics, and I had put off calling them because they just moved down the White Horse Pike to Haddon Heights a few weeks ago. I know how confusing moves can be! Colleen was much nicer than the health insurance receptionist. She said that no, they still hadn't come in, and yes, they were waiting on my stalled health insurance. She'll call me when they hear something...and if they don't call in a month, I'll ride up to their new location.

I finally headed out for today's errands around 11. Volunteered at the Haddon Township Library first. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today and plenty of things to do. I helped an energetic toddler boy and his mommy find Bob the Builder DVDs. (Not a hard thing to do - the only series the library has as many copies of are Pokemon, Sesame Street, and Thomas the Tank Engine.) A slightly older boy requested Go Diego, Go!

I did get a few things out for myself today, but no movies or cartoons. Most of the workout DVDs at the Haddon Township Library are empty-headed vehicles for too-skinny, too-muscular celebrities in tight-fitting clothes with bright covers. There was only one that was even close to useful for me, Power Yoga. The front cover was plain white with a normal-looking woman doing simple yoga moves, and claimed it was a "revitalizing total body workout." Well, why not? I also took out a book on fitness walking and another one that I thought might help, Fit From Within, on changing your mentality towards eating and exercise in order to lose weight.

It always takes me a long time to pick books. It was past two when I went downstairs to Wendy's for lunch. Yeah, I know, you shouldn't eat fast food when you're trying to lose weight. Wendy's, however, is a pretty good choice for people who need something fast and cheap without killing their diet. I had that half-a-salad and one other item for $5.89 deal, in this case a salad and a baked potato. (I also ordered a Diet Coke.) This time, I went with the Apple Pecan Salad, which is tasty and filling. Honestly, just the so-called "half" salad fills me up; I probably wouldn't even need a whole one. With the baked potato, it's the perfect meal on the go.

Made a quick stop at the Westmont Acme on my way to Collingswood. They did have the marshmallows I wanted, but not the whole-wheat flour. I did find something I'd been on the hunt for, though. I heard online that Jell-O put out its divine Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix again this holiday season after having missed the last two years. I never saw it at the Audubon Acme or the Super Fresh...but when I was browsing around in the Westmont Acme's baking aisle, I found a display on the end that showed off baking items for Valentine's Day...including several boxes of Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix. I immediately grabbed two.

Rode over to the Collingswood Library next, dodging the traffic on Cuthbert and Haddon. There was a few more things for me to do there this week than last week. There was a couple of DVDs to file and shelve, and they really needed to be organized. I was able to shelve a book in the non-fiction section, too. Even so, I left after less than an hour to pick up a bottle of water at WaWa before yoga class.

Yoga class was very small today, just six people...but that gave us more room to work on basic standing poses and twists. Boy, did I get a workout! I sweat a lot more in this supposedly easier class than I ever did in the more "advanced" morning one. It's really hard to try to focus on going more slowly, instead of just trying to keep up with everyone else.

It was getting dark by the time I headed out. I took the long way through Newton River Park, enjoying the chilly oncoming twilight. On my way home, there were a group of kids selling Girl Scout Cookies. Two were the Scouts themselves. The others appeared to be young teens and their friends who got corralled into babysitting. I bought a box of Lemonade cookies from them. I can't resist young entrepreneurs. I also remember how hard it was for my sisters to sell Girl Scouts Cookies in the dead of winter in Cape May when we were younger. My family would often end up buying more than half the boxes for ourselves because we could never find enough people to sell them to.

When I got home, I got so caught up reading Fit from Within, I almost missed dinnertime! I had to put aside the chicken I planned to have tonight and just have leftovers while I ran more Looney Tunes.

Slow Balance

I had a busy day today. It's a good thing I'd planned on starting with putting up the rest of the general winter decorations. It was still raining pretty good when I got up this morning. The rain had finally slowed enough around 10:30 for me to grab a bag of book and CD donations and ride over to the Haddon Township Library. (After going back because I forgot the DVDs I needed to return.)

Haddon Township's parking lot was filled to capacity when I arrived. I couldn't figure out why. That must be some party, I thought as I pushed my bike up the steep hill. I actually have no idea what was going on in the meeting room, only that it was pretty busy. There weren't many DVDs to put away, so I organized titles that had been put in the wrong section and shelved children's books. (I didn't take any DVDs out this week. I still have movies and cartoons to watch that are back-logged from over the holidays, and I didn't see anything that interested me.)

Went to lunch at the Crystal Lake Diner after leaving the Library. It was still misting a little at this point, though not as much as when I rode through Newton River Park earlier. I had Chicken Souvilaki, which I've heard of but never tried. It turned out to be sliced chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, and lettuce with a tangy sauce on grilled pita bread, with some kind of yogurt dip on the side. It was really tasty. I was so hungry, I ate all of the chicken and veggies and more than half of the pita...though they filled me up so much, I barely touched the fries.

Made quick stops at the CVS and Westmont Acme next-door to the Haddon Township High School next. Picked up brush picks and a good sale on Palmolive dishwashing liquid at CVS. Didn't find what I was looking for at the Acme, which is more of those flavored Jet-Puff Marshmallows. I did see that they have the Pilsbury Quick Bread mixes I like to use at Thanksgiving, which the Audubon Acme only carries during the holiday season.

The Collingswood Library wasn't nearly as busy as Haddon Township when I arrived. It was mostly teenagers doing homework and playing games on the computers upstairs and kids being read to. There weren't even any DVDs for me to put away. I organized the DVDs and shelved some non-fiction, but I mostly ended up reading books on musicals for an hour. (The Collingswood Library has the most extensive collection of books on the theater, films, and musicals of the three libraries I volunteer for.)

After a brief stop at WaWa for water and a pretzel, I went around the corner to Yogawood. A few months ago, they started a 4PM half-price yoga class for people who want more instruction or are just beginning. I thought I'd try that. It turned out to be, in some ways, even more intense than the morning classes. I'm not used to going slowly, and I found myself having to focus more on what I was doing, instead of just trying to keep up with everyone else. The teacher, Lee, is apparently a kindergarten teacher by trade, and she was very kind and patient. I liked the class so much, I may take it from now on when I have Thursdays off or work early on Thursdays.

It was nearly 5:30 when I finally headed home. It's funny that Lee had complained about how gloomy it was all day. The first thing that greeted me when I made my way out Yogawood's back door was a warm pink-and-blue glow lit by soft mist. Sometime during the class, the clouds had broken up, and a thin fog had settled over the area. It looked especially pretty steaming up off of Newton River as I passed by.

There was a small package waiting for me when I arrived. I used the last of my Vermont Country Store gift card to pick up some of their wonderful maple syrup, since I was out of it anyway. It's a lot easier than carrying a glass bottle home from Super Fresh. (Their prices on maple syrup are better than the Acme's.)

