Lauren, her parents, and I headed out to Albany around quarter of 10. Dark clouds gathered even as we left. We actually had several snow squalls as we passed through lovely small towns in Massachusetts and upstate New York. After Mr. and Mrs. Miller stopped at a Rite Aid just outside of Albany to buy something, we headed on to the Albany train station.
The train station at Albany is small but beautiful, all blond wood and dramatic high ceilings. It's also the most recent of the train stations I visit on these trips, apparently having been built in 2002. We all sat in the waiting area, watching Face the Nation and a travel show on CBS, until my train arrived.
This time, there was no trouble on the Albany-New York train. It was flurrying again when I got on the train, but that ended even before we rolled out of the station. Despite the conductor continually claiming the train was full, the car I was in wasn't that busy, and I had no problems getting a seat to myself. I took many photos of the gorgeous view of a partly cloudy sky over green and rust mountains and steel-gray water going back.
New York was, once again, more of a problem. It was the train to Philadelphia that was late, with long lines. We rolled out of the station fifteen minutes after we were supposed to. (Not bad, considering some south-bound trains had delays of anywhere from five minutes to an hour or more.) It didn't help that a hockey game must have just ended at Madison Square Garden over the station shortly after I arrived. We were overwhelmed with a wave of hockey fans in Rangers jerseys.
This train was so busy, I just barely grabbed the last seat in the car. That had it's own kind of romance. I was in the very front of the car with the baggage that either didn't fit in the overhead compartments, or people didn't have time to shove them in. I felt like I was riding a baggage car in the 30's.
When the train finally did roll into the 30th Street Station around ten of 6, I went right to a busy Cosi's for dinner. They're a fancy coffee shop/cafe ala Au Bon Pain and Starbucks. I had water, so I didn't bother with warm drinks. I bought half of a mozzarella, tomato, and basil pizza and a cup of tomato-basil soup. Yum. The pizza was nice and thick and saucy. The soup was delicious, creamy and chunky and a little spicy but not bad.
On my way out of Cosi's, I mis-stepped and turned my ankle. While it hurt, I didn't hear anything crack. I think it's just a little twisted. I spent the next half-hour sitting at a wooden bench, waiting for the departure gate to show up on the old-fashioned flapping board.
Though the NJ Transit train was relatively full for 7 at night, once again, I had no problems getting a seat. Dad picked me up in Cherry Hill. (I doubt anyone would drive into Philly at 7 at night and get me.) I finally got home around quarter of 8.
As soon as I got in, I put everything away. I put any toiletries or items I used purely for traveling in my small overnight case and pushed that under my bed. All of the laundry - including new clothes - went in the laundry basket. I'll do that tomorrow.
Oh, and I called the Acme when I got in to ask when I'm scheduled. I work tomorrow from 3 to 8. I'm actually glad I work later. It'll give me the chance to get the laundry done and call Charlie or his parents. The heater is broken again. It's freezing in here! It was barely in the 50's when I came into the apartment. I'm shivering in my robe and nightgown here.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
Long Day's Journey On the East Coast
Started a beautiful blue, sunny day with cartoons on travel as I rounded up the last things I needed to pack and ate Apple-Dark-Chocolate-Chip Muffins for breakfast. Did a couple of cartoons while I got ready. Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City was one of the original Strawberry specials from the early 80's. Strawberry hits the city to compete in a nationally-televised bake-off. The Pieman is close on her tail, but she meet some new friends who help her with his devious tactics.
Garfield isn't much happier out in the woods with Jon and Odie in Garfield In the Rough. He'd rather be on any vacation but camping. Their boring trip into the wilderness becomes a lot more dangerous when they discover that a killer panther is loose in the area!
Austin is having his own problems pursuing "Le Master of Disguise" on The Backyardigans. Pablo can dress up in any costume, making him very hard to find! He can only be recognized through his distinctive laugh. Austin searches for him among the passengers on the Orient Express, including Conductor Uniqua, Cowboy Tyrone, and Circus Performer Tasha.
I dragged my things downstairs at 9:30. Rose didn't show up until almost 10 minutes after that. And I didn't realize she was going to bring her smaller car. I had the other, larger suitcase for her to take home. Between trying to jam two suitcases in her tiny trunk and her being late (and then missing the exit for Cherry Hill), we were not going to make the train to Philly. She ended up driving me to the 30th Street Station instead, letting me off of at the Citra Centre. (I loaned her the toll money - she hadn't planned on going to the city.)
Things went better at 30th Street Station. I like that station. It's so big and elegant, the Frank Sinatra music the guy at the shoe shine booth was playing seemed totally right. I half-expected to see Sinatra practicing with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra somewhere. I did make a mistake when I mixed up the train times, but the man at the track turned me around.
The train to New York was relatively calm. I was in the quiet car, which probably helped. It was busy but not full. I quickly called Rose to tell her I was on the train (and to tell Khai the train was passing by the Philadelphia Zoo), then sat back and watched the trees, suburbs, and graffiti fly by.
By the time the train arrived at New York around quarter of 2, Penn Station was more of a zoo than the Philadelphia Zoo! Unlike big, grand 30th Street, it's an ugly neon maze. Unless you want to eat or shop, there isn't much to do. I packed my own food and wanted to save my money. I spent most of the almost 3 hours I was there either walking around in circles or sitting on the floor near the waiting lounge, eating my snacks and reading.
Not only was the Lake Shore Limited to Albany and Chicago more than 20 minutes late leaving, but the line to get on the Albany car went half-way around the main room! I was lucky to get on at all. At least the Asian Indian girl I sat with was sweet. The gorgeous view helped, too. The line is aptly named; the lakes and rivers of the Hudson River Valley area are beautiful. Yachts with billowing white sails bobbed on rippling glass waters surrounded by rolling green hills. It was like a painting or a picture from a storybook. (I hope the shot the Asian Indian girl took of the sunset with her phone camera came out - the sunset was amazing, all pinks and purples and blues. I regret having left my camera in my big bag that went on the rack.)
It was almost 7 when the train finally arrived at Albany. I'd called Lauren about a half-hour before and told her I'd be late - it was supposed to have arrived at 6:20! Lauren, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and I had dinner at a Denny's about 10 minutes from the station. We all had breakfast for dinner. Mr. Miller had french toast. I had Blueberry Muffin Pancakes (blueberries and white chocolate chips). Lauren had a make-your-own-Grand-Slam - scrambled egg whites, hash browns, bacon, sausage. Mrs. Miller had The Grand Slamwich, a huge egg-sausage-and-cheese on toast concoction. Mr. Miller ended up eating most of his wife's hash browns. I was so hungry, I ate the last of Lauren's hash browns and a bit of Mrs. Miller's Slamwich. We shared Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
(And I don't know how this happened, but two guys with a baby walked in while we were having dessert. They had a baby carrier with them. As we were leaving, we heard a waitress complain that the guys had eaten their meal and walked out without paying, and left the baby carrier, to boot.)
We finally got into Pittsfield around 9:30. Lauren and her parents live in a big, lovely home on a quiet street in the hills. I'm sleeping in their guest room/office. Right now, Lauren and I are chatting together online in her room in the basement and watching stuff on YouTube. Tomorrow, we're going to begin our exploration of her area with a trip to a bookstore in Lenox and a chocolate cafe in Pittsfield, along with walks in downtown Lenox and Lee.
And I hope your Columbus Day was a lot less hectic - and equally full of discoveries!
Garfield isn't much happier out in the woods with Jon and Odie in Garfield In the Rough. He'd rather be on any vacation but camping. Their boring trip into the wilderness becomes a lot more dangerous when they discover that a killer panther is loose in the area!
Austin is having his own problems pursuing "Le Master of Disguise" on The Backyardigans. Pablo can dress up in any costume, making him very hard to find! He can only be recognized through his distinctive laugh. Austin searches for him among the passengers on the Orient Express, including Conductor Uniqua, Cowboy Tyrone, and Circus Performer Tasha.
I dragged my things downstairs at 9:30. Rose didn't show up until almost 10 minutes after that. And I didn't realize she was going to bring her smaller car. I had the other, larger suitcase for her to take home. Between trying to jam two suitcases in her tiny trunk and her being late (and then missing the exit for Cherry Hill), we were not going to make the train to Philly. She ended up driving me to the 30th Street Station instead, letting me off of at the Citra Centre. (I loaned her the toll money - she hadn't planned on going to the city.)
Things went better at 30th Street Station. I like that station. It's so big and elegant, the Frank Sinatra music the guy at the shoe shine booth was playing seemed totally right. I half-expected to see Sinatra practicing with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra somewhere. I did make a mistake when I mixed up the train times, but the man at the track turned me around.
The train to New York was relatively calm. I was in the quiet car, which probably helped. It was busy but not full. I quickly called Rose to tell her I was on the train (and to tell Khai the train was passing by the Philadelphia Zoo), then sat back and watched the trees, suburbs, and graffiti fly by.
By the time the train arrived at New York around quarter of 2, Penn Station was more of a zoo than the Philadelphia Zoo! Unlike big, grand 30th Street, it's an ugly neon maze. Unless you want to eat or shop, there isn't much to do. I packed my own food and wanted to save my money. I spent most of the almost 3 hours I was there either walking around in circles or sitting on the floor near the waiting lounge, eating my snacks and reading.
Not only was the Lake Shore Limited to Albany and Chicago more than 20 minutes late leaving, but the line to get on the Albany car went half-way around the main room! I was lucky to get on at all. At least the Asian Indian girl I sat with was sweet. The gorgeous view helped, too. The line is aptly named; the lakes and rivers of the Hudson River Valley area are beautiful. Yachts with billowing white sails bobbed on rippling glass waters surrounded by rolling green hills. It was like a painting or a picture from a storybook. (I hope the shot the Asian Indian girl took of the sunset with her phone camera came out - the sunset was amazing, all pinks and purples and blues. I regret having left my camera in my big bag that went on the rack.)
It was almost 7 when the train finally arrived at Albany. I'd called Lauren about a half-hour before and told her I'd be late - it was supposed to have arrived at 6:20! Lauren, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and I had dinner at a Denny's about 10 minutes from the station. We all had breakfast for dinner. Mr. Miller had french toast. I had Blueberry Muffin Pancakes (blueberries and white chocolate chips). Lauren had a make-your-own-Grand-Slam - scrambled egg whites, hash browns, bacon, sausage. Mrs. Miller had The Grand Slamwich, a huge egg-sausage-and-cheese on toast concoction. Mr. Miller ended up eating most of his wife's hash browns. I was so hungry, I ate the last of Lauren's hash browns and a bit of Mrs. Miller's Slamwich. We shared Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
(And I don't know how this happened, but two guys with a baby walked in while we were having dessert. They had a baby carrier with them. As we were leaving, we heard a waitress complain that the guys had eaten their meal and walked out without paying, and left the baby carrier, to boot.)
We finally got into Pittsfield around 9:30. Lauren and her parents live in a big, lovely home on a quiet street in the hills. I'm sleeping in their guest room/office. Right now, Lauren and I are chatting together online in her room in the basement and watching stuff on YouTube. Tomorrow, we're going to begin our exploration of her area with a trip to a bookstore in Lenox and a chocolate cafe in Pittsfield, along with walks in downtown Lenox and Lee.
And I hope your Columbus Day was a lot less hectic - and equally full of discoveries!
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
On the Boardwalk In Atlantic City
Started a sunny, slightly humid morning with Garfield In Paradise. Garfield and Jon are off to Paradise World, an island tourist trap that was the cheapest tropical place Jon could get them to. Their trip doesn't start off well, thanks to a falling-down hotel run by an owner who tells Jack Benny jokes. Things take a turn for the strange when their 50's rental vehicle takes them to the village of a group a doo-wop-worshiping natives...and a volcano that's about to explode!
Headed out even before the cartoon ended. I wanted to take my annual summer trip to Atlantic City today, while it is still summer. I was on the train to Lindenwauld by quarter of 11 and in Lindenwald by a little after 11.
Instead of sitting on a hot train station platform for an hour or wandering around Walgreens, I decided to have an early lunch. There's three restaurants across the street from the Lindenwald Train and Bus Terminal. I finally decided I didn't have enough time for the sit-down diner or Indian restaurant and opted for Burger King. It was the fanciest Burger King I ever saw. It must have been either just-built or very recently remodeled. They had a huge dining area with a separate room for parties, TVs everywhere, and even a counter with Wi Fi and computers. I took it all in while eating my Whopper and fries.
Even with lunch and buying my ticket, I still spent a half-hour waiting on the platform for the train. Thankfully, it was only about five minutes late. The train was half-full, mostly with the lunch crowd on their way to a day trip in AC like me, I suspected from the college students across from me. At any rate, there were no problems whatsoever getting there, and I enjoyed a very pleasant ride.
As soon as I arrived in Atlantic City, I strolled down straight down Michigan to the Boardwalk, passing a newly repainted Bally's on the way. (I'm disappointed they painted over all the cute Wild West-themed sides they had. Now it's just a mellow if slightly bland yellowy-tan.) Even as I walked, the clouds were gathering, and it was killer humid. It spit a little as I headed onto the boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was as busy as it always is during the summer. I went in the direction of Resorts, the Taj Mahal, and the Claridge this year, since I went towards Caesars and Tropicana last year. My first stop was Peanut World, the coolest souvenir store on the boardwalk. They have every kind of junk you can imagine....including a counter with some of Atlantic City's least-expensive candy. I went with my favorite fruit slices in pink grapefruit flavor. I desperately needed a can of Diet Rite too by that point. It wasn't that hot, but the humidity was horrible even close to the water.
Hit the Casino Pier next to try my luck at the cranes (and to avoid a sudden shower). (And to make up for not hitting the arcades this year.) I tried one with some very large Peppa Pigs. After I gave up on Peppa, I attempted one with more generic round stuffed animals. Nope. No luck.
The sun was out again by the time I made it to the Taj Mahal and Steel Pier. Steel Pier isn't really "The Showplace of the Nation" anymore, but it is the only amusement park in Atlantic City. I strolled around, watching people enjoy themselves on the rides. The place was surprisingly busy for a day with such iffy weather. I found a couple of wire tables with umbrellas between the Slingshot and the Rock and Roll and looked out onto the misty, hazy beach and deep green-blue waves.
(And yes, I saw the Dinosaur Beach logo on the Crazy Mouse roller coaster. Evidently, the same people who now run Steel Pier once owned the mid-90's jungle/dinosaur-themed Hunt's Pier revamp in Wildwood. Thanks to Matt at Dinosaur Dracula for pointing out this bit of lost Jersey Shore history!)
I was hot and sweating like crazy. It was time to go back. I stopped at one store for water and at one of the bathrooms. I really wanted ice cream, but most food is expensive on the boardwalk, and a lot of those small booths don't take credit cards or have a minimum. I didn't have much cash on hand.
Having done most of my clothes and shoe shopping earlier in the summer, the only store in the Tanger Outlets I was interested in was Toys R Us. I wanted to see if they had some of the new Ever After High dolls, but I wasn't keeping my hopes up. They were an outlet store.
Someone must have just restocked the shelves. The Ever After High/Monster High area was full to capacity. The products were almost entirely brand-new. too, including two just-released Toys R Us exclusive Ever After High dolls, Royally Ever After Apple White and Heartstruck C.A Cupid. I also saw Way To Wonderland Apple and Maddie Hatter, the re-release of Poppy and Holly O'Hair, and Candy-Coated Cedar Wood for the first time.
My real interest are the Signatures (original release) dolls. They had Faybelle Thorne (peppy daughter of the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty) and Bunny Blanc (laid-back daughter of the White Rabbit) for $15.99, cheaper than the $19.99 I usually see them go for on Amazon. I grabbed them both,
Fortunately, the train station is only a few blocks from the Toys R Us Outlet. I darted there, bought my ticket quickly, and still made it on the 3:36 train to Lindenwald with time to spare. Other than the train stopping to let another train going in the opposite direction pass, there were no major problems. We arrived at the Lindenwald station right on time.
Went straight upstairs to the PATCO. The train going to Collingswood was a lot more full than the NJ Transit train had been. People weren't in great moods, either. They talked loudly on their phones and fussed at each other when they tried to move around. I was so happy to arrive at my destination and hurry back to the ground.
When I got back into Oaklyn, I stopped at Phillies Yummies to finally get my cooling treat. It was now a gorgeous day for it, too. The clouds and humidity must have all ended up at the beach. By 5 PM, the sky was a radiant blue, and it was dry and in the mid-80's, perfectly normal for this time of year. I had a mint chocolate chip water ice. It was extremely green - a neon green more suited for lime than mint. It was quite tasty and mint-y, though.
As soon as I got in and got organized, I pulled Bunny and Fayebelle out of their boxes. Fayebelle's been a real surprise. I didn't expect to like her character or her doll when she was announced on New Year's Day, but she's slowly growing on me. Fayebelle is a perky cheerleader who also happens to be an evil fairy. She loves cheering so much, she cheers her spells instead of chants them! While her sparkly tunic and simple leggings are kind of plain compared to some of the other dolls' outfits, she has some of the prettiest hair in the entire line. Like Darling and Kitty, it's very silky and smooth, with lovely turquoise highlights. I did have problems keeping her wings on once I took off the rubber band (which I probably should have just left on).
I had more problems with Bunny. Not only does she have an odd facial mold, but she had more gunk in her hair than anyone else but Poppy. She went right in the bathroom sink for a twice-cleaning. Even after that, her hair is still a bit thin and sheds like crazy, and her head is a bit floppy. Too bad, because I like her character. Unlike the object of her affections Alistair Wonderland, Bunny has no use for maps...or for rushing, for that matter. This jazz-loving rabbit girl always manages to get where she's going eventually. Her dress is adorable. I love the fuzzy white collar. (Even if I wish the black collar and pink ribbon were real and not plastic.)
Ran The Merry Widow while taking out the dolls, and later while making a chicken salad for dinner. The last of the Jeanette MacDonald/Maurice Chevalier/Ernst Lubitsch musicals takes us to the fictional European country of Marshovia. The king is horrified when Sonia, the widow of the title (MacDonald), decides to leave off mourning and decamps to Paris. She owns more than half the country. If she takes her money elsewhere, they'll be ruined. They send the charming Count Danilo (Chevalier) after her. The ruse works too well - he actually falls for her. Now he has to convince her that he's sincere, even during a trial when he's accused of being a traitor to Marshovia for letting her go. If you're a fan of operetta or these two, this one is a bubbly bit of fun that's worth tracking down in the Warner Archives.
Finished out the night with a nice, long bath. Oh boy, did I need it. I was hot and tired after my long walk, and my knees were so sore, they were barely moving. I enjoyed the sounds of big band music while looking over more Christmas With Southern Living books for holiday gift ideas.
Headed out even before the cartoon ended. I wanted to take my annual summer trip to Atlantic City today, while it is still summer. I was on the train to Lindenwauld by quarter of 11 and in Lindenwald by a little after 11.
Instead of sitting on a hot train station platform for an hour or wandering around Walgreens, I decided to have an early lunch. There's three restaurants across the street from the Lindenwald Train and Bus Terminal. I finally decided I didn't have enough time for the sit-down diner or Indian restaurant and opted for Burger King. It was the fanciest Burger King I ever saw. It must have been either just-built or very recently remodeled. They had a huge dining area with a separate room for parties, TVs everywhere, and even a counter with Wi Fi and computers. I took it all in while eating my Whopper and fries.
Even with lunch and buying my ticket, I still spent a half-hour waiting on the platform for the train. Thankfully, it was only about five minutes late. The train was half-full, mostly with the lunch crowd on their way to a day trip in AC like me, I suspected from the college students across from me. At any rate, there were no problems whatsoever getting there, and I enjoyed a very pleasant ride.
As soon as I arrived in Atlantic City, I strolled down straight down Michigan to the Boardwalk, passing a newly repainted Bally's on the way. (I'm disappointed they painted over all the cute Wild West-themed sides they had. Now it's just a mellow if slightly bland yellowy-tan.) Even as I walked, the clouds were gathering, and it was killer humid. It spit a little as I headed onto the boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was as busy as it always is during the summer. I went in the direction of Resorts, the Taj Mahal, and the Claridge this year, since I went towards Caesars and Tropicana last year. My first stop was Peanut World, the coolest souvenir store on the boardwalk. They have every kind of junk you can imagine....including a counter with some of Atlantic City's least-expensive candy. I went with my favorite fruit slices in pink grapefruit flavor. I desperately needed a can of Diet Rite too by that point. It wasn't that hot, but the humidity was horrible even close to the water.
Hit the Casino Pier next to try my luck at the cranes (and to avoid a sudden shower). (And to make up for not hitting the arcades this year.) I tried one with some very large Peppa Pigs. After I gave up on Peppa, I attempted one with more generic round stuffed animals. Nope. No luck.
The sun was out again by the time I made it to the Taj Mahal and Steel Pier. Steel Pier isn't really "The Showplace of the Nation" anymore, but it is the only amusement park in Atlantic City. I strolled around, watching people enjoy themselves on the rides. The place was surprisingly busy for a day with such iffy weather. I found a couple of wire tables with umbrellas between the Slingshot and the Rock and Roll and looked out onto the misty, hazy beach and deep green-blue waves.
(And yes, I saw the Dinosaur Beach logo on the Crazy Mouse roller coaster. Evidently, the same people who now run Steel Pier once owned the mid-90's jungle/dinosaur-themed Hunt's Pier revamp in Wildwood. Thanks to Matt at Dinosaur Dracula for pointing out this bit of lost Jersey Shore history!)
I was hot and sweating like crazy. It was time to go back. I stopped at one store for water and at one of the bathrooms. I really wanted ice cream, but most food is expensive on the boardwalk, and a lot of those small booths don't take credit cards or have a minimum. I didn't have much cash on hand.
Having done most of my clothes and shoe shopping earlier in the summer, the only store in the Tanger Outlets I was interested in was Toys R Us. I wanted to see if they had some of the new Ever After High dolls, but I wasn't keeping my hopes up. They were an outlet store.
Someone must have just restocked the shelves. The Ever After High/Monster High area was full to capacity. The products were almost entirely brand-new. too, including two just-released Toys R Us exclusive Ever After High dolls, Royally Ever After Apple White and Heartstruck C.A Cupid. I also saw Way To Wonderland Apple and Maddie Hatter, the re-release of Poppy and Holly O'Hair, and Candy-Coated Cedar Wood for the first time.
My real interest are the Signatures (original release) dolls. They had Faybelle Thorne (peppy daughter of the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty) and Bunny Blanc (laid-back daughter of the White Rabbit) for $15.99, cheaper than the $19.99 I usually see them go for on Amazon. I grabbed them both,
Fortunately, the train station is only a few blocks from the Toys R Us Outlet. I darted there, bought my ticket quickly, and still made it on the 3:36 train to Lindenwald with time to spare. Other than the train stopping to let another train going in the opposite direction pass, there were no major problems. We arrived at the Lindenwald station right on time.
Went straight upstairs to the PATCO. The train going to Collingswood was a lot more full than the NJ Transit train had been. People weren't in great moods, either. They talked loudly on their phones and fussed at each other when they tried to move around. I was so happy to arrive at my destination and hurry back to the ground.
When I got back into Oaklyn, I stopped at Phillies Yummies to finally get my cooling treat. It was now a gorgeous day for it, too. The clouds and humidity must have all ended up at the beach. By 5 PM, the sky was a radiant blue, and it was dry and in the mid-80's, perfectly normal for this time of year. I had a mint chocolate chip water ice. It was extremely green - a neon green more suited for lime than mint. It was quite tasty and mint-y, though.
As soon as I got in and got organized, I pulled Bunny and Fayebelle out of their boxes. Fayebelle's been a real surprise. I didn't expect to like her character or her doll when she was announced on New Year's Day, but she's slowly growing on me. Fayebelle is a perky cheerleader who also happens to be an evil fairy. She loves cheering so much, she cheers her spells instead of chants them! While her sparkly tunic and simple leggings are kind of plain compared to some of the other dolls' outfits, she has some of the prettiest hair in the entire line. Like Darling and Kitty, it's very silky and smooth, with lovely turquoise highlights. I did have problems keeping her wings on once I took off the rubber band (which I probably should have just left on).
I had more problems with Bunny. Not only does she have an odd facial mold, but she had more gunk in her hair than anyone else but Poppy. She went right in the bathroom sink for a twice-cleaning. Even after that, her hair is still a bit thin and sheds like crazy, and her head is a bit floppy. Too bad, because I like her character. Unlike the object of her affections Alistair Wonderland, Bunny has no use for maps...or for rushing, for that matter. This jazz-loving rabbit girl always manages to get where she's going eventually. Her dress is adorable. I love the fuzzy white collar. (Even if I wish the black collar and pink ribbon were real and not plastic.)
Ran The Merry Widow while taking out the dolls, and later while making a chicken salad for dinner. The last of the Jeanette MacDonald/Maurice Chevalier/Ernst Lubitsch musicals takes us to the fictional European country of Marshovia. The king is horrified when Sonia, the widow of the title (MacDonald), decides to leave off mourning and decamps to Paris. She owns more than half the country. If she takes her money elsewhere, they'll be ruined. They send the charming Count Danilo (Chevalier) after her. The ruse works too well - he actually falls for her. Now he has to convince her that he's sincere, even during a trial when he's accused of being a traitor to Marshovia for letting her go. If you're a fan of operetta or these two, this one is a bubbly bit of fun that's worth tracking down in the Warner Archives.
Finished out the night with a nice, long bath. Oh boy, did I need it. I was hot and tired after my long walk, and my knees were so sore, they were barely moving. I enjoyed the sounds of big band music while looking over more Christmas With Southern Living books for holiday gift ideas.
Friday, September 20, 2013
I'm On My Way Home
Started out today the same way as yesterday - in bed, trying to let my nephew get to school without distraction. After Mom came back, I got dressed, and we headed out to the Four Seasons Diner in Rio Grande for a late breakfast. The Four Seasons took over the former WaWa building in 2004 when the convenience store moved across the street to a larger location. It's been a family favorite ever since. Despite it being busy, we had no problems sliding into a booth. Mom had her favorite, an omelet with spinach, feta cheese, and tomatoes. I had a waffle topped with apples, raisins, and cinnamon. I loved mine, and Mom said she enjoyed hers a lot, but neither of us could finish them.