I still had half of that small ham I bought for New Year's Eve left, so I cut it up, tossed it into some beef broth, added vegetables in my refrigerator and dried whole wheat pasta spirals, and made Ham and Pasta Soup. I enjoyed my dinner while watching Room Service, the last movie in the TCM Marx Brothers set I hadn't gotten around to yet. This was apparently based on a hit play, and it does show. The Marx Brothers are trying to get a backer for their play...but they can't even pay their hotel bill, much less their cast. Frank Albertson is the play's naive writer; Ann Miller is his small-town sweetheart. Lucile Ball is Groucho Marx' sarcastic secretary who will be appearing in the play when it gets off the ground. Lucy and the Brothers try to keep their hotel room long enough for the backer to arrive...and when their antics scare him into canceling his check, they try to keep the hotel's manager and detective in the room long enough for the play to go on!

For Monkees fans, if you've seen the late first season episode "Monkees In Manhattan," when they, too, find themselves stranded in a hotel room waiting for a backer, then you pretty much know what the movie's about. I don't know why this isn't held in higher esteem by Marx Brothers fans. It's kind of fun. The scene where Harpo's pretending to be sick to keep them in their hotel room and Lucy is his nurse is a scream.

There's Gonna Be a Party All Over the World

First of all, Happy New Year! Thank goodness 2012 began far better than 2011 ended. Around midnight, as I sipped my Whipped Syllabub, I heard the sound of several booms going off. I hurried on the porch...and was greeted by the sight of three sets of fireworks going off all around me. There was one by Goff Avenue on the end of the river, another across the river on Kendall Boulevard, and a third over the bridges in Philadelphia. With the leaves gone from the trees, I had a clear view of the spectacle. It was absolutely gorgeous, and it really cheered me up after all of the disasters I ran into yesterday.

A chat with Mom this morning also helped. She was taking down her Christmas decorations and preparing to watch the last Eagles game of the season against division rivals the Washington Redskins (neither team made the playoffs this year). Regarding the vicious poster, she pretty much said the same thing Linda did in her comment - this person is obviously troubled themselves if they're insulting someone they don't even know.

We had a nice, long talk, which I desperately needed. I'm going to look into business courses at Stockton and elsewhere. Even if I just end up doing freelance writing, I think it'll help me with a lot of things. Unlike Rose, I have the time to figure all the logistics out. And my brother Keefe is going into the Navy on Saturday. Mom, Dad, and Keefe's girlfriend Vicki will be dropping him off at the recruiter's office that morning. Friday is my last day to say good-bye to him before he goes. Poor Mom. She's going to miss him something terrible. He's her youngest child, and she's very close to him. She also suggested a website to look at for more - and more varied - DVD and media shelves,

Left right after Mom got off the phone. I used to go out to brunch on New Year's Day, but I couldn't last year because I worked early. Since I didn't work until 3 today, I wanted to revive the tradition. My choices were two popular Collingswood venues, the Pop Shop (fancy diner) and Tortilla Press (Mexican). I finally decided I really wanted my usual Sunday pancakes and wasn't in the mood for Mexican.

The Pop Shop was even more merrily noisy than usual. Every inch of the main room was covered in glittering holiday decorations. Mylar balloons, tinsel garlands, streamers, glitter-trimmed felt stockings, and vintage Santa statues were everywhere. They were so busy, I ended up having lunch at the counter. I had three massive "Gingerbread Pancakes," plate-sized pancakes with enormous pieces of ginger snaps and lots of fresh ginger mixed in. Added a bowl of sliced pineapple and melons for some vitamins. I finished the fruit, but barely finished half the pancakes. They came home with me and will probably provide several breakfasts this week.

Went straight from the Pop Shop to Uncle Ken's, via Newton River Park. It was a lovely day for a ride. At that point, it was still sunny, a bit windy, and colder than yesterday but still not as cold as it should be at this time of year. Uncle Ken's guests were just arriving when I got there. Dad and Jodie were on their way to a party, but I did get to say "hi." My cousins Karen, Jim, and CJ were already there, as were Dolores' son and grandson. I actually had a rather nice discussion with CJ and his mother Karen about movies. Seems five-year-old CJ  has become quite the little fan of classic science fiction and action movies and TV shows like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, The Lone Ranger, and many John Wayne films.

Samantha, David, and their kids arrived early in the first quarter. They both loved the cookies I gave them at Christmas. Sam was happy to report that her sons enjoyed their lacrosse-style game (I always give her boys outdoor toys - they have a big backyard), and Faith especially loved her new vintage My Little Pony Sea Pony. She now has a pony she can take in the tub with her! My sisters and I had the exact same blue-and-purple Sea Pony I gave Faith when we were little, and we loved her, too.

I watched the kids toss a Nerf football outside for a while. (I also "Barbie-sat" Faith's new doll, whom she carried around for most of the day.) When we got too chilly, we trooped inside to enjoy Jim's tasty Garlic Salsa (fresh salsa made with garlic and feta in addition to the usual ingredients), David's Cheesy Nacho Dip, cookies and fudge leftover from Christmas, two fruited cheese spreads, and Dolores' yummy baked spiral ham with Shop Rite rolls.

I left for work shortly before the second quarter ended. With the Eagles up 10-0 and many people either sleeping off last night or still at their own parties, the Acme was very quiet tonight. It picked up a little after the game ended, but I mostly just stood around.

It was a little wet outside when I finished my shift. I'd seen clouds on the horizon as I rode to work, and they must have burst sometime during the evening. It wasn't anything big, but it was nice enough to at least make it seem less dry.

When I got home, I ran more Bowery Boys movies, baked that pumpkin bread mix that Keefe gave me for Christmas, and listened to the jubilant return of the Mummers string band, who had also jolted me out of my slumber around 9AM this morning.

(Oh, and the Eagles finally walloped the Redskins 34-10, ending a so-so season on a high note. The Giants and Cowboys are playing for control of the division and, at press-time, are at the half, with the Giants up 21-0.)

Here's hoping you also have a happy, healthy, and fun 2012! : )

New Year's On the Rocks

The day began well. It was sunny, bright, and warm-out-of-the-ordinary for December, in the mid-50s. I had written in my journal and was just finished dressing when I got the dreaded call. Yes, it was the Acme. Could I come in as soon as possible? It was really busy. I told them 1PM. I had to get to the bank, if nothing else.

I did get to the bank, around quarter after 11. It wasn't busy when I was there, but the teller said it had been busy earlier. Simply Soups wasn't busy when I went there, either. I had a quick, small bowl of New England Clam Chowder, quarter of a Coke can, and a breadstick and a half.

I felt a little better when I rode down to Market Street and had a chat with Bob at Abbie Road. He not only slashed prices on a lot of CDs, but he had a pile of records for sale, too. My record finds were:

Olivia Newton-John - Have You Never Been Mellow

Pat Benetar - Tropico and Crimes of Passion

Belinda Carlisle - Heaven On Earth (replacing a cassette copy)


Linda Rondstat - Simple Dreams

Phil Collins - Face Value and But Seriously

The original Broadway cast album for the musical Zorba (never removed from its original plastic)

The CDs were mostly cast albums. I picked up the original casts for Company, Joseph and His Technicolor Dream Coat, and Grand Hotel: The Musical (another cassette replacement), the soundtrack for Til the Clouds Roll By, and Neil Diamond - His 12 Greatest Hits, Vol. II.