When we got home, Mom pulled her old fall, spring, and Halloween decorations down from the attic (avoiding the four bats who apparently have moved in up there). She's tired of constantly putting up small items and wants to get rid of most of it. She kept most of mine and my siblings' old artwork and things we made in art class in school. I kept some vintage cardboard hangings, two resin hangings for outside, a small flat wood scarecrow holding a leaf, a more traditional small straw scarecrow, beautiful wire leaf garlands Mom said she got when she worked at Michael's, the bat stuffed Beanie-type toy Eckard's sold in the mid-late 90s when they had holiday-themed Beanies, a bat and an egg table cover that Mom made herself, a twine garland of hand-made fabric bats and moons, a miniature Easter garland hung with tiny wooden bunnies, carrots, and eggs, and two tins filled with small Easter and Halloween toys, including our McDonald's Chicken McNugget and McDonaldland Halloween Happy Meal prizes from the 80s and 90s.
We had leftover pizza for a quick lunch, then talked for an hour or so about family matters before it was time for me to head out. I thought it would be safer for me to leave from the Villas, instead of busy Rio Grande. The last time I was down here, I got so confused waiting for the bus at Rio Grande, and it took forever. It did the trick. The 2:34 bus to Atlantic City was only about five minutes late (not bad for that bus), and had a good crowd without being overstuffed. It arrived at 4:30, allowing me just enough time to dash for the Train Station to pick up the 4:42 to Lindenwold.
I just made it. The train left right on time. It was delayed by two trains coming in the opposite direction from Philadelphia who had apparently had problems with signals, but was only about 10 minutes or so late. The 6:07 down the White Horse Pike was actually five minutes early. Once I got on that bus, despite the heavy traffic, I had no problems whatsoever. The bus stopped across from the 7-11 in Oaklyn, and I walked home from there, remembering to call a worried Mom when I got in. I spent the rest of a quiet evening putting everything away and eating leftovers while watching more Rick Steves' Europe.
When we got home, Mom pulled her old fall, spring, and Halloween decorations down from the attic (avoiding the four bats who apparently have moved in up there). She's tired of constantly putting up small items and wants to get rid of most of it. She kept most of mine and my siblings' old artwork and things we made in art class in school. I kept some vintage cardboard hangings, two resin hangings for outside, a small flat wood scarecrow holding a leaf, a more traditional small straw scarecrow, beautiful wire leaf garlands Mom said she got when she worked at Michael's, the bat stuffed Beanie-type toy Eckard's sold in the mid-late 90s when they had holiday-themed Beanies, a bat and an egg table cover that Mom made herself, a twine garland of hand-made fabric bats and moons, a miniature Easter garland hung with tiny wooden bunnies, carrots, and eggs, and two tins filled with small Easter and Halloween toys, including our McDonald's Chicken McNugget and McDonaldland Halloween Happy Meal prizes from the 80s and 90s.
We had leftover pizza for a quick lunch, then talked for an hour or so about family matters before it was time for me to head out. I thought it would be safer for me to leave from the Villas, instead of busy Rio Grande. The last time I was down here, I got so confused waiting for the bus at Rio Grande, and it took forever. It did the trick. The 2:34 bus to Atlantic City was only about five minutes late (not bad for that bus), and had a good crowd without being overstuffed. It arrived at 4:30, allowing me just enough time to dash for the Train Station to pick up the 4:42 to Lindenwold.
I just made it. The train left right on time. It was delayed by two trains coming in the opposite direction from Philadelphia who had apparently had problems with signals, but was only about 10 minutes or so late. The 6:07 down the White Horse Pike was actually five minutes early. Once I got on that bus, despite the heavy traffic, I had no problems whatsoever. The bus stopped across from the 7-11 in Oaklyn, and I walked home from there, remembering to call a worried Mom when I got in. I spent the rest of a quiet evening putting everything away and eating leftovers while watching more Rick Steves' Europe.
Friday, August 30, 2013
On the Boardwalk In Atlantic City
I started a cloudy day with this week's grocery run. I didn't need a whole lot. I was mostly restocking baking items - flour, brown sugar, butter. They had a sale on ground chicken and Acme's organic honey. It wasn't really busy there, either. I easily got into a line and out the door.
When I got home, I put everything away as fast as I could, and then rushed back out and over to the Collingswood PATCO. I just made the 11:32 train to Lindenwold. I'd been wanting to make a trip to Atlantic City all summer, but I either didn't have the time, the money, the energy, or a mix of two or more of those things. It was now or never. I flew to the station so fast, I actually had a stomachache when I arrived.
Thankfully, I caught all vehicles without a hitch. The PATCO train to Lindenwold was right on time, as was the train to Atlantic City. The 12:01 train to Atlantic City was fairly full, not surprising on the first day of the Labor Day Weekend, but I did manage to get a seat. (I'm glad I waited on the train this time. The 554 that I took to Pomona a few weeks ago would have taken two hours to get to Atlantic City. I didn't really want to wait that long.)
While I did take a look around the Disney Store at the Walk Outlets, that wasn't my main objective for this trip. I spent most of my four hours in AC on the world-famous boardwalk, talking in the sights and sounds. The sun was going in and out by quarter of 2, and it was windy and fairly chilly on the boards. It was no day for the beach, which along with the holiday weekend, explained why the boardwalk was bustling with rolling cars and showgirls in skimpy 20s-inspired costumes.
My first stop was a small eatery called Joe Rock Cafe near Bally's. I saw a sign outside that said they had breakfast all day and was hoping to find a decent meal for at least a bit cheaper than most of the other "name" eateries. I finally settled on a Belgian waffle with fresh blueberries smothered in syrup. It was a little chewy, but not bad. The blueberries were a bit better - I wonder if they'd been purchased from a local farm market.
I spent the next hour or two just exploring the boardwalk. I browsed in a few gift shops, including an old grimy favorite, Peanut World. I tried the crane games at Central Pier. One had WebKinz; another sported stuffed animals from the movie Rio. No luck with either.
I was delighted to note that Steel Pier didn't have a one-charge-pay-all admission. I was free to walk around without having to buy any tickets first. "The Showplace of the Nation" is really just a glorified amusement park, but it's the only such place in Atlantic City. The coolest ride is the Crazy Mouse roller coaster, which has rounded seats that fly around curves, instead of the usual car-like seats. Otherwise, it's your standard back-and-forth pirate ship (there called the Flying Dutchman), merry-go-round, kid's cars-on-track, Ferris wheel, "Rock n' Roll" fast music-playing around-and-around coaster, and tea cups. (The bumper cars said "coming soon" - maybe they were down for repairs?) I tried a water gun game, but I couldn't get my water to hit the spot properly.
My legs were really tired by that point, and it was getting later and windier. I started heading back. Made one last stop at Central Pier to try for those stuffed Rio birds (still no luck). I checked a few candy shops, including Frailinger's and James', for my favorite fruit slices. When I didn't see them, I ended up grabbing them from Peanut World.
After I left the boardwalk, I made a quick stop at the Bus Station for schedules for the Cape May buses for my trip down there in a few weeks. I browsed in Ashley Stewart and Layne Bryant, the only plus-sized women's clothes stores at the Outlets. Nothing I absolutely needed. I was tired and hot and sore at that point. I just headed to the Train Station a bit early.
The train was supposed to leave at 4:42. People started lining up at 4:25. Then someone saw a man go through the door. He wore a suit and looked official, so I guess people assumed that everyone was supposed to head for the trains. Wrong! They wouldn't be ready for another 10 minutes or so. I felt silly as a huge crowd of holiday weekend travelers stood at the doors and stared at the conductor and each other, wondering what was going on.
Thankfully, that was the worst that happened on the trip. Once we got out of the terminal, it was smooth riding all the way to Lindenwauld. The PATCO went even better. While the train to Lindenwold was very full, the PATCO to Collingswood was empty. There were only two other people on the train with me. I was off by 6 on the dot and back in Oaklyn by 6:30.
I treated myself to what may be my last Leo's Yum Yum of the season. They'll probably be open for another month or so after Labor Day - they usually close in late September-early October. I had my favorite Cotton Candy Yum-Yum. I tried to eat it on the bike, but a good chunk wound up on the street before I finally came to the conclusion that creamy water ice is best eaten sitting down.
When I got home, I put away my candy, then ran Weekend at Bernie's while making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This odd 1987 comedy is set on Labor Day Weekend. Two ordinary working stiffs (Andrew McCarthy and Johnathan Silverman) are invited to spend the weekend at their boss' beach house after they discover that someone's defrauding the insurance company they work for. It all seems too good to be true...until they discover their boss dead and hitmen on their trail. The more party-hearty of the two suggests making the dead man appear to be alive. They may not have a choice if they want to get off the island without ending up like Bernie!
This is one of the stranger premises in an era that was rife with odd comedies. Surprisingly, while no masterpiece, it still works quite well. Silverman and especially McCarthy are having a ball as the two guys who will do anything - including drag a dead man around - to prolong their vacation. Recommended if you love really odd, slightly dark 80s comedies or grew up watching this constantly on cable as I did.
When I got home, I put everything away as fast as I could, and then rushed back out and over to the Collingswood PATCO. I just made the 11:32 train to Lindenwold. I'd been wanting to make a trip to Atlantic City all summer, but I either didn't have the time, the money, the energy, or a mix of two or more of those things. It was now or never. I flew to the station so fast, I actually had a stomachache when I arrived.
Thankfully, I caught all vehicles without a hitch. The PATCO train to Lindenwold was right on time, as was the train to Atlantic City. The 12:01 train to Atlantic City was fairly full, not surprising on the first day of the Labor Day Weekend, but I did manage to get a seat. (I'm glad I waited on the train this time. The 554 that I took to Pomona a few weeks ago would have taken two hours to get to Atlantic City. I didn't really want to wait that long.)
While I did take a look around the Disney Store at the Walk Outlets, that wasn't my main objective for this trip. I spent most of my four hours in AC on the world-famous boardwalk, talking in the sights and sounds. The sun was going in and out by quarter of 2, and it was windy and fairly chilly on the boards. It was no day for the beach, which along with the holiday weekend, explained why the boardwalk was bustling with rolling cars and showgirls in skimpy 20s-inspired costumes.
My first stop was a small eatery called Joe Rock Cafe near Bally's. I saw a sign outside that said they had breakfast all day and was hoping to find a decent meal for at least a bit cheaper than most of the other "name" eateries. I finally settled on a Belgian waffle with fresh blueberries smothered in syrup. It was a little chewy, but not bad. The blueberries were a bit better - I wonder if they'd been purchased from a local farm market.
I spent the next hour or two just exploring the boardwalk. I browsed in a few gift shops, including an old grimy favorite, Peanut World. I tried the crane games at Central Pier. One had WebKinz; another sported stuffed animals from the movie Rio. No luck with either.
I was delighted to note that Steel Pier didn't have a one-charge-pay-all admission. I was free to walk around without having to buy any tickets first. "The Showplace of the Nation" is really just a glorified amusement park, but it's the only such place in Atlantic City. The coolest ride is the Crazy Mouse roller coaster, which has rounded seats that fly around curves, instead of the usual car-like seats. Otherwise, it's your standard back-and-forth pirate ship (there called the Flying Dutchman), merry-go-round, kid's cars-on-track, Ferris wheel, "Rock n' Roll" fast music-playing around-and-around coaster, and tea cups. (The bumper cars said "coming soon" - maybe they were down for repairs?) I tried a water gun game, but I couldn't get my water to hit the spot properly.
My legs were really tired by that point, and it was getting later and windier. I started heading back. Made one last stop at Central Pier to try for those stuffed Rio birds (still no luck). I checked a few candy shops, including Frailinger's and James', for my favorite fruit slices. When I didn't see them, I ended up grabbing them from Peanut World.
After I left the boardwalk, I made a quick stop at the Bus Station for schedules for the Cape May buses for my trip down there in a few weeks. I browsed in Ashley Stewart and Layne Bryant, the only plus-sized women's clothes stores at the Outlets. Nothing I absolutely needed. I was tired and hot and sore at that point. I just headed to the Train Station a bit early.
The train was supposed to leave at 4:42. People started lining up at 4:25. Then someone saw a man go through the door. He wore a suit and looked official, so I guess people assumed that everyone was supposed to head for the trains. Wrong! They wouldn't be ready for another 10 minutes or so. I felt silly as a huge crowd of holiday weekend travelers stood at the doors and stared at the conductor and each other, wondering what was going on.
Thankfully, that was the worst that happened on the trip. Once we got out of the terminal, it was smooth riding all the way to Lindenwauld. The PATCO went even better. While the train to Lindenwold was very full, the PATCO to Collingswood was empty. There were only two other people on the train with me. I was off by 6 on the dot and back in Oaklyn by 6:30.
I treated myself to what may be my last Leo's Yum Yum of the season. They'll probably be open for another month or so after Labor Day - they usually close in late September-early October. I had my favorite Cotton Candy Yum-Yum. I tried to eat it on the bike, but a good chunk wound up on the street before I finally came to the conclusion that creamy water ice is best eaten sitting down.