Work was a pain in the rear end all day. Yes, we were very busy. There was also a call-out. One of the older women had been sick all week. If people weren't doing their beginning-of-the-month shopping, they were buying vegetable trays and piles of chip bags for parties tonight. At one point, one very noisy man made a fuss because his check wouldn't go through. It hadn't helped that the woman in front of him got upset because he was taking the Lord's name in vain! The man was so obnoxious, even his teenage daughter said he was embarrassing her. I was frustrated, but everyone in the line after him was super-nice and complimented me on how well I handled him.

I went straight home after I finally got out of work. There was a really big package waiting for me when I arrived. My new DVD shelf unit had come! I put my things upstairs, then dragged the heavy box upstairs.

It ended up taking the better part of the night to put the shelf together. The directions weren't the greatest. I couldn't fit the sides to the bottom and top at first. Things went far faster when I finally got the sides standing upright.

It didn't help that I was trying to alternate putting up the unit with making a big New Year's Eve dinner. I eventually had ham with a sauce made from water, drippings, and fruit, steamed green beans, Strawberry Flummery, and sweet potatoes and apples. I ran Rudolph's Shiny New Year, Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, and two Bowery Boys movies while I worked and cooked. And of course, it turns out that the shelves still aren't enough to hold all of my DVDs.

Things weren't even pleasant when I got online. I had another nasty comment from that awful "jmsairforce," whom I assume is also the commenter who used to sign himself as "James" and claimed he was a psychiatrist. Now he's calling me a "creepy freak," just because I enjoy my dolls. You know why I enjoy those dolls? They don't insult me, call me names, or behave like an obnoxious boor. He says I'm a "headcase" and that I'm completely insane! I wish whomever this is would just crawl back under the rock he came from. I never did anything to him. I never called him names or hurt him in any way. He should do likewise and leave me alone.

I  hope all of you have a far better end of 2011 than I did.

Suspended In Time

I had a very quiet day. I slept in, then headed out for an errands run after breakfast. It was cloudy in the morning, but the rain held off. I made a fast stop at the bank to deposit Christmas money, then rode down through Newton River Park. It was surprisingly busy for a damp and gloomy day, with lots of dog walkers, joggers, and parents getting their kids out before the weather got bad.

The Library was busy, but there wasn't much to do. I shelved a small stack of DVDs and some children's books, but there were other volunteers there as well. I did take out three cartoon DVDs, the new specials for the 2009 Strawberry Shortcake and the Barbie As series and the second season of Sean the Sheep.

Made quick stops at Super Fresh for cooking spray; also got Stash's White Christmas White Tea. Went a few doors down to Dollar Tree for sponges, toothbrushes, and a shower curtain. By the time I stopped at Nick and Joe's for lunch, the on-and-off rain had turned into a shower. I enjoyed a cozy meal of grilled cheese and tomato with a cup of Italian Wedding soup, but I couldn't avoid the weather. I just rode home in the rain.

Spent the rest of the evening at my place, avoiding the at-times heavy rain. I worked on updating several inventories for a while, then ran Xanadu while making Chicken With Mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and an Escarole Citrus Salad for dinner. Xanadu is the strange story of a young artist (Michael Beck) who is inspired by an attractive blond (Olivia Newton-John) to follow his dream and open a roller-skating disco palace in the dilapidated Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. He even persuades former clarinetist Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), now the owner of a construction and restoration company, to help him out. Kira, however, is not what she seems...

TV Tropes is right in calling this "the nexus of 70s cheese and 80s cheese." It's kind of obvious they had plenty of music when they began filming, but no script at all. They were literally making the script up as they go along, and it shows. Nothing makes sense, the editing is all over the place, Beck is hardly right for this sort of romantic lunacy, the special effects look like refugees from Tron, and the animated sequence a little more than half-way through (by Don Bluth on his first solo assignment) doesn't have anything to do with the film and stops it cold.

For all the craziness and bizarre costumes and just plain 80s-ness of the whole thing...I really liked it. I liked the energy. I liked the style. I liked the charming number between Kelly and Newton-John, "Whenever You're Away From Me." I still love the soundtrack. I thought the film had a kernel of a good idea, showing the collision of 40s and 80s musical styles and how much life and musicals had changed in the ensuing years. It just tried to pile on way too much of everything. And a real script might have helped, too.

I thought it was very cute, but I really can't recommend it unless you're like me and have built an immunity to camp. This is the definition of "not for everyone." If you're interested but don't want to handle the cheese, try the 2007 Broadway Cast Album. Apparently, the Broadway version became a surprise hit in the smallest auditorium on the Great White Way by playing this for the delightfully kischy hoot it is.

It's a Magical World

I slept in this morning and spent most of it at home. Met Jessa around 11:30-noon to head out to the Cherry Hill Mall for some serious shopping. Though there was no traffic going to Cherry Hill, the mall parking lot was filled to capacity. Thank goodness Jessa bought a much smaller car during the summer and was able to find a parking spot fairly quickly.

You also won't be surprised to hear that the mall was a mob scene today...but I don't regret the trip one bit. The sales were seriously worth it. We parked by Macy's and walked through there first, but most of their merchandise is a bit high-end for my taste. We finally ended up just walking out into the main mall.

The first sight that met our eyes when we got onto the main floor was not encouraging. The small FYE had closing signs posted. Unlike the Audubon FYE, they're not shutting down entirely, just changing malls - seems they're moving to Moorestown. Their loss was my gain. For the second holiday season in a row, a shuttering FYE meant big savings for me. Between the closing sales and my Membership Card, I picked up the TCM Classics Collection Busby Berkley set and the new Tom and Jerry Platinum Collection set for about $14.50 each, the campy 1980 musical Xanadu for $5, Fred Astaire's last major musical Finian's Rainbow for $10.50, and a used copy of Robin Hood: Men In Tights for just $3.14. It came to $51.98 all together...and thanks to the $50 gift card I had, I ended up paying two dollars for the whole lot.

I did even better at JCPenney. They were having HUGE sales all over the place. I had to stand in a long line at the women's department, but it was worth it. I picked up a new pair of loafers (the salesman gave me an extra 10% discount because they were a display pair), a lovely Liz Claibourne blouse in shades of red gradually fading to purple, a periwinkle blue v-neck short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of light khaki corduroy pants for work, and two fat pillows to replace the very flat ones I'd slept on since childhood. Once again, with the help of major sales and a $50 gift card, I paid eight dollars for everything.

The only place I paid real money today was Lane Bryant. I bought a button-down white shirt there. At $30, it was the most expensive single item I picked up today, but I really need new button-down shirts. The one I bought in the fall doesn't fit. A quick stop at the Disney Store yielded no finds. Alas, all of the Animator's Collection dolls I wanted were gone. They only had Mulan, Aurora, and Snow White left, and just a bare few of Mulan and Snow White. I ended up ordering Tiana and Cinderella from the Disney Store tonight. We also stopped briefly at Journeys so Jessa could trade in some shoes that didn't fit.

If it was crowded when we arrived, by the time we left Lane Bryant, we could barely move around downstairs. It was literally elbow-to-elbow! There was more room in the more open area near Nordstrom's, but we'd really had enough of mall crowds. We decided to head out and eat elsewhere.

After we finally got out of the very busy parking lot, Jessa had a brilliant idea. She took us to Panera Bread, which is in front of the sprawling "town center" mall that's the home of Wegman's, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, and the Christmas Tree Shop, among others. I'm so glad she suggested it. Panera Bread reminds me a lot of Saladworks - a really high-end fast food place. However, the prices are slightly better, and the emphasis is on healthy baked goods (though they do have salads, too). My roll, half of a Sierra Turkey Club Sandwich, and half of a Apple Pecan Salad were absolutely delicious. (Though that supposed "half" salad was so big, I couldn't finish it.) Jessa had the Sierra Turkey sandwich and a cup of soup she seemed to enjoy.

After we left there, we drove across the parking lot and made our way to Barnes and Noble. Though they were busy, the Cherry Hill Barnes and Noble is gigantic, and there was far more room to stretch and wander. I was surprised to see a large section devoted to toys - in a book store? They didn't have DVDs, either, which was disappointing. That didn't stop me from finding things I wanted, though. Made some good Bargain Priced finds - the final Calvin and Hobbes comic book It's a Magical World for $8, the newest Carol Higgins Clark novel Mobbed in hardback for $6, and a new journal with a pretty blue butterfly watercolor on the cover for $5. And since Barnes and Noble carries min American Girl dolls to go with the boxed book sets, I bought a Mini Cecile to go with my Mini Marie-Grace. (I love her soft little curls. I wish my curls were that soft.)

It was getting late. Jessa called Dad to let him know where we were, and we went back to my place. Jessa helped me put my new pillows in the pillowcases, and I showed her pictures of the dolls. We chatted for a while, until Jessa decided she'd had a long day and wanted a nap.

Spent the rest of the night eating leftovers out of the fridge for dinner and watching Island at the Top of the World. This strange variation on Journey to the Center of the Earth has a well-bred Englishman searching for his son, who has vanished looking for the mythical title island, with the help of an archeologist who specializes in Norse history, an Eskimo guide, and the French captain of the airship the Hyperion and his poodle. Some nice special effects, especially the Hyperion and once they reach the island.

Believe In the Magic of Christmas

I had a lot to do today on this, my only other day off besides Christmas Eve. I began with a fairly early run to the laundromat. It was very quiet when I came in around quarter after 10, just me, an older woman, and Let's Make a Deal. It got much busier later on, but by that time, my clothes were already in the dryer.

When I arrived home, I put everything away and headed right back out again. I wanted to get to the Haddon Township Library to return the DVDs and donate videos. I rode through Newton River Park. It was a gloomy, chilly day. It showered lightly on-and-off all day long, not enough to keep me at home...but enough to at least make me damp. There were only a few people in the park, strolling along with umbrellas, but the ducks and Canadian geese were very happy.

Stopped at Wendy's for lunch. I tried their Baja salad this time, with a potato with chives and a little bit of butter spread and a small cup of chilli. The salad came with a spicy Jalapeno dressing, seasoned tortilla strips, and sour cream...all of which I left off. I don't do spicy. Alas, without the condiments, the salad was pretty much just cheese, lettuce, a dollop of guacamole, and tomato bits. The nice, warm chilli and the filling potato were much better. I felt so cozy, enjoying a warm lunch in the prettily-decorated building. Despite it being about 1PM, it wasn't terribly busy. I think the McDonald's next door gets a lot of the families, thanks to their indoor playground. Most of Wendy's customers seem to be elderly people, executives on their way to work, and high schoolers looking for a better-tasting meal than the one in their cafeteria. Shame, because I like their food and prices much better than McDonald's.

Pushed my bike up the hill to the Haddon Township Library after lunch. They were very busy, but they also had quite a bit of help. I did shelve and organize the children's DVDs, easy readers, and some picture books. I didn't take any DVDs or books out myself this week. I have plenty of Christmas movies to watch, and probably will be getting more this weekend. I did find a really cute paperback novelization of Mickey's Christmas Carol in the book sale section, though.

Went straight home after leaving the library. I took the shorter route down Cuthbert Road. Cuthbert is one of the busiest streets in the whole county, and it takes me a while to cross. When I did finally arrive, there was a large box from my best friend Lauren Miller waiting for me. I carried it upstairs and put it aside until I went online.

Spent the rest of the rainy afternoon and evening baking bread and cupcakes and watching Christmas movies. Two of my favorite holiday comedies involve the existence of Santa and the importance of faith and kindness. The original Miracle on 34th Street from 1947 concerns a young female executive (Maureen O'Hara) who is dismayed when the Santa she just hired for Macy's insists that he's the real deal. She doesn't believe in fantasies like Santa and reindeer, and doesn't want her daughter (Natalie Wood in her child-star days) believing in them, either. When Santa defends a young man who enjoys giving out gifts from the troubled store psychologist, he accuses the old man of being violent. A kind-hearted lawyer (John Payne) takes it on himself to prove to a skeptical New York court that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of children...and jaded Manhattanites...everywhere.

Ernest Saves Christmas is a somewhat less-conventional variation on the same theme. Good-natured but dim-witted Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) finds himself helping Santa Claus seek his replacement on Christmas Eve. If they can't convince the man Santa has selected to take the job, the magic of Christmas will fade away forever! Meanwhile, Ernest has his hands full dealing with a tough-minded young teen runaway who cares about no one but herself, not to mention driving Santa's sleigh!

Miracle is pretty much required Christmas viewing. Edmund Gwen won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Santa. If you've ever wanted to check out Varney's long-running series of Ernest vehicles, Ernest Saves Christmas is one of the better ones and not a bad place to start. Ernest driving Santa's sleigh is hilarious. Miracle is easily available in several DVD versions. Ernest is out of print, but used DVD stores and some online stores like Amazon may still have it.

I had tacos and green beans for dinner, took a quick shower, and then went online. When Lauren came on, I opened my gifts from  her. Most of what she gave me were DVDs to replace the videos I wasn't able to dub (including Ernest Saves Christmas). I also got a Beatles tote bag, my first iPod Nano (to replace the portable MP3 player that died last year - Lauren is an Apple Computers devotee), the American Girl Samantha Mystery The Stolen Sapphire, and the adorable WebKinz Arctic Polar Bear. His name will be Whitey - another BoweryKinz. She also gave me gift cards from eBay, FYE (on a huge card in the shape of a credit card), Barnes & Noble, Macy's, and JCPenney's. Lauren is the best best friend anyone ever had. I can't believe she bought me all that. She's truly wonderful. :)

Oh, and the Cranberry-Orange Bread and Candy Cane Cupcakes both came out splendidly. The cupcakes will be split between several people. The bread will go to my neighbors.