When I got home, I put away my candy, then ran Weekend at Bernie's while making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This odd 1987 comedy is set on Labor Day Weekend. Two ordinary working stiffs (Andrew McCarthy and Johnathan Silverman) are invited to spend the weekend at their boss' beach house after they discover that someone's defrauding the insurance company they work for. It all seems too good to be true...until they discover their boss dead and hitmen on their trail. The more party-hearty of the two suggests making the dead man appear to be alive. They may not have a choice if they want to get off the island without ending up like Bernie!
This is one of the stranger premises in an era that was rife with odd comedies. Surprisingly, while no masterpiece, it still works quite well. Silverman and especially McCarthy are having a ball as the two guys who will do anything - including drag a dead man around - to prolong their vacation. Recommended if you love really odd, slightly dark 80s comedies or grew up watching this constantly on cable as I did.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Me and Lauren In Philadelphia
I was awoken on a cloudy, humid morning by the sound of the garbage trucks...and remembered that I hadn't taken the trash out last night. Yes, I did make it in time. When I got back in, I read in my journal for a while. Thankfully, I did not wake up Lauren, who slept until about 9:30.
By that point, the clouds had grown much darker, and it had gotten windier and even more humid. Lauren was awake and I was having breakfast when the rain started coming down. We'd planned on heading out at 10:30, but the monsoon was really horrible. Thankfully, Lauren had weather apps on her iPad; they clearly showed that the storm was intense but small and fast-moving. We watched the Paris and French Riviera episodes of Rick Steves Europe until the rain calmed down enough for us to head to Collingswood.
We got into Collingswood by 11:30, which was only a little later than we'd planned. We had lunch at Tortilla Press, the Mexican restaurant in Collingswood, as we did last year. Lauren had pork tacos, rice, and beans. I had a chicken, cheese, and beans burrito and jicama slaw. We shared a basket of tortilla chips and salsa that were made on the premises. It wasn't really busy that early; there were only one or two other couples there.
We headed straight for the PATCO Station after lunch. The clouds had vanished, replaced by sunshine and humidity. A nice breeze kept it from feeling unbearable. We hopped on a full but not stuffed 12:50 train to Philadelphia.
The 10th and Locust stop is literally only a few doors down from Russakoff's Used Books in Washington Square. We made that our first stop. They were the same wonderful, cramped jumble of books, DVDs, CDs, and records (though fewer of the last-named than there used to be). I ended up with Simple Pleasures, a book on finding delights in everyday small things. Lauren got a collection of Yogi Berra's many quips.
We got turned around on our way to FYE. Lauren had to look up a map in order to get us to the one on Broad Street near City Hall. I took advantage of that buy two used items, get one free sale to pick up Warners' (non-public-domain) collection of the Paramount/Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoons, a box set of all five Paramount/Universal Marx Brothers movies (I know I already have two, but it's cheaper than buying the rest of them), and the stage musical version of The Secret Garden on CD. The newest Tiny Toons set and The Three Stooges Meet Hercules weren't on sale, but I'm trying to finish out the Toons, and Hercules is the last Stooge film of any interest to me (besides the public domain 60s cartoons). Lauren picked up the Toons and sets for Animaniacs and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Macy's is less than five minutes from FYE. We didn't have nearly as much luck there. The cute striped dress I liked wasn't on sale and was more than I was willing to pay. Lauren's been shopping more often at her local Macy's and had pretty much bought the clothes that she wanted there. I bought an orange t-shirt and a floral one.
We were going to stop at the Starbucks at the 13th Street corner of Macy's to get a cool drink, but the line was so long, we figured it wasn't worth the wait and just headed out. We hiked down 13th Street to the 13th and Locust PATCO stop. Surprisingly for around 4PM, the train going back to New Jersey was only somewhat full. (As I said to Lauren, if we'd waited even one more train, we might have been lucky to get a seat.)
Lauren suggested a snack and something to cool off at the Pop Shop when we got back into Collingswood. I thought it was a brilliant suggestion. The sun had once again been replaced by clouds, but it was still hot and humid. I needed something to cool off, and Lauren said she was hungry. I ordered butter pecan ice cream with honey and blueberries. I've had that before, and it was just as delicious this time around. Lauren had mozzarella sticks and the most perfect-looking chocolate ice cream soda in the world. Once again, we timed it well. It was 4:30 when we were having our snack. There were a few families there at that point, but it wasn't nearly as busy or noisy as it usually is during dinner hours.
The clouds were growing even thicker as we made our hot way across Newton River Park and past CVS. It just started to shower as we were a block from my apartment. Luckily for us, the shower waited until we'd been inside for 20 minutes to pick up speed. It's stormed on and off for the rest of the night.
I fiddled with my new Kindle Fire (Lauren gave me hers; she prefers Apple items she can sync to her Apple laptop) while we ran The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. This one spoofs the cheesy sword-and-sandals films that were popular in the 50s and early 60s. The Stooges, a nerdy young inventor, and a pretty chemist are thrown back in time on the inventor's time machine. The evil king takes the chemist for his wife and sends the inventor and the Stooges to the galley. When all the rowing builds up the inventor's muscles, the Stooges promote him as Hercules...until the real Hercules protests and challenges him to a duel!
One of the better movies made when Curly Joe was the third Stooge in the 60s. I still recommend newcomers start with the shorts, but fans will have a lot of fun with the great gags in this one.
I switched to my larger laptop as Hercules ended. The rainy weather inspired me to put on Radioland Murders, and then Clue, which is just winding down it's last ending. I'm going to put on the somewhat similar Murder By Death next.
Tomorrow, we're mostly going to do errands. I need to hit the grocery store and want to take a look at laptops at Staples, and we both need to do laundry.
Friday, December 14, 2012
A Long Way Down the Track
The day started sunny, bright, and beautiful. I had a lot of errands to run in the morning before I went to Atco in the afternoon. Started with grocery shopping and my paycheck. I was surprised and delighted to see that my paycheck was much higher than anticipated. I was also able to get most of what I needed groceries-wise. The only thing I forgot was mushrooms, and I can get them tomorrow. Otherwise, I needed a fruit restock, dried beans, and grabbed the cheapest chicken legs they had. They were having an awesome sale on the Lipton "pyramid bag" tea; got my favorite flavor, Vanilla Caramel. Bought coconut, chocolate chips, and mousse mix for baking.
Went straight home after that. I put everything away quickly, rounded up my packages, and headed out. Stopped at a quiet bank to deposit my paycheck first, then rode over to the Oaklyn Post Office. Much to my surprise, there was no one in the tiny building but the women behind the counters. This may be the first time since I moved here that I was able to send my Christmas packages and cards in less than five minutes.
(Oh, and Linda & James, Lauren, and Amanda...all of you have packages coming on Monday or early next week.)
Things did not go as well after that. I was able to pick up the PATCO train at Collingswood and the NJ Transit train at Lindelwauld with no problems...but after I got off at Atco, I had no idea where to go. I'd walked out without bringing the address or phone number with me, and my cell phone is so old, I couldn't look it up quickly. I thought I'd take a bus to the White Horse Pike, but the next one wasn't until 1:11. I didn't want to be late, so I thought I'd walk.
I'm going to make a very long story short. I made a wrong turn and ended up half-way down the road before I finally made it to the White Horse Pike...and then, I couldn't find the insurance company. I hiked for what seemed like miles but was probably only a mile or so. Atco turned out to be almost literally in the middle of nowhere, mainly a collection of medical and insurance offices, small local businesses and shopping centers, and basic franchise banks and drug stores. It was more than 40 minutes after I was supposed to have arrived when I finally asked first a construction office, then a post office for directions.
I got lucky at the post office and ran into Donna, one of the women managers at work. Turns out she lives near Atco and was dropping off her own packages. We looked up the address online, and I showed her the original e-mail the Chief Executive sent me. We finally came to the conclusion that the executive said he wanted people to join his sales team. I am not a salesperson. I don't want to sell things. I finally just agreed with Donna that it probably was a waste of time to even go to the interview, especially since it was past 2 by then and I was tired, hungry, and frustrated.
I asked Donna to drop me off at a pizzeria in the small shopping center I saw on my earlier hike. I hadn't eaten since breakfast! When I came in, all of the cooks and bus boys were gathered around the TV. I was shocked when I heard the news about the gunman who had killed 20 children in an elementary school in Connecticut. God, that is just horrible. Why do people think they can do this, especially to kids? My heart goes out to everyone who was effected by this tragedy.
After all that, I just wanted to get home. I thought of waiting for a bus, but I was tired of standing. I walked back to the train terminal, making it well before the train arrived. The train to Lindenwauld was on time; the PATCO train to Collingswood actually left a few minutes early.
When I finally got in around 4:30, I put on White Christmas to get my mind off the tragic news and continued my Christmas baking with the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. In this smash hit musical from 1954, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play two old army buddies who fall for a pair of cute sister singers (Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney). They follow them up to Vermont, where they hope to cozy up to the girls in the snowy mountains. Turns out it hasn't snowed in Vermont in weeks. The lack of precipitation is causing the inn belonging to their old general (Dean Jagger) to lose business. The two first bring the show they're currently starring in and producing up to the inn to draw business. Then Bob gets the great idea to cheer the General up by inviting their army buddies for a reminder of how much he meant to them, but Clooney thinks he has other ideas. Of course, everything clears up smoothly, just in time for the title to come true...
While I prefer the earlier "White Christmas" movie Holiday Inn (the movie the song was introduced in), this one has its moments, too. Irving Berlin provided some decent new music, including the Oscar-nominated "Counting Your Blessings" and the hilarious "Sisters." Some fairly odd numbers were created for his older ones as well. (Check out the bizarre color scheme on "Mandy.") The movie works best in the first half, where the couples are meeting each other and we're putting on a show. The romantic contrivances with Clooney and Crosby in the second half drag things down quite a bit.
Actually, my favorite number from this film is the first, and the one of the simplest and most touching musical numbers ever committed to celluloid Bing sings "White Christmas" to an audience of soldiers while accompanied by nothing but a tinkling music box, while bombs go off in the distance. It's such a lovely moment, it's almost hard for the rest of the film to measure up to it.
Oh, and I e-mailed that executive when I got home and told him I wasn't interested in a sales job. Yes, I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth...but they never even called me. The only message on my phone when I got home was from a telemarketer. You'd think they would have wondered where I was. I don't regret the trip, though. I did get a good, long walk in, and I got to be outside on a gorgeous, sunny day.
The day started sunny, bright, and beautiful. I had a lot of errands to run in the morning before I went to Atco in the afternoon. Started with grocery shopping and my paycheck. I was surprised and delighted to see that my paycheck was much higher than anticipated. I was also able to get most of what I needed groceries-wise. The only thing I forgot was mushrooms, and I can get them tomorrow. Otherwise, I needed a fruit restock, dried beans, and grabbed the cheapest chicken legs they had. They were having an awesome sale on the Lipton "pyramid bag" tea; got my favorite flavor, Vanilla Caramel. Bought coconut, chocolate chips, and mousse mix for baking.
Went straight home after that. I put everything away quickly, rounded up my packages, and headed out. Stopped at a quiet bank to deposit my paycheck first, then rode over to the Oaklyn Post Office. Much to my surprise, there was no one in the tiny building but the women behind the counters. This may be the first time since I moved here that I was able to send my Christmas packages and cards in less than five minutes.
(Oh, and Linda & James, Lauren, and Amanda...all of you have packages coming on Monday or early next week.)
Things did not go as well after that. I was able to pick up the PATCO train at Collingswood and the NJ Transit train at Lindelwauld with no problems...but after I got off at Atco, I had no idea where to go. I'd walked out without bringing the address or phone number with me, and my cell phone is so old, I couldn't look it up quickly. I thought I'd take a bus to the White Horse Pike, but the next one wasn't until 1:11. I didn't want to be late, so I thought I'd walk.
I'm going to make a very long story short. I made a wrong turn and ended up half-way down the road before I finally made it to the White Horse Pike...and then, I couldn't find the insurance company. I hiked for what seemed like miles but was probably only a mile or so. Atco turned out to be almost literally in the middle of nowhere, mainly a collection of medical and insurance offices, small local businesses and shopping centers, and basic franchise banks and drug stores. It was more than 40 minutes after I was supposed to have arrived when I finally asked first a construction office, then a post office for directions.
I got lucky at the post office and ran into Donna, one of the women managers at work. Turns out she lives near Atco and was dropping off her own packages. We looked up the address online, and I showed her the original e-mail the Chief Executive sent me. We finally came to the conclusion that the executive said he wanted people to join his sales team. I am not a salesperson. I don't want to sell things. I finally just agreed with Donna that it probably was a waste of time to even go to the interview, especially since it was past 2 by then and I was tired, hungry, and frustrated.
I asked Donna to drop me off at a pizzeria in the small shopping center I saw on my earlier hike. I hadn't eaten since breakfast! When I came in, all of the cooks and bus boys were gathered around the TV. I was shocked when I heard the news about the gunman who had killed 20 children in an elementary school in Connecticut. God, that is just horrible. Why do people think they can do this, especially to kids? My heart goes out to everyone who was effected by this tragedy.
After all that, I just wanted to get home. I thought of waiting for a bus, but I was tired of standing. I walked back to the train terminal, making it well before the train arrived. The train to Lindenwauld was on time; the PATCO train to Collingswood actually left a few minutes early.