Time For Christmas Cookies!

Started this morning relatively early, around 8, and got out at quarter of 10. I had a lot of errands on my to do list today, starting with a trip to Oaklyn's Post Office to send off packages for my little nephew Collyn (whose 3rd birthday was last week), Linda & James Young, and my best friend Lauren. I figured it wouldn't be that busy at quarter of 10...but boy, was I wrong! There was already a line across and outside of the small building. They only had one man doing everything. The man they had borrowed from another post office had to be entered into their system by a supervisor who wasn't there. He couldn't get his scanner to work, either. And of course, the two women before me were sending huge packages all the way to Greece! I'm glad I got boxes at the post office this time, instead of using my own. It made things a lot easier. I was in and out quickly once I finally got up to the counter.

The Oaklyn Library isn't that far from Newton River Park, so I rode across there to the Haddon Township Library. It was very cold this morning, much colder than it has been. Some puddles had a thin layer of ice on them. So did parts of the river! I only saw a lone man on a walk and a flock of ducks going for a swim on the ice-less parts of the river.

Actually, there wasn't much going on at the Haddon Township Library. There was already a volunteer who was shelving DVDs. I ended up organizing the children's DVDs and putting away some picture books. I mostly took out cartoons this week. Picked up another holiday-themed Max & Ruby set (Everybunny Loves Winter), the holiday Rugrats set (Turkey and Mistletoe - in other words, the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and two Christmas specials), a new Sean the Sheep set, this one themed around aliens and the paranormal, and the Disney Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey from two years ago.

I had quite a bit to do at the Westmont Plaza after I left the library. I was thrilled to discover Super Fresh had that Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix I like. It's only out during the holidays, and I haven't seen it at the Acme yet this year. (The cashier said it just came in this week!) I also grabbed grits, brown sugar, and a gift card and card holder for my sister Anny.

There's a Game Stop next-door to the Bagel Shop in the Westmont Plaza. I made it my next stop. It's larger, cleaner, and has a nicer selection than the Audubon Game Stop. Ironically, when I brought the PlayStation Portable game I picked for Keefe up to the counter, the very nice cashier said they weren't that popular of a location. She said Audubon gets a lot more customers...but they have a more loyal clientele of locals.

With the Bagel Shop right next door, it made sense to go there for lunch. I had a warm, spicy pizza bagel, fries, and pickles while listening to The Chew and enjoying the relative quiet. There was one other woman there reading a book. A family with an adorable toddler daughter came in a bit later.

Went right home after lunch. I put everything away, then put on the DVDs I rented today and started the first batches of cookies. I always make these cookies to give away to family members and to bring to the Acme's Holiday Luncheon:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter
Biscotti
Molasses Roll-Outs
Cherry Coconut Bars

Started with the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip first. I get these from a Prevention Magazine recipe I clipped about two years ago. Everyone always appreciates them. I've never had a batch that didn't turn out well, and these were no exception. They were perfect.

I went for a walk around the neighborhood between batches. It was past 4PM by this point. The sun was starting to go down, shooting rays of crimson gold over the calm waters of the creek. The water at the end of Goff Avenue was perfectly calm, without even a ripple to disturb the glassy waters.

When I came home, I went right back into cookie baking. This time, I did the Peanut Butter (from a recipe from a British cookie and biscuit book) while running A Christmas Carol. I don't recommend this version of the beloved Charles Dickens novella at all. It's done in the same motion-capture animation as Polar Express, but for some reason, we get more of an emphasis on the ghosts being frightening than on redeeming Scrooge. There's a lot of bizarre set pieces, including one where Scrooge is shrunk and another where he blasts over the moon, that have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas Carol and more to do with showing off technology. Some of the freakier images should have netted this a PG-13. Shame this wastes a nice cast, including Carrey as Scrooge, Colin Firth as Nephew Fred, and Bob Hoskins as Fezziwig, among others. If you want a Christmas Carol for kids, try the Muppets or Mickey (which I watched directly after this); if you want a more traditional recent version, check out the Patrick Stewart TNT movie from 2000 or even the 2004 musical I rented a few weeks ago.

Did Shaun the Sheep while making a quick dinner of leftover chicken soup with Betty Crocker gingerbread bars for dessert. Though a few of the episodes that revolved around alien visitors were on the Season One set, there were a couple that were new to me. My favorite was "Bitzer Puts His Foot In It." Bitzer the dog tries to guard his master's freshly laid cement patch...but it's not easy with Sean and his fellow sheep making mischief! Sean and Bitzer's attempts to cure Shirley the Sheep of her "Hiccups" was cute, too.

Oh, and I got my brother's presents wrapped today and put Anny's gift card in a tin. This completely finishes my holiday non-food shopping. Anyone who shows up unexpectedly will get food or a gift card.

Balance and a Philadelphia Christmas

It was still cloudy when I rushed out the door this morning for yoga class. I barely made it on time, but it was worth it. I needed it after all the trouble yesterday! Class went fairly well. We concentrated on inversions and working our shoulders and stomachs. Not my best moves, but I did get a nice stretch in my hamstrings.

There wasn't much to do at the Collingswood Library when I arrived after class, which was probably just as well. I had other things I wanted to get done today. I shelved a few DVDs and did a quick organizing job. I also donated records I didn't want or had accidentally bought extras of from yard sales, which I've been meaning to do for months now.

After I left the library, I rode right over to the PATCO train station. By this time, the clouds had vanished, and it was a brisk, sunny day (though not quite as cold as I thought it would be, probably in the mid to upper 40s). It was the perfect day for Christmas shopping in the city. I hopped a half-full train into Philadelphia around 11:30.

After running into huge crowds at Macy's and on Market Street during the lunch hour last year at Christmas, I learned my lesson. This time, I got off at 12th Street and started with lunch at Mama Angelina's, a basic pizza parlor about a block from the train entrance. I had a slice of cheese, a slice of vegetable, and a very small Diet Pepsi.

Mama Angelina's is a block from the Avenue of the Arts. I was at the FYE near City Hall in no time. It took me a while, but I did find the things I wanted to here. I picked up my sister Rose's present, and something Mom told me my stepdad wanted. I couldn't find anything I thought he'd like for almost an hour and a half...until I happened to look at a display in front of the upstairs DVD section and see the perfect thing.

I spent the next half-hour wandering around Philadelphia. I wanted to go to the Shops at Liberty Place, but I got lost. When I finally did find the building, the Toys R Us and book store that were there last year were gone. The only stores Liberty Place had were clothing stores. There was absolutely nothing of interest anymore, so I moved on in annoyance.

Headed down to City Hall and made a right turn onto Market Street. This time, Macy's was busy, but nothing out of the ordinary. I was able to buy my presents for Jessa with no wait in line. There was a short line for the Dickens Village, but it wasn't going half-way across the building. This year, they had people in Victorian costumes greeting guests as they passed through the lines. I thought it was a nice touch.

The "Dickens Village" is an Audio-Animatronic-style display that shows scenes and snippets from A Christmas Carol. It's really cool to see all the little details they add, like references to other Charles Dickens novels (such as the Pickwick Club or Mr. Micawber being the seller of the prize goose). Kids love the black-light room you walk through right before the end, after Scrooge has been shown his future.

Got downstairs just in time to catch most of the Macy's Light Show. I always enjoyed seeing footage of this Philadelphia holiday tradition on Channel 6 as a child. I'm so thrilled to really be able to see it in person! Everyone in the enormous main floor oohed and ahhed as sugar plum fairies danced, snowmen waved their arms, clocks ticked in time to the music, and the fabulous tree glowed with hundreds of glittering LED lights. Julie Andrews does the narration.

Here's an older version of the show sans the tree.

Left Macy's as soon as the show ended. I made my way back to Market Street, then down to the Gallery Mall. I still had to shop for most of the kids on my list, including my two older nephews. I got incredibly lucky. One of the first things I saw after entering the Gallery Mall was a huge Toys R Us Express. It's the only one I've seen so far this year. They didn't rent a store in Audubon again. Despite the crowds, I was easily able to find presents for my nephew Collyn, my younger cousin CJ, and my two pre-teen and young teen cousins Ethan and Matt.

I had one kid left on my list. I stopped at Books-a-Million to find a book on space for my nephew Skylar, who apparently loves space and space exploration. It took me a while, but I finally found a short book that was simple enough for a 7-year-old.

The Books-a-Million in the Gallery Mall is actually pretty close to the entrance to the 8th Street PATCO. It was around 4PM when I hopped on a standing-room-only train back to Collingswood. I'm surprised at how little time it took to shop this year. I don't think it was even four hours. I'll remember to start at 12th Street instead of 8th Street next year, too, especially if I take the train later in the day.

When I got in, I spent a couple of hours wrapping presents. I had a late dinner of leftovers and honey-glazed carrots while running one of my favorite Rankin-Bass specials, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and baked banana bread as it finished. A tired Santa opts to take a year off when it seems like no one cares about Christmas. His wife, two elves, and a little boy from a town in the American Deep South are determined to prove otherwise, come heck or interference from the Miser Brothers, who control heat and cold and are constantly at war with each other and anyone who seems to support one brother over the other!

I get a kick out of this one. It's a tad campy, with the Miser Brothers' numbers looking like something out of an early TV variety show, but not as bizarre as some later Rankin-Bass specials. I especially like Shirley Booth as Mrs. Claus.

Sharing the Joy of Christmas

Started out a cloudy, windy, fairly warm day with a flurry of chores. I had a lot that I wanted to get done before my friend Amanda from Vineland arrived for her annual Christmas season visit. I put some things away that had been left out. I made the bed. I vacuumed. Vacuuming took me longer than I thought it would, so I was late getting out the door!

Amanda and I were going to meet at 11 at the PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike. She hit traffic and was about 20 minutes late, but that was ok. We weren't going far, anyway. We did what we did last year and had lunch at Tortilla Press, the Mexican restaurant in Collingswood. It was a little after 11:30 when we got there. We thought they were closed at first - it was dark and quiet inside. The door did open and there was a sign outside with the day's specials, so we went in.

Turns out they'd almost literally just opened. We were their very first customers of the day! We both had huge Chicken and Avocado Wraps with lettuce and tomato, Cilantro Cole Slaw, and shared a plate of sweet potato fries and a basket of home-made chips and salsa. We did eat our cole slaw and the small plate of fries, but the chips and half of each of our sandwiches ended up going home with us. Amanda also had a huge cup of strong Mexican coffee that she said was much better than the brew served at the Bob Evans where she works in Vineland.

Amanda originally requested going to a coffee shop after lunch, but since she had her java at Tortilla Press, we went in the opposite direction and had ice cream at the Pop Shop instead. I went tropical and had two scoops of Vanilla with pineapple "goop" (crushed pineapple) and toasted coconut. Amanda opted for a Christmas sundae - two scoops of Peppermint with chocolate syrup and peppermint patties. Despite our large lunch, we both ate all of our sundaes and enjoyed every bit of them.

We were way too full to do anything else in Collingswood (and most stores are closed on Monday anyway), so we just went back to my place. When we got in, I got the mail, and we exchanged gifts. Interestingly, we both gave each other Peanuts-related items. I gave Amanda a cute set of Peanuts ornaments I found at CVS a few weeks ago. She gave me Charlie Brown and Snoopy stuffed toys. Snoopy is dressed in a chef's outfit and holds a felt "cookie"; his apron says "Happiness is a warm cookie." (How true!) Charlie Brown talks when you press his foot. He holds a felt Christmas shopping list and says "If picking the right present wasn't so hard, I'd be better at it."

We continued the Peanuts theme with the two Peanuts specials I hadn't watched yet. Little Re-Run Van Pelt, Linus and Lucy's younger brother, really wants a dog of his own in I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown. His mother and siblings remind him that it's a big responsibility to own a dog. He doesn't listen at first and just keeps asking Snoopy to play with him. When Snoopy's lanky brother Spike visits from the desert, he finally shows Re-Run just how hard it can be to take care of a pet.

Charlie Brown was the one having the trouble in Happy New Year, Charlie Brown. He somehow has to write a book report on War and Peace over Christmas Vacation, but Peppermint Patty, her big New Year's Eve party, and a host of unrequited romances keep distracting him from his work.

We went for a stroll in Veteran's Park next-door between specials. I told Amanda about wanting to take classes and start a business. She talked about her health troubles and her jobs at Bob Evans and as a substitute teacher in Vineland and Millville (and how much she doesn't like school cafeteria food).

Amanda left around 3:30, shortly after Happy New Year, Charlie Brown ended. She was having dinner with her father and grandmother and wanted plenty of time to get home. I saw her off, then grabbed my DVDs and made a quick run to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteer session there.

It was still pretty light out when I headed past Newton River Park. It had been muddy and spongy in Veteran's Park, so I avoided the ground all together and rode on the street. The library wasn't too busy. I did have some DVDs to put away, and I did some organizing. I ended up taking out more Max & Ruby Christmas episodes (A Very Bunny Christmas), Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (Disney's computer-animated follow up to Once Upon a Christmas), McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and the most recent Chronicles of Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

It was dark when I left the library. I made a very quick stop at Dollar Tree for a card for my nephew Collyn for his birthday on Friday and for my mom and stepdad's anniversary next week, then rode home. Watched Max & Ruby while having leftovers. After dinner, I took cute Christmas shots of the AG girls around the living room. Here's the link to the Photobucket album:

AG Christmas 2011

Balance and the Christmas Tree

Started out an absolutely gorgeous day with yoga. I didn't get to it last week because of Thanksgiving, but I had no such distractions this morning. We worked on "inner spiral," which meant balance poses that involve twisting. I can walk up the wall now without breaking as sweat, but I still have a hard time standing on one leg or other balance-on-one-foot poses. My trying hard must have impressed some of my classmates. After class, two college students came up to me and kindly told me how impressed they were. They seemed really sweet, and I was glad to have met them.