When I finally got in around 4:30, I put on White Christmas to get my mind off the tragic news and continued my Christmas baking with the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. In this smash hit musical from 1954, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play two old army buddies who fall for a pair of cute sister singers (Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney). They follow them up to Vermont, where they hope to cozy up to the girls in the snowy mountains. Turns out it hasn't snowed in Vermont in weeks. The lack of precipitation is causing the inn belonging to their old general (Dean Jagger) to lose business. The two first bring the show they're currently starring in and producing up to the inn to draw business. Then Bob gets the great idea to cheer the General up by inviting their army buddies for a reminder of how much he meant to them, but Clooney thinks he has other ideas. Of course, everything clears up smoothly, just in time for the title to come true...
While I prefer the earlier "White Christmas" movie Holiday Inn (the movie the song was introduced in), this one has its moments, too. Irving Berlin provided some decent new music, including the Oscar-nominated "Counting Your Blessings" and the hilarious "Sisters." Some fairly odd numbers were created for his older ones as well. (Check out the bizarre color scheme on "Mandy.") The movie works best in the first half, where the couples are meeting each other and we're putting on a show. The romantic contrivances with Clooney and Crosby in the second half drag things down quite a bit.
Actually, my favorite number from this film is the first, and the one of the simplest and most touching musical numbers ever committed to celluloid Bing sings "White Christmas" to an audience of soldiers while accompanied by nothing but a tinkling music box, while bombs go off in the distance. It's such a lovely moment, it's almost hard for the rest of the film to measure up to it.
Oh, and I e-mailed that executive when I got home and told him I wasn't interested in a sales job. Yes, I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth...but they never even called me. The only message on my phone when I got home was from a telemarketer. You'd think they would have wondered where I was. I don't regret the trip, though. I did get a good, long walk in, and I got to be outside on a gorgeous, sunny day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Let's Run Away to Atlantic City
After two long work days in a row, that's all I wanted to do. It was a gorgeous day for it, too. The air was warmer than yesterday, but there was a strong wind that kept things cool and no humidity. It was bright and sunny, with a brilliant, hurts-to-look-at-it blue sky. The Acme actually tried to call me in; I just ignored the phone. After spending most of the last two days there, I had no desire to let this one go. I need these two days off.
I ran into some trouble in Lindenwauld. I got there at 10AM...but there wasn't another train to AC until 12! I strolled around the area, checking out a Walgreens on the corner near the bus/train terminal, and spent an hour reading Assignment: Ceylon. Both the PATCO and NJ Transit trains were pretty busy, but I did manage to find a seat with no trouble. Everything was on time. The train rolled into AC by 1PM.
My first stop of the day was The Walk, the outlet stores along the streets near the Atlantic City Expressway. It was incredibly busy for middle of the week. The traffic was horrible; it took forever just to cross from one line of stores to the other. There was some kind of bridal trade show going on at the outdoor patios where H&M and Starbucks are; not a good thing, since I needed lunch and to hit the bathroom. Thankfully, it didn't take as long to get my tasty Tomato, Basil, Mozerella and Chicken Panini from the crepe cafe, but I did have to wait in line for the bathroom at Starbucks.
After that, I spent the next couple of hours shopping the outlets. I couldn't buy a lot; I don't have a lot of money on me right now. I limited to what I really wanted and needed. The "wanted" was covered by the Meridia toddler doll I picked up at the Disney Store. She has crinkly, curly red hair and the cutest little smirk that says "I'm going to get into trouble the moment Mummy's back is turned." I really, really want to see the new Pixar movie Brave anyway. I was originally going to get Belle as my third and last Animator's Collection doll, but then I saw this unique sweetie and couldn't resist her. (I also picked up a really nifty Muppets-themed tote bag to haul her around in. It even has an outside pocket.)
The needed was a new pair of shorts and some really neat sunglasses with white, red, and orange floral frames from Layne Bryant. The sunglasses were 50 percent off. The shorts, a pair of orange, red, and white plaid Bermudas that'll match my new Fashion Bug t-shirts nicely, were 30 percent. I was going to get another pair of jean shorts, but while I did see a pair I liked, I decided to try something different.
(I explored other stores as well. I browsed in Toys 'R Us, hoping to find clothes for the Animator's Collection dolls. I wanted to find new sneakers for work, but neither Adidas nor Puma nor Converse really had what I was looking for.)
It would be criminal to not take some time on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, especially on such a nice day. I didn't go in any of the casinos, but I did have a nice stroll. I bought an Atlantic City t-shirt and my favorite candy, fruit slices, from the wonderfully cheap and grungy Peanut World gift shop near Bally's Casino. I put a dollar into a crane game, hoping to win a huge Smurf doll. Nope, no luck. I bought a mango slush at one of the numerous small ice cream/pizza booths.
I hurried back to the Train Terminal in front of the Convention Center with just enough time to buy tickets and jump on the 4:42 to Lindenwauld. Once again, everything went just fine. Both of the trains were right on time, and other than some obnoxiously noisy teens and college students chattering in the back of the PATCO car, there were no problems.
I pulled my bike in around quarter after 6. I started taking Meridia out in the train, but she had too many heavy wires holding her in to do it completely there. I finished the job at home. When a happy-to-be-out Meridia was sitting with her Animator's Collection "sisters" Cinderella and Tiana, I finished up the shrimp for dinner and had macaroni salad and fresh farm market cucumbers and lettuce. After that, I hopped in a much-needed shower and went online.
After two long work days in a row, that's all I wanted to do. It was a gorgeous day for it, too. The air was warmer than yesterday, but there was a strong wind that kept things cool and no humidity. It was bright and sunny, with a brilliant, hurts-to-look-at-it blue sky. The Acme actually tried to call me in; I just ignored the phone. After spending most of the last two days there, I had no desire to let this one go. I need these two days off.
I ran into some trouble in Lindenwauld. I got there at 10AM...but there wasn't another train to AC until 12! I strolled around the area, checking out a Walgreens on the corner near the bus/train terminal, and spent an hour reading Assignment: Ceylon. Both the PATCO and NJ Transit trains were pretty busy, but I did manage to find a seat with no trouble. Everything was on time. The train rolled into AC by 1PM.
My first stop of the day was The Walk, the outlet stores along the streets near the Atlantic City Expressway. It was incredibly busy for middle of the week. The traffic was horrible; it took forever just to cross from one line of stores to the other. There was some kind of bridal trade show going on at the outdoor patios where H&M and Starbucks are; not a good thing, since I needed lunch and to hit the bathroom. Thankfully, it didn't take as long to get my tasty Tomato, Basil, Mozerella and Chicken Panini from the crepe cafe, but I did have to wait in line for the bathroom at Starbucks.
After that, I spent the next couple of hours shopping the outlets. I couldn't buy a lot; I don't have a lot of money on me right now. I limited to what I really wanted and needed. The "wanted" was covered by the Meridia toddler doll I picked up at the Disney Store. She has crinkly, curly red hair and the cutest little smirk that says "I'm going to get into trouble the moment Mummy's back is turned." I really, really want to see the new Pixar movie Brave anyway. I was originally going to get Belle as my third and last Animator's Collection doll, but then I saw this unique sweetie and couldn't resist her. (I also picked up a really nifty Muppets-themed tote bag to haul her around in. It even has an outside pocket.)
The needed was a new pair of shorts and some really neat sunglasses with white, red, and orange floral frames from Layne Bryant. The sunglasses were 50 percent off. The shorts, a pair of orange, red, and white plaid Bermudas that'll match my new Fashion Bug t-shirts nicely, were 30 percent. I was going to get another pair of jean shorts, but while I did see a pair I liked, I decided to try something different.
(I explored other stores as well. I browsed in Toys 'R Us, hoping to find clothes for the Animator's Collection dolls. I wanted to find new sneakers for work, but neither Adidas nor Puma nor Converse really had what I was looking for.)
It would be criminal to not take some time on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk, especially on such a nice day. I didn't go in any of the casinos, but I did have a nice stroll. I bought an Atlantic City t-shirt and my favorite candy, fruit slices, from the wonderfully cheap and grungy Peanut World gift shop near Bally's Casino. I put a dollar into a crane game, hoping to win a huge Smurf doll. Nope, no luck. I bought a mango slush at one of the numerous small ice cream/pizza booths.
I hurried back to the Train Terminal in front of the Convention Center with just enough time to buy tickets and jump on the 4:42 to Lindenwauld. Once again, everything went just fine. Both of the trains were right on time, and other than some obnoxiously noisy teens and college students chattering in the back of the PATCO car, there were no problems.
I pulled my bike in around quarter after 6. I started taking Meridia out in the train, but she had too many heavy wires holding her in to do it completely there. I finished the job at home. When a happy-to-be-out Meridia was sitting with her Animator's Collection "sisters" Cinderella and Tiana, I finished up the shrimp for dinner and had macaroni salad and fresh farm market cucumbers and lettuce. After that, I hopped in a much-needed shower and went online.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Epic Lunacy
I got up in time to make a quick laundry run this morning and even have a decent cereal breakfast. The laundromat was fairly busy, with several families getting their Monday morning chores done. I saw two adorable little girls pushing their brown teddy bear around in a stroller as I pulled my small load out of the drier. It was a good thing I didn't have much to do; it got pretty crowded.
When I got home, I put everything away, then finished all the packing I can do for now. (I'll pack my toiletries, journal, and pajamas tomorrow morning.) Dubbed Blazing Saddles as I tossed together leftover ground chicken with various vegetables and a salad for lunch.
"Never give a saga an even break," runs the tag line for one of Brooks' earliest and best genre spoofs. Westerns and the fights over race and sexuality in the 60s and 70s are poked fun at here. Two corrupt politicians (Brooks and Harvey Korman) hoping to buy up land in the town of Rock Ridge hire a black man (Cleavon Little) as their sheriff. Far from driving people out of town, the intelligent and sensible Little proves instrumental to bringing the townspeople together, dragging the washed-up gunslinger the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder) away from liquor, and even romancing singer Lily Von Shtupp (an Oscar-nominated Madeline Khan). The west - and the Warners lot - isn't big enough for the two of them, but Little's determined to prove that brains really are mightier than brawn...no matter what you look like on the outside.
This is one of the wackiest satires Brooks ever did, with Jewish Indians (Brooks too) seen in flashback, Wilder so fast on the draw he doesn't have to draw to take out anything in his path, and the finale that gets so insane, it spills into a musical directed by Dom DeLouise. Actually, today, this is known for a joke it couldn't have pulled off just a few years before - the infamous reaction around the campfire to those can of beans. Brooks' musical chops show up here, too. Khan's Marlene Dietrich number spoof is a riot, and the Frankie Laine-sung title tune was also Oscar-nominated.
I ran a few related Three Stooges shorts after Saddles ended. The trio hope to find gold using Curly's metal detector in "Cactus Makes Perfect," but they end up chased by prospectors instead. "Matri-phony" moves us to ancient Rome. Emperor Octopus Grabbus is determined to wed a pretty slave whom the Stooges were hiding...but he falls even more for Curly in drag!
Headed to work after "Matri-phony" ended. Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - quiet when I came in, quiet when I left, steady but not overwhelming during rush hour. It shouldn't be really bad there again until we get closer to the Fourth of July.
I got up in time to make a quick laundry run this morning and even have a decent cereal breakfast. The laundromat was fairly busy, with several families getting their Monday morning chores done. I saw two adorable little girls pushing their brown teddy bear around in a stroller as I pulled my small load out of the drier. It was a good thing I didn't have much to do; it got pretty crowded.
When I got home, I put everything away, then finished all the packing I can do for now. (I'll pack my toiletries, journal, and pajamas tomorrow morning.) Dubbed Blazing Saddles as I tossed together leftover ground chicken with various vegetables and a salad for lunch.
"Never give a saga an even break," runs the tag line for one of Brooks' earliest and best genre spoofs. Westerns and the fights over race and sexuality in the 60s and 70s are poked fun at here. Two corrupt politicians (Brooks and Harvey Korman) hoping to buy up land in the town of Rock Ridge hire a black man (Cleavon Little) as their sheriff. Far from driving people out of town, the intelligent and sensible Little proves instrumental to bringing the townspeople together, dragging the washed-up gunslinger the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder) away from liquor, and even romancing singer Lily Von Shtupp (an Oscar-nominated Madeline Khan). The west - and the Warners lot - isn't big enough for the two of them, but Little's determined to prove that brains really are mightier than brawn...no matter what you look like on the outside.
This is one of the wackiest satires Brooks ever did, with Jewish Indians (Brooks too) seen in flashback, Wilder so fast on the draw he doesn't have to draw to take out anything in his path, and the finale that gets so insane, it spills into a musical directed by Dom DeLouise. Actually, today, this is known for a joke it couldn't have pulled off just a few years before - the infamous reaction around the campfire to those can of beans. Brooks' musical chops show up here, too. Khan's Marlene Dietrich number spoof is a riot, and the Frankie Laine-sung title tune was also Oscar-nominated.
I ran a few related Three Stooges shorts after Saddles ended. The trio hope to find gold using Curly's metal detector in "Cactus Makes Perfect," but they end up chased by prospectors instead. "Matri-phony" moves us to ancient Rome. Emperor Octopus Grabbus is determined to wed a pretty slave whom the Stooges were hiding...but he falls even more for Curly in drag!
Headed to work after "Matri-phony" ended. Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - quiet when I came in, quiet when I left, steady but not overwhelming during rush hour. It shouldn't be really bad there again until we get closer to the Fourth of July.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
O Brother and Vicki, Where Art Thou?
Started a cloudy and cool morning with Brunch With the Beatles. Sir Paul McCartney turns 70 tomorrow, and they ran songs from his solo career (plus the Beatles song "Birthday") in his honor. Most of what we heard were songs from his days with Wings, including "Silly Love Songs," "My Love," "Uncle Albert," "Jet," "Band On the Run," and my personal favorite, "Live and Let Die."
After the largely lousy week I had, I figured I needed Double Chocolate Mint Chip Pancakes and a big handful of farm market cherries. When the last cherry had been popped in my mouth (and the pit popped in a bowl), I called Mom and Dad-Bill to wish the latter a Happy Father's Day.
Mom was not a happy camper. They were having "issues," in her words. Apparently, that used Camero my brother Keefe bought a few weeks ago died in North Carolina, stranding him and his girlfriend Vicki near Myrtle Beach. Dad sounded less ticked off and more annoyed when I talked to him. He cracked up when I told him to smack Keefe silly when he finally got home. (I wasn't joking. ;) )
I called Rose after I got off with Dad. She confirmed both Keefe being stranded and our departure time. She wants to pick me up somewhere between 11 and 12 on Tuesday morning. Fine with me. I'm off from Tuesday through 1PM Friday. She can pretty much pick me up anytime she wants. She wants to stay overnight after the party Tuesday, then make a Wednesday morning trip to either Wildwood Crest or Cape May to introduce her two-year-old son to the beach. Also fine by me. I can't remember the last time I went to a beach that wasn't on the banks of a river.
I spent the rest of the afternoon quietly. Messed around online for an hour, then made Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes for the party on Tuesday. I squeezed the juice of three of the lemons I bought from the Acme and grated some of their rind into a white cake mix. Also added flaxseed for a little extra crunch along with the blueberries. I also got a jump on my packing - I probably won't have the time tomorrow or Tuesday morning. I'm all set except for the things like my toothbrush that can't go in until Tuesday.
(When I was going through my bedroom closet, I decided to thin things out a bit. Moved most of my luggage except for the big gray piece under my bed. Put the plain brown messenger back in the back room. I used it a lot in college, but not only do I not transport a lot of books or things anymore, but I also have my laptop bag that performs the same function, more-or-less.)
The cupcakes came out of the oven just in time for me to make dinner, change into my uniform, and head out for work. Work was quiet when I arrived and when I left, but very busy during the usual 4-6 rush hour as people prepared for Father's Day barbecues and birthday and graduation parties. It was so quiet by 7PM, I was able to leave with no relief.
I called my biological father when I got in. Dad-Bruce is in Florida and in the midst of a cruise ship job, but it was still nice to talk to him. It sounds like he'll be home next week. He reminded me that the pool's open. I might try to get there Thursday - it's supposed to be super-hot that day.
Oh, and I finally started to play around with that iPod Lauren gave me for Christmas. I downloaded iTunes and synced a whole pile of CDs to the device. I'll mess around with downloading later in the week. I can't believe how fast this thing syncs CDs! It's three times as fast as my old Coby MP3 player. I love it. I'll bring it on the trip to Cape May County to try it out.
Here's hoping all fathers had a great day, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered. :)
Started a cloudy and cool morning with Brunch With the Beatles. Sir Paul McCartney turns 70 tomorrow, and they ran songs from his solo career (plus the Beatles song "Birthday") in his honor. Most of what we heard were songs from his days with Wings, including "Silly Love Songs," "My Love," "Uncle Albert," "Jet," "Band On the Run," and my personal favorite, "Live and Let Die."
After the largely lousy week I had, I figured I needed Double Chocolate Mint Chip Pancakes and a big handful of farm market cherries. When the last cherry had been popped in my mouth (and the pit popped in a bowl), I called Mom and Dad-Bill to wish the latter a Happy Father's Day.
Mom was not a happy camper. They were having "issues," in her words. Apparently, that used Camero my brother Keefe bought a few weeks ago died in North Carolina, stranding him and his girlfriend Vicki near Myrtle Beach. Dad sounded less ticked off and more annoyed when I talked to him. He cracked up when I told him to smack Keefe silly when he finally got home. (I wasn't joking. ;) )
I called Rose after I got off with Dad. She confirmed both Keefe being stranded and our departure time. She wants to pick me up somewhere between 11 and 12 on Tuesday morning. Fine with me. I'm off from Tuesday through 1PM Friday. She can pretty much pick me up anytime she wants. She wants to stay overnight after the party Tuesday, then make a Wednesday morning trip to either Wildwood Crest or Cape May to introduce her two-year-old son to the beach. Also fine by me. I can't remember the last time I went to a beach that wasn't on the banks of a river.
I spent the rest of the afternoon quietly. Messed around online for an hour, then made Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes for the party on Tuesday. I squeezed the juice of three of the lemons I bought from the Acme and grated some of their rind into a white cake mix. Also added flaxseed for a little extra crunch along with the blueberries. I also got a jump on my packing - I probably won't have the time tomorrow or Tuesday morning. I'm all set except for the things like my toothbrush that can't go in until Tuesday.
(When I was going through my bedroom closet, I decided to thin things out a bit. Moved most of my luggage except for the big gray piece under my bed. Put the plain brown messenger back in the back room. I used it a lot in college, but not only do I not transport a lot of books or things anymore, but I also have my laptop bag that performs the same function, more-or-less.)
The cupcakes came out of the oven just in time for me to make dinner, change into my uniform, and head out for work. Work was quiet when I arrived and when I left, but very busy during the usual 4-6 rush hour as people prepared for Father's Day barbecues and birthday and graduation parties. It was so quiet by 7PM, I was able to leave with no relief.
I called my biological father when I got in. Dad-Bruce is in Florida and in the midst of a cruise ship job, but it was still nice to talk to him. It sounds like he'll be home next week. He reminded me that the pool's open. I might try to get there Thursday - it's supposed to be super-hot that day.
Oh, and I finally started to play around with that iPod Lauren gave me for Christmas. I downloaded iTunes and synced a whole pile of CDs to the device. I'll mess around with downloading later in the week. I can't believe how fast this thing syncs CDs! It's three times as fast as my old Coby MP3 player. I love it. I'll bring it on the trip to Cape May County to try it out.
Here's hoping all fathers had a great day, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered. :)
Friday, September 09, 2011
Why Do the Wrong People Travel?
The day began quite pleasantly. I got up early; browsed through Mom's Christmas craft books and wrote in my journal until about 8:30. Mom was already awake. Dad had gone out to Wildwood for the motorcycle convention again. Keefe was still in bed. He finally rolled out around quarter of 10. I watched him play video games while Mom got ready for us to head to breakfast.
Keefe, Mom, and I enjoyed a very pleasant meal at one of my family's favorite diners. The Four Seasons was a small WaWa until around 2004, when they moved to a larger building across the street. The Four Seasons opened a mere months later. We all fell in love with their tasty food and good prices when we tried it on a family outing. When I lived in Wildwood, it was one of my favorite places to eat when I'd make errand runs in Rio Grande.
All three of us had omelets, home fries, and whole wheat toast. Keefe had tomatoes, bacon, and mozzarella. I had broccoli and Swiss. Mom had spinach, tomato, and feta. Mine was delicious, just large enough, with lots of cheese and big broccoli pieces. The home fries were pretty good, too. Mom and Keefe said they loved theirs.
We drove across the street and browsed in Bed, Bath, and Beyond while waiting for my bus. Keefe and I didn't get anything. I didn't have the room. (Mom's sending several videos I told her I'd dub and the book I bought yesterday in the mail.) Mom had a coupon, so she bought a garlic bag. We oohed and ahhed over fancy knives, elaborate kitchen gadgets, and every baking pan under the sun.
They dropped me off at Dunkin' Donuts about 20 minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive...and that's when the trouble began. The first two buses to appear were going to Wildwood and the Crest Haven Complex in Cape May Courthouse. Neither were scheduled. I asked one driver where the bus to Atlantic City was, and she said I had to pick it up across the street.
Fine. I crossed Route 47, luckily making it without incident. It's one of the busiest highways in Cape May County! The bus still didn't appear. It didn't arrive until more than 40 minutes after I was left at Dunkin' Donuts.
I was good and steamed, and matters weren't helped when I realized that the bus was so crowded, people were standing in the aisle of a narrow vehicle that was made for long-distance, not local, travel. Not only that, but almost all of the occupants were college kids and young workers spending their weekend off in Atlantic City. One girl gave me a lot of attitude when I accidentally rubbed up against her. A couple of men thought they were being cute when they asked me to sit on their lap. They're lucky I didn't wallop them with my very full bag.
I did finally find a seat, and spent a cramped and frustrating hour heading to Atlantic City. And of course, by the time the bus did finally show up at the Atlantic City Train Terminal, the 2:46 I was hoping to catch had literally just pulled out of the platform. This did give me a chance to buy a pretzel and a fruit cup for a quick lunch, buy my train ticket, and make change for the bus to Oaklyn.
The train, thank heavens, arrived on time, and the trip to Lindenwald went without incident. The trouble started again when I got off and discovered I'd missed the 4:27. Naturally, the 5:07 showed up more than ten minutes after it was supposed to, and at least two buses that weren't scheduled that had the same number went by.
I didn't get in until 6:02. I was tired, frustrated, and angry. I normally would have just called it quits, but I was broke. I badly needed my paycheck. I called my parents to tell them I was home, then dumped my things, grabbed my wallet and backpack, and headed to the Acme.
Picked up my paycheck, then had a really quick Mushroom and Swiss Sandwich and a Diet Dr. Pepper at Arby's. I didn't need much at the grocery store, since I was away all week. Eggs was the big one - I was almost out. Bought a carrot Betty Crocker cake mix to replace the spice one I used last week. (I can't believe the Acme doesn't sell the Betty Crocker spice anymore!) Also grabbed a box of green tea, a jar of Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter, chocolate chips, light Vanilla ice cream for a treat to cheer me up, and more frozen fruit juice concentrate for baking experiments.
I got quite a nasty shock when I checked my schedule for next week. Not only am I working 8 1/2 hours the day I get back, but we're supposed to be learning a new computer system on the registers then, too! I'm so frustrated.
I was in tears when I came home. It had been such a long day, and my schedule just made things worse. I called Mom when I came in; I got Dad before. She said that the next time the bus doesn't show or is very late, I should just call her, and I'll either wait at her house or she and Keefe will drive me to Atlantic City.
The day began quite pleasantly. I got up early; browsed through Mom's Christmas craft books and wrote in my journal until about 8:30. Mom was already awake. Dad had gone out to Wildwood for the motorcycle convention again. Keefe was still in bed. He finally rolled out around quarter of 10. I watched him play video games while Mom got ready for us to head to breakfast.
Keefe, Mom, and I enjoyed a very pleasant meal at one of my family's favorite diners. The Four Seasons was a small WaWa until around 2004, when they moved to a larger building across the street. The Four Seasons opened a mere months later. We all fell in love with their tasty food and good prices when we tried it on a family outing. When I lived in Wildwood, it was one of my favorite places to eat when I'd make errand runs in Rio Grande.
All three of us had omelets, home fries, and whole wheat toast. Keefe had tomatoes, bacon, and mozzarella. I had broccoli and Swiss. Mom had spinach, tomato, and feta. Mine was delicious, just large enough, with lots of cheese and big broccoli pieces. The home fries were pretty good, too. Mom and Keefe said they loved theirs.
We drove across the street and browsed in Bed, Bath, and Beyond while waiting for my bus. Keefe and I didn't get anything. I didn't have the room. (Mom's sending several videos I told her I'd dub and the book I bought yesterday in the mail.) Mom had a coupon, so she bought a garlic bag. We oohed and ahhed over fancy knives, elaborate kitchen gadgets, and every baking pan under the sun.
They dropped me off at Dunkin' Donuts about 20 minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive...and that's when the trouble began. The first two buses to appear were going to Wildwood and the Crest Haven Complex in Cape May Courthouse. Neither were scheduled. I asked one driver where the bus to Atlantic City was, and she said I had to pick it up across the street.
Fine. I crossed Route 47, luckily making it without incident. It's one of the busiest highways in Cape May County! The bus still didn't appear. It didn't arrive until more than 40 minutes after I was left at Dunkin' Donuts.
I was good and steamed, and matters weren't helped when I realized that the bus was so crowded, people were standing in the aisle of a narrow vehicle that was made for long-distance, not local, travel. Not only that, but almost all of the occupants were college kids and young workers spending their weekend off in Atlantic City. One girl gave me a lot of attitude when I accidentally rubbed up against her. A couple of men thought they were being cute when they asked me to sit on their lap. They're lucky I didn't wallop them with my very full bag.
I did finally find a seat, and spent a cramped and frustrating hour heading to Atlantic City. And of course, by the time the bus did finally show up at the Atlantic City Train Terminal, the 2:46 I was hoping to catch had literally just pulled out of the platform. This did give me a chance to buy a pretzel and a fruit cup for a quick lunch, buy my train ticket, and make change for the bus to Oaklyn.