Went right to the Collingswood Library after leaving Yogawood. In addition to shelving and organizing DVDs, the head of the library had a fun job for me. He asked me to pull Christmas or holiday-themed books from the fiction section for the displays on the front of each fiction shelf. I came up with everything from a book of Charles Dickens' Christmas stories (including A Christmas Carol and Cricket on the Hearth) to John Grisham's Skipping Christmas to Joanna Fluke's two holiday Hannah Swenson books.

It took me longer to do the display than I thought it would. It was quarter of 1 before I finally made it out of the library. It was even nicer by that point, chillier than earlier in the week but not too bad, probably in the upper 50s. I had a pricy but tasty Turkey Ranch Foccacia sandwich at a very busy Saladworks, then went across the street to run some errands. I needed contact lens solution at Rite Aid and finally got around to getting their store savings card. Desperately needed milk at WaWa - the milk I got from Rite Aid had finally gone sour a few days ago.

Rode straight home after leaving WaWa and found quite a surprise when I arrived. My first Christmas present of the year was sitting in the mail box - my annual Vermont Country Store gift card from my best friend Lauren Miller. She always gives me a couple of gift cards, including that one. I'll have to take a look at their sales.

When I got upstairs, I made Cranberry-Pear Dark Chocolate Chip Bread to get rid of the last of the cranberries from Thanksgiving and the final Farm Market pear that was getting mushy. When the bread was in the oven, I began my favorite part of holiday decorating - the Christmas Tree.

The tree takes me a while to do on my own. I did manage to get the lights right, not too much or too loose, but I somehow popped one of the lights off and had to chase after it. (I found it right inside the closet across from the tree, next to the dining area.) I use three gold garlands to get the right fullness, but the effect is so pretty. I also use bead garlands (one silver bead garland I've had since college and two bead necklaces in holiday colors, plus a pretty swirl-bead necklace my grandma gave me that has a broken clasp) and a small ribbon garland (also from Grandma - it came on a package she gave me and was too festive to throw away). The deep red cloth wound around the base of the tree is an old tablecloth of Mom's. It was too big for my table in Wildwood, so I threw it around the tree...and it looked so nice, I've used it for the tree ever since.

I went for a short walk between doing the garland and doing the ornaments. I'm glad I did. It was too nice to spend the whole day indoors! It was so nice, I was perfectly fine in my black coat, no earmuffs or scarf needed. A lot of people already have their Christmas lights out. Last week's unusually warm weather must have encouraged people to pull them out early.

It took two hours just to put up all of the ornaments I've collected over the years. Some of the fancier ones, like the glitter-covered movie clapper, the beautiful Victorian-style glass heart, and the elegant magenta teardrop one that looks like a 50s ornament were Christmas presents from Mom, who picks up elaborate ornaments at gift shops in Cape May. Most of the character ones - the Winnie the Pooh angel and his honey, Scooby and Shaggy on a sled, Yogi Bear with a pic-a-nic basket full of candy canes, the WebKinz Google and Zangoz, Rudolph and the Misfit Toys, the Disney Cinderella - were given to me by friends or bought from thrift shops or after-Christmas sales.

It took me so long to do the tree, I didn't get to dinner until past 7:30...and I began at 4! I made a quick dinner of salmon with sauteed broccoli and mushrooms while I watched the documentaries Christmas Past, on English holiday customs, and part of Christmas Unwrapped, a similar History Channel show on the origins of Christmas in general and of customs in the US.

Raining In the Holidays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's a Wonderful Harvest

I love fall. It makes the whole world one big pot of gold. The first things I often see in the morning are the golden oak leaves just outside my bedroom windows, blowing gently in the wind. The squirrels chase each other, trying to save nuts and acorns for the winter. The birds chirp as they prepare for their long journey south.

The American Top 40 re-run warmed up things nicely this morning. We remained in the 80s, but moved ahead to 1985. Among the songs gracing the charts in mid-November were Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You," the ballad "Separate Lives" by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin, Ah-Ha's "Take On Me," Aretha Franklin's "Who's Zoomin' Who?" (I actually have that LP), Freddy Jackson's "You Are My Lady," and two numbers from the massively successful soundtrack to the stylish TV cop show Miami Vice, it's instrumental theme song and "You Belong to the City" by Glen Frey.

The song that knocked the Miami Vice music into the number #3 and #2 spots was one of my very favorite songs from my childhood, the energetic "We Built This City" by Starship. This was apparently the first #1 hit for the group that had started out as Jefferson Airplane in the 60s, switched to Jefferson Starship a decade later, then removed the "Jefferson" a year before the song came out.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day when I headed out after the show ended. The wind remained, but it was warmer than yesterday, and there wasn't a cloud in the deep blue sky. Perhaps due to fears over the extreme cold earlier in the week, there were far fewer yard sales this week. In fact, I went to the farm market first this time. They were bustling, even at quarter of 10. There were even more hand-made gift booths this week than last week, including the wool yarn booth with the live alpacas. (I loved the big, fluffy chocolate brown one with the huge brown eyes.) I ended up buying small Empire apples, pears, broccoli, a small organic cauliflower from the organic booth, bananas from the wholesaler, molasses, and cheddar cheese from the dairy booth.

Checked out two yard sales in Collingswood and Westmont near Cooper River Park next. Didn't find anything I liked at Westmont, but I picked up five records and a blank journal at the one in Collingswood. The records are:

Two LPs of Scott Joplin ragtime music by The New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble.

Colors of the Day - The Very Best of Judy Collins

Linda Rondstat - Linda Rondstat

Lena Horne - Lena Lovely and Alive (Apparently, this is a rare German pressing.)

The soundtrack from Breakfast at Tiffany's

I went straight home after leaving Westmont. Had leftover beef stew for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon working on a baked pumpkin pudding from Felicity's Cooking Studio and watching holiday DVDs. Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving is a direct-to-DVD combination of two winter-oriented episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and the sweet Pooh Thanksgiving special. The Very Merry Christmas Songs DVD is basically an expansion of the Disney Sing-Along video of the same name, with additional songs utilizing footage from various Disney holiday TV and direct-to-DVD shows. The Mayflower Voyagers is a Peanuts special on the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

Went to work as soon as The Mayflower Voyagers ended. Work was off-and-on busy, nothing out of line for the day, time of year, or beautiful weather. There were no major problems (from me or the customers), and I was in and out with little fuss.

Went behind the Acme for dinner. I couldn't remember the last time I had pizza, so I opted for Tu Se Bella's. Had two delicious slices of vegetable and plain cheese and a bottle of Diet Coke. I ate my meal while listening to people pick up their orders and enjoy the warm room that smelled like garlic butter and watching the college football games on the TV over the soda machines.