The train, thank heavens, arrived on time, and the trip to Lindenwald went without incident. The trouble started again when I got off and discovered I'd missed the 4:27. Naturally, the 5:07 showed up more than ten minutes after it was supposed to, and at least two buses that weren't scheduled that had the same number went by.
I didn't get in until 6:02. I was tired, frustrated, and angry. I normally would have just called it quits, but I was broke. I badly needed my paycheck. I called my parents to tell them I was home, then dumped my things, grabbed my wallet and backpack, and headed to the Acme.
Picked up my paycheck, then had a really quick Mushroom and Swiss Sandwich and a Diet Dr. Pepper at Arby's. I didn't need much at the grocery store, since I was away all week. Eggs was the big one - I was almost out. Bought a carrot Betty Crocker cake mix to replace the spice one I used last week. (I can't believe the Acme doesn't sell the Betty Crocker spice anymore!) Also grabbed a box of green tea, a jar of Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter, chocolate chips, light Vanilla ice cream for a treat to cheer me up, and more frozen fruit juice concentrate for baking experiments.
I got quite a nasty shock when I checked my schedule for next week. Not only am I working 8 1/2 hours the day I get back, but we're supposed to be learning a new computer system on the registers then, too! I'm so frustrated.
I was in tears when I came home. It had been such a long day, and my schedule just made things worse. I called Mom when I came in; I got Dad before. She said that the next time the bus doesn't show or is very late, I should just call her, and I'll either wait at her house or she and Keefe will drive me to Atlantic City.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
I'm On My Way
It was dark and cloudy when I woke up this morning, but the sun was starting to come out even as I finished my packing. When I started down the street to City Hall, where the bus to Lindenwauld picks up, the sun was overhead and it was hot, humid, and muggy, far more so than it has been in almost a month.
Thank goodness that was the worst that happened during the entire four-and-a-half-hour trip to Cape May County. In fact, the only other minor problem was part of the NJ Transit train platform at the Lindewauld station was closed. It took me a few minutes to figure out where the temporary entrance was. I had a half-hour layover there, so I had plenty of time.
I packed a lunch this morning and ate it at the same place I did last year, the patio next to Starbucks at the Walk Outlet stores in Atlantic City. Though it was still hot and humid in AC, it wasn't as bad as that morning. I had a pleasant time eating my chicken sandwich, listening to Harry Connick Jr. piped in from Starbucks, and watching the shoppers and gamblers stroll by.
Mom picked me up at the Dunkin' Donuts in Rio Grande around quarter of 3. We ran a few errands in the Shop Rite shopping center down the street, then went straight back to Mom's house. We chatted for a couple of hours and enjoyed a lovely snack of half of a tomato and avocado sandwich, strawberries, and Mom's divine chocolate chip bar cookies.
Dad came home around 5ish, and my sister Anny and her son Skylar arrived home shortly after. Skylar's a lot of fun. We played with his Duplo (large Legos for little kids) Toy Story train and a smaller train, and he showed me his huge purple Nerf gun (the thing is literally bigger than he is, and Sky's above-average tall for a seven-year-old). Dad and Anny mostly napped while NCIS blared in the background.
We all had pizza for dinner. Most of the local pizza parlors are awesome. Anny and Skylar requested a white broccoli pie, their favorite. Mom, Dad, and I had a half-pepperoni, half-peppers-and-mushroom pie. They were soo tasty.
Dad got called to the fishing boat he works at after dinner. (Something about a broken lock - he didn't sound too happy.) Skylar showed me the photos his mother took of him, her, and her friend when they visited upstate New York near Lake Ontario a few weeks ago. They were absolutely gorgeous, especially the shots Anny got of an amazing sunset on a cliff where a really nice playground was.
When Skylar started climbing on his mother, we knew it was time for him to go home. He has school tomorrow, and his mom works the graveyard shift at Big Lots in North Cape May. I'm going to go downstairs and get some ice cream. Tomorrow, it sounds like we're either going to go shopping in Cape May or explore the big wicker store nearby.
It was dark and cloudy when I woke up this morning, but the sun was starting to come out even as I finished my packing. When I started down the street to City Hall, where the bus to Lindenwauld picks up, the sun was overhead and it was hot, humid, and muggy, far more so than it has been in almost a month.
Thank goodness that was the worst that happened during the entire four-and-a-half-hour trip to Cape May County. In fact, the only other minor problem was part of the NJ Transit train platform at the Lindewauld station was closed. It took me a few minutes to figure out where the temporary entrance was. I had a half-hour layover there, so I had plenty of time.
I packed a lunch this morning and ate it at the same place I did last year, the patio next to Starbucks at the Walk Outlet stores in Atlantic City. Though it was still hot and humid in AC, it wasn't as bad as that morning. I had a pleasant time eating my chicken sandwich, listening to Harry Connick Jr. piped in from Starbucks, and watching the shoppers and gamblers stroll by.
Mom picked me up at the Dunkin' Donuts in Rio Grande around quarter of 3. We ran a few errands in the Shop Rite shopping center down the street, then went straight back to Mom's house. We chatted for a couple of hours and enjoyed a lovely snack of half of a tomato and avocado sandwich, strawberries, and Mom's divine chocolate chip bar cookies.
Dad came home around 5ish, and my sister Anny and her son Skylar arrived home shortly after. Skylar's a lot of fun. We played with his Duplo (large Legos for little kids) Toy Story train and a smaller train, and he showed me his huge purple Nerf gun (the thing is literally bigger than he is, and Sky's above-average tall for a seven-year-old). Dad and Anny mostly napped while NCIS blared in the background.
We all had pizza for dinner. Most of the local pizza parlors are awesome. Anny and Skylar requested a white broccoli pie, their favorite. Mom, Dad, and I had a half-pepperoni, half-peppers-and-mushroom pie. They were soo tasty.
Dad got called to the fishing boat he works at after dinner. (Something about a broken lock - he didn't sound too happy.) Skylar showed me the photos his mother took of him, her, and her friend when they visited upstate New York near Lake Ontario a few weeks ago. They were absolutely gorgeous, especially the shots Anny got of an amazing sunset on a cliff where a really nice playground was.
When Skylar started climbing on his mother, we knew it was time for him to go home. He has school tomorrow, and his mom works the graveyard shift at Big Lots in North Cape May. I'm going to go downstairs and get some ice cream. Tomorrow, it sounds like we're either going to go shopping in Cape May or explore the big wicker store nearby.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Good Idea, Bad Idea
Ok, anyone remember the "Good Idea, Bad Idea" segments from the 90s cartoon Animaniacs? A narrator would would show a skeleton guy demonstrating a "good idea." Then, they'd shown the same scene with the skeleton guy again...only this time, it would result in being blown up or having an anvil dropped on his head.
I had that kind of a day.
Good Idea: Sleeping in a little bit more than usual on a Saturday, but still getting out early enough to make the Farm Market and drop the bag of Miss Ellie's shoes at the thrift shop. The weather was gorgeous for the second Saturday in a row. It was sunny, mid-80s, and not humid at all, not out of line for the time of year. I managed to dodge the crowds and dogs and buy blueberries, nectarines, dandelion leaves, blackberries, an ear of corn, and all kinds of peppers.
Good Idea: It was decent enough outside for me to make cookies when I came home for the first time in ages. I made my favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip recipe, and they came out quite nicely.
Bad Idea: I was going to take the 1:40 to Clementon Park and Splash World. I'd debated on and off whether or not to go to Clementon Park, a small local amusement park, this week. Even with the $10 off coupon I picked up from the Bagel Shop last month, I still don't have a lot of money. Since it was such a nice day, I finally said "why not?" Alas, I left too late to catch the 1:40. While this did mean I could go back and get the coupon (which I'd left at home in my haste to leave), it also meant I would be taking the 2:25...which was almost 20 minutes late and very full.
Good Idea: Clementon Park isn't a bad place. It's very small, with only one large roller coaster (the Hellcat), one decent water flume (King Neptune's Revenge), one small coaster (Ring of Fire), and all the usual things you find in an amusement park - games, a carousel, swings, kids' rides, a very small arcade. That means it's easy to navigate in a few hours...
Bad Idea: ...Granted those hours aren't on a Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, the lines weren't too long, but it was very, very busy. Hot, too. There's no shade whatsoever at Clementon Park. Even most of the lines are outside. The water I bought cost me $3. That wouldn't be so bad if it was Wildwood or Disney World, but at a park that's not even a quarter of the size of the small Great Escape, that's highway robbery. (Especially since there's a CVS across the street that sells water for 99 cents!)
Bad Idea (for me): Clementon Park is a family park. Major emphasis on family. I couldn't ride the Ferris Wheel. Not because of my weight or height, but because they wouldn't take people who were alone. That's ridiculous. I rode the Giant Ferris Wheel in Wildwood all the time by myself.
Good Idea: I had more luck with other rides. The Carousel is lovely; it may be the original from when the park opened in 1907. (Clementon Park is actually one of the oldest amusement parks in the world.) The swings were a bit precarious. I felt like my seat tipped too much! The Egyptian themed design was cool, though. And I did manage to get on King Neptune's Revenge. Two big, cheerful ladies who were standing in front of me happily insisted I join them. I'm glad they did. I sat in back, and they were in front. They kept falling into me, insuring me that I would remain in the vehicle at all time with no problems. (And damaging my eardrums in the process.) It was short and pretty slow for what you get. I don't know what everyone in the line was fussing about. All those Camden people obviously never rode the Log Flume at Morey's Pier.
Bad Idea: I spent more money than I should have at the games. I don't have much to spare. Especially since I called work this afternoon and discovered I'm not working again until Monday at 10:30 and have three days off. While one more day of vacation is nice, it also means my hours are lousy again.
Really Bad Idea: I decided to take the 5:32 home, hoping to be in Oaklyn in time for dinner. The bus was late again. The 5:32 didn't show up until 10 of 6, by which time there was a huge, noisy crowd waiting. The bus was very full all the way back to Oaklyn. People chattered noisily, jumped back and forth between seats, held loud conversations on their cell phones and over people's heads, and just basically behaved like uncivilized pains in the rear.
I really felt sorry for the poor teenage lifeguard who had been waiting for a bus for over an hour. Apparently, the 4:46 never showed at all. She was going on a long car trip to Arizona with her family and wasn't thrilled about being stuck in the car in general or now having to rush getting ready to go. Plus, she was certain that her family wouldn't wait for her if she was late. I even let her borrow my cell phone to call her mother. I hope she made it, poor kid.
I did finally get in around quarter of 7, by which time, I never wanted to see that awful bus again. The driver was slower than five turtles, and everyone wanted to get off at every darn stop on the entire route. A bus ride that should have been a little over a half-hour ended up being almost and hour!
Good Idea: Learning some lessons about doing amusement parks, even tiny local ones. First of all, never, ever go on a weekend, especially a Saturday. If you must go on a Saturday, go in the morning or late evening, when the bus is likely to be a lot less full and there's less traffic. If you have very young kids or are single like me, go online and find what rides will be appropriate for their ages or for someone traveling alone.
Ok, anyone remember the "Good Idea, Bad Idea" segments from the 90s cartoon Animaniacs? A narrator would would show a skeleton guy demonstrating a "good idea." Then, they'd shown the same scene with the skeleton guy again...only this time, it would result in being blown up or having an anvil dropped on his head.
I had that kind of a day.
Good Idea: Sleeping in a little bit more than usual on a Saturday, but still getting out early enough to make the Farm Market and drop the bag of Miss Ellie's shoes at the thrift shop. The weather was gorgeous for the second Saturday in a row. It was sunny, mid-80s, and not humid at all, not out of line for the time of year. I managed to dodge the crowds and dogs and buy blueberries, nectarines, dandelion leaves, blackberries, an ear of corn, and all kinds of peppers.
Good Idea: It was decent enough outside for me to make cookies when I came home for the first time in ages. I made my favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip recipe, and they came out quite nicely.
Bad Idea: I was going to take the 1:40 to Clementon Park and Splash World. I'd debated on and off whether or not to go to Clementon Park, a small local amusement park, this week. Even with the $10 off coupon I picked up from the Bagel Shop last month, I still don't have a lot of money. Since it was such a nice day, I finally said "why not?" Alas, I left too late to catch the 1:40. While this did mean I could go back and get the coupon (which I'd left at home in my haste to leave), it also meant I would be taking the 2:25...which was almost 20 minutes late and very full.
Good Idea: Clementon Park isn't a bad place. It's very small, with only one large roller coaster (the Hellcat), one decent water flume (King Neptune's Revenge), one small coaster (Ring of Fire), and all the usual things you find in an amusement park - games, a carousel, swings, kids' rides, a very small arcade. That means it's easy to navigate in a few hours...
Bad Idea: ...Granted those hours aren't on a Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, the lines weren't too long, but it was very, very busy. Hot, too. There's no shade whatsoever at Clementon Park. Even most of the lines are outside. The water I bought cost me $3. That wouldn't be so bad if it was Wildwood or Disney World, but at a park that's not even a quarter of the size of the small Great Escape, that's highway robbery. (Especially since there's a CVS across the street that sells water for 99 cents!)
Bad Idea (for me): Clementon Park is a family park. Major emphasis on family. I couldn't ride the Ferris Wheel. Not because of my weight or height, but because they wouldn't take people who were alone. That's ridiculous. I rode the Giant Ferris Wheel in Wildwood all the time by myself.
Good Idea: I had more luck with other rides. The Carousel is lovely; it may be the original from when the park opened in 1907. (Clementon Park is actually one of the oldest amusement parks in the world.) The swings were a bit precarious. I felt like my seat tipped too much! The Egyptian themed design was cool, though. And I did manage to get on King Neptune's Revenge. Two big, cheerful ladies who were standing in front of me happily insisted I join them. I'm glad they did. I sat in back, and they were in front. They kept falling into me, insuring me that I would remain in the vehicle at all time with no problems. (And damaging my eardrums in the process.) It was short and pretty slow for what you get. I don't know what everyone in the line was fussing about. All those Camden people obviously never rode the Log Flume at Morey's Pier.
Bad Idea: I spent more money than I should have at the games. I don't have much to spare. Especially since I called work this afternoon and discovered I'm not working again until Monday at 10:30 and have three days off. While one more day of vacation is nice, it also means my hours are lousy again.
Really Bad Idea: I decided to take the 5:32 home, hoping to be in Oaklyn in time for dinner. The bus was late again. The 5:32 didn't show up until 10 of 6, by which time there was a huge, noisy crowd waiting. The bus was very full all the way back to Oaklyn. People chattered noisily, jumped back and forth between seats, held loud conversations on their cell phones and over people's heads, and just basically behaved like uncivilized pains in the rear.
I really felt sorry for the poor teenage lifeguard who had been waiting for a bus for over an hour. Apparently, the 4:46 never showed at all. She was going on a long car trip to Arizona with her family and wasn't thrilled about being stuck in the car in general or now having to rush getting ready to go. Plus, she was certain that her family wouldn't wait for her if she was late. I even let her borrow my cell phone to call her mother. I hope she made it, poor kid.
I did finally get in around quarter of 7, by which time, I never wanted to see that awful bus again. The driver was slower than five turtles, and everyone wanted to get off at every darn stop on the entire route. A bus ride that should have been a little over a half-hour ended up being almost and hour!
Good Idea: Learning some lessons about doing amusement parks, even tiny local ones. First of all, never, ever go on a weekend, especially a Saturday. If you must go on a Saturday, go in the morning or late evening, when the bus is likely to be a lot less full and there's less traffic. If you have very young kids or are single like me, go online and find what rides will be appropriate for their ages or for someone traveling alone.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Return to the House On the River
The skies were still clear and blue and it was still relatively cool when Mom and I headed out this morning. She had work at Michael's, and I was heading home. No one else was there when I left. Keefe was still at Anny's, and Dad had gone fishing. Mom and I said our good-byes at the Dunkin' Donuts on the corner of Route 47 and Route 9 in Rio Grande where the bus stop is. She went to work, and I went to wait for the 9:46.
When the 9:46 didn't arrive by almost 10 (even though the bus to Cape May was on time), I decided to assume it was late or I'd missed it. I went in Dunkin' Donuts and bought an iced tea with no sugar and a sesame seed bagel. I was outside for less than 5 minutes when I saw the bus pull up at the stop! I ran with my meal and just barely made it.
Thankfully, that was the worst that happened on the road. The 552 to Atlantic City did get crowded between the Wildwood Bus Terminal and Cape May Courthouse, but it's also one of the few buses that run at the Southern Jersey Shore, and the only bus that makes stops at Route 9 and on Crest Haven Road. Once we got past Courthouse, everyone cleared out, and the trip to Atlantic City was peaceful. There wasn't even any traffic this time.
I arrived in Atlantic City and realized I'd forgotten to pack a lunch. I stopped at the Subway in the Outlets and had a roast beef 6-inch hoagie. I originally wanted apple slices and a soda, too, but the guy didn't put them with the sandwich. I didn't understand that you had to get them from the main dining area...and then I couldn't find them because I couldn't understand a word the guy said under his thick, unidentifiable accent. I finally stormed out with just my sandwich. I ate the sandwich on a terrace next to the building, then walked to the Train Terminal at the Convention Center and bought a soda.
The rest of my trip passed without incident. The train from Atlantic City to Lindenwald departed and arrived right on time. The bus to Oaklyn arrived on-time, ran into no traffic whatsoever, and arrived on-time. Neither vehicle was close to full. I got off at the dentist office across from PNC Bank in Oaklyn and walked home.
After I got in and unpacked, I briefly debated a swim, but finally decided that I had way too much laundry to ignore. In addition to everything from vacation, I had towels and dust rags from last week to do, along with my work uniform and all the usual things. I was there for more than an hour and a half; good thing it wasn't busy at all. There were just two old people and an older Hispanic man.
I got in around 6:30. I sorted my laundry and put it all away, then called Mom. I wanted to wait until after she was done work at 6 to tell her I was home. Yes, she was home. She was glad to hear from me, happy that my trip went well, and very happy that I went to visit her. I called Rose, too, to say "hi." She was holding her son Khai when she called me back and couldn't talk for long, but just the fact that she actually called me back within 20 minutes of me making the call was a good thing.
And I have to admit, even with the fussing over my clothes, I'm happy I went down there, too. I rarely got Mom and Dad to myself as a kid, much less now. There's usually siblings or grandchildren around. I don't often get to connect with my parents the way my friends Lauren, Linda, and Kelly do. No wonder they all enjoy spending time with their parents. I had a great time.
And tomorrow, library volunteering and more vacation!
The skies were still clear and blue and it was still relatively cool when Mom and I headed out this morning. She had work at Michael's, and I was heading home. No one else was there when I left. Keefe was still at Anny's, and Dad had gone fishing. Mom and I said our good-byes at the Dunkin' Donuts on the corner of Route 47 and Route 9 in Rio Grande where the bus stop is. She went to work, and I went to wait for the 9:46.
When the 9:46 didn't arrive by almost 10 (even though the bus to Cape May was on time), I decided to assume it was late or I'd missed it. I went in Dunkin' Donuts and bought an iced tea with no sugar and a sesame seed bagel. I was outside for less than 5 minutes when I saw the bus pull up at the stop! I ran with my meal and just barely made it.
Thankfully, that was the worst that happened on the road. The 552 to Atlantic City did get crowded between the Wildwood Bus Terminal and Cape May Courthouse, but it's also one of the few buses that run at the Southern Jersey Shore, and the only bus that makes stops at Route 9 and on Crest Haven Road. Once we got past Courthouse, everyone cleared out, and the trip to Atlantic City was peaceful. There wasn't even any traffic this time.
I arrived in Atlantic City and realized I'd forgotten to pack a lunch. I stopped at the Subway in the Outlets and had a roast beef 6-inch hoagie. I originally wanted apple slices and a soda, too, but the guy didn't put them with the sandwich. I didn't understand that you had to get them from the main dining area...and then I couldn't find them because I couldn't understand a word the guy said under his thick, unidentifiable accent. I finally stormed out with just my sandwich. I ate the sandwich on a terrace next to the building, then walked to the Train Terminal at the Convention Center and bought a soda.
The rest of my trip passed without incident. The train from Atlantic City to Lindenwald departed and arrived right on time. The bus to Oaklyn arrived on-time, ran into no traffic whatsoever, and arrived on-time. Neither vehicle was close to full. I got off at the dentist office across from PNC Bank in Oaklyn and walked home.
After I got in and unpacked, I briefly debated a swim, but finally decided that I had way too much laundry to ignore. In addition to everything from vacation, I had towels and dust rags from last week to do, along with my work uniform and all the usual things. I was there for more than an hour and a half; good thing it wasn't busy at all. There were just two old people and an older Hispanic man.
I got in around 6:30. I sorted my laundry and put it all away, then called Mom. I wanted to wait until after she was done work at 6 to tell her I was home. Yes, she was home. She was glad to hear from me, happy that my trip went well, and very happy that I went to visit her. I called Rose, too, to say "hi." She was holding her son Khai when she called me back and couldn't talk for long, but just the fact that she actually called me back within 20 minutes of me making the call was a good thing.
And I have to admit, even with the fussing over my clothes, I'm happy I went down there, too. I rarely got Mom and Dad to myself as a kid, much less now. There's usually siblings or grandchildren around. I don't often get to connect with my parents the way my friends Lauren, Linda, and Kelly do. No wonder they all enjoy spending time with their parents. I had a great time.
And tomorrow, library volunteering and more vacation!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Nothing Like the City
The weather did not look promising this morning. In fact, it was downright ugly. Weather or no weather, I still wanted to meet my friends Linda and James Young from Georgia in Philadelphia to see some of the historic sites. I did have a very good omen right before I left. I use an old purse as a camera case. I was looking for the pocket that was for money and coins. When I found it, that pocket contained nine dollars and at least a dollar-fifty in change. Combined with the 35 I earned raking for Miss Ellie, the 7 dollar rebate check from X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in September, and my own money leftover from my paycheck last week, I had 60 dollars to play with today.
After my stop at the bank to cash the afore-mentioned check, I rode over to Collingswood and jumped on the PATCO train to the 8th and Market stop. It was still raining when I finally met Linda and James at the National Convention Center, which turned out to be two blocks from the 8th and Market Gallery Mall PATCO stop. I was glad to see both of them. They looked as lovely as ever. I haven't seen them since the WENN convention we all went to in Queens in June 2001.
It turned out we had a little time before the 11:20 Independence Hall tour. We walked through the Liberty Bell's home. For a day with such lousy weather, the entire area was bustling. There were several groups of schoolchildren on field day trip to see history, in ages from middle elementary to high school. It was especially busy in the Liberty Bell building. We saw the story of the Bell, from it's creation in England in the 1770s to the last time it was rung, in George Washington's birthday, in 1846...when the crack got so bad, they couldn't ring it again or they'd risk breaking it in half. James said it was outside when he last visited Philadelphia in 1976, but it had been moved into it's own building in the 90s.
Our next stop was Independence Hall...once we got past a long security line. There was one at the Liberty Bell, too. James said the last time he came to Independence Hall, people just walked right in. Not in post-9/11 America. I thought they were a little rude, but I imagine sitting in a cold tent poking in people's stuff all day couldn't have been a picnic.
The tour was surprisingly short...and there was a fairly large crowd despite the weather. We were herded into one plain, yellow-and-white room first with nothing but chairs and a painting of the Signing of the Founding Fathers. After the man gave us an entertaining lecture on the signing of the Declaration of Independence and afterwards, he took us upstairs to Independence Hall. We saw the room where the Founding Fathers met to argue the Declaration of Independence, and later the Constitution and the laws that would govern the new country. The room for court and judge was on the other side. It all had excellent reproduction furniture and huge marble fireplaces and a beautiful glass chandelier in the discussion room.
We headed back to Market Street and down to South Philly to meet a friend of Linda and James', John Baxidine, for lunch at a little restaraunt in South Philly. John has worked with Rupert Holmes, the creator and head writer of Remember WENN, on several of his shows. It was wonderful to hear him talk about the shows he's orchestrated (he's an orchestrator) and about Rupert's many projects. James and I got to trade stories of fast cars, crazy dads, and long car rides while we ate cheese steaks. Linda had her favorite chicken soup.
After we finished lunch and left John, we headed right over the bridge and into Penn's Landing. Penn's Landing is Philly's restored waterfront area, filled with boat-museums and lovely parks. At least, on days when it's not cold, windy, and raining like crazy. The wind was awful going over the bridge. Even so, we took in the large Seaport Museum, exploring Philadelphia's maritime past, from trading with China to immigration to ship-building.
In addition to the land based museum, Penn's Landing is home to two ship-museums. The first, the Beuna, is a submarine. It was really nerve-wracking getting down into that ship. The stairs were narrow and very slippery! It wasn't as bad once we were actually in the sub, but it was a bit of a tough tour, thanks to the narrow conditions. It was facinating to see all the real items they used aboard the sub, though, and learn things from from Navy-history-loving James, like how the men used to sleep next to the torpedoes.
There was somewhat more space on the older Olympia. Olympia is the oldest war ship still afloat at 117, and it looks something like a Cape May home on the water, with lots of wood and antique tools and furniture. It was slightly easier to get onboard, too. This being a larger ship, there were more rooms...and more to see, including a dentist's office, a laundry room, an infirmary, and a captain quarters that was more than triple the size of the one in the sub.
It was getting darker when we finally got off the Olympia. The rain had stopped by then, but it was getting colder and windier by the minute. We stopped back in the Seaport Museum right before they closed. Linda and James bought books on Naval history and ships. I didn't see anything I liked. A SEPTA bus driver was nice enough to drive us over the bridge after we explained that we wanted to get around the windy bridge to the nearest subway.
I walked with James and Linda as far as the Walgreens on 8th Street. The rain was gone, and the wind was far less where there were 600 buildings to block it, but it was still cold. James was thirsty, so we stopped at Walgreens to buy water. It was really busy, but I found the open cosmetics counter when I was looking for WebKinz, so we could all get out quick. (I never did find WebKinz.)
We parted ways outside of Walgreens. James and Linda wanted to find the subway and head back to their hotel. I browsed the Gallery Mall for about an hour or so. I finally found the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles "Those Aren't Pillows!" edition I was looking for last week and a very cheap used copy of the public-domain Road To... movies Road to Rio and Road to Bali. I've had them on video since high school, but it'll be nice to get them on DVD. (The DVDs turned out to be scratched, but they worked when I put them in the DVD