When I got home, I began my holiday Video to DVD dubbing with It's a Wonderful Life. I've had a public domain video copy of the beloved tale of how one man's life touches so many others for several years. I've been wanting to replace it, but most of the Wonderful Life DVDs I've seen have been two-disc sets that are out of my price range for a movie I only watch a few months a year. Besides, I've heard and read so much about this movie, most of the extras would likely be redundant anyway.

Chilled Harvest

Brrr! I awoke to 40-degree temperatures as I turned on this week's American Top 40. They stayed in the 80s but jumped back a few years to 1983. Popular songs from early November '83 included "True," by Spandau Ballet, "Say, Say, Say" by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney (their second collaboration), "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel (which has been a favorite of mine ever since), "Delirious" by Prince, "Telephone" by Sheena Easton, and "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" by Air Supply.

That week's #1 hit was a reflection of the popularity of country music in the early 80s, as it was also that week's top country song - the duet "Islands In the Stream," by two of the 80s' favorite country music stars, Dolly Pardon and Kenny Rogers.

Other than the cold, it was sunny, windy, and a perfect day for a farm market/yard sale run. There weren't too many yard sales around this week, probably because of the chilly weather. My first stop was a sale on Merrick Avenue, near the Westmont Acme and CVS. The proprietor was annoying, with his nasal voice, dumb jokes, and attempts to make people walk away with items, whether they wanted to or not. Most of his records were singles from the 80s, but I did find a record that interested me:

Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim

The Collingswood Farm Market was next. It was fairly busy despite the brisk weather and the distinct lack of food booths. All of the flower stands were gone, replaced by craft salespeople. The honey seller told me she's on her last week, too. I found everything on my long list that I needed, though, including mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, carrots, apple butter, spinach (for the first time since the spring), pears, little Fuji apples, the honey, cauliflower, and broccoli. I needed to do some major restocking after the weather was too messy to get to the Farm Market last week!

I made my best finds today at indoor sales. An antique store in Collingswood was having a big used book sale, with paperbacks for a dollar and hardbacks for two dollars. I bought a Rachel Ray cookbook for a Christmas present, and a Disney Wonderful World of Reading Christmas-themed hardback, a hardback copy of the Old West-set mystery Holmes on the Range, and a lovely 50s-era book of fairy tales for myself.

Rode around Collingswood for a while, looking for another yard sale. When I couldn't find it, I decided to try the thrift shop at the Logan Presbyterian Church on the corner of Market Street and the White Horse Pike in Audubon instead. They hold the thrift shop every other Saturday. I've often ridden by when they've been open, but I was usually on the way to or from a yard sale and had never tried them. With few options, I was willing to check them out today.

The thrift shop was in the basement of the pale-green house in the back of the main church. It was basically the same thing as the now-closed thrift shop in Collingswood - clothes, toys, records, videos, knick-knacks. Here, though, everything had it's own room. There was a room for clothes, a room for toys and kids' videos, and a room for everything else, including adult records, videos, and decorative items. (Like the Collingswood thrift shop, they don't have the room for furniture.)

I made my best finds here. Among their children's videos were a fourth Muppet Babies Video Storybook I'd never heard of and a copy of The Flinstone's Christmas Carol, both of which I could add onto the end of dubbed DVDs.

There were two boxes with records off to the right in the large knick-knacks room. I found some great cast albums and sountracks there:

The original cast of the 1965 Broadway musical Do I Hear a Waltz?

The soundtrack to something called 'S, Wonderful, 'S, Marvelous, 'S Gershwin - the back cover says it's a TV "Super Special" from 1971 with a great cast, including Larry Kert, Fred Astaire, Leslie Uggams, Robert Guillaume, Peter Nero, Linda Bennett, and Jack Lemmon.

The soundtrack to the original film version of Gigi

The massive 3-disc 1956 original cast album to Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella

The lady at the front table where I made my purchases said they'd be open again on November the 19th, which also happens to be the last day of the farm market. If I'm not too busy and the weather's good, I might have to try to get back there and see if they have any more great records.

Rode over to an estate sale on Wyoming Avenue in Audubon after leaving the church. When I found nothing good there, I went back up Market Street to the TreeHouse Cafe. It was almost 12:30 by then, and the coffee house/meeting place for mothers was very busy. I was lucky to find a seat! A cup of hot chocolate and very spicy turkey chili helped me warm up after riding around outside all day.

By the time I left there, it was past 1PM. Time to head home. I gave Miss Ellie my rent before I left, including a letter that stated my intention to do the raking today. Miss Ellie had a message for me on my answering machine. That wouldn't be necessary. Her grandson would be coming over in a few hours to do the raking.

Well, that left me at loose ends. Raking was my big plan for today. I opted for a walk to WaWa for a snack instead. Since it remained in the middle 40s, I threw a coat on over my thickest sweater and grabbed ear muffs and gloves. I wasn't the only one out and about, either. I saw lots of kids in strollers being pushed by bundled-up parents, joggers enjoying the fresh breeze, and teenagers in packs heading to WaWa for hot drinks. I grabbed a pretzel and a hot chai and headed home.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at my apartment, doing things online. I also finally made the first ad for my editing business. I'm going to put up ads in local libraries and coffee houses, and maybe businesses that kids might frequent, like the comic books shop. I'll work on online advertising and advertising in colleges next week, when I can drum up the courage. It took me long enough just to make a flyer!

Ran The Mikado while making shrimp, mashed acorn squash, and Curried Cauliflower for dinner. This is the 1939 British version of the 1885 Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. I figured that if I could enjoy the equally stagey 1983 Pirates of Penzance, I would get a kick out of this...and I did. American singer Kenny Baker is Nanki-Poo (ok, so the names are weird - work with me here), a minstrel who falls for pretty school maid Yum-Yum. Trouble is, she's to be married to Ko-Ko, the new Lord High Executioner, and he's under the thumb of the pretentious Pooh Bah. Nanki-Poo has his own secrets to dish out, too...and when it all comes out in the open, it may take all of Ko-Ko's skills in clowning and persuasion to keep everyone's heads on their shoulders, including his!

If you love theatrical-style musicals or Gilbert and Sullivan, this is really cute, despite all the talk about beheading and punishments. The production is gorgeous, too, with the usual bold palette of Technicolor replaced by more delicate pastel shades, and the soundstage sets looking exquisite. The D'Oyly Carte Players have a ball with the material, and Kenny Baker looks and sounds far more at ease here than he did playing ringmaster to the Marx Brothers in At the Circus.

A few caveats. First of all, this is apparently a severely truncated version of the show, slimmed down to 91 minutes. While it all moves fairly quickly (moreso than the Pirates of Penzance film), purists probably won't be thrilled with the missing scenes and songs, and the plot is hard to follow at times. There's also the matter of obvious Brits (and one American) playing Asians. Not to mention, this is not the place to come to for heavy opera. This is about as fluffy as you can get and still talk about executions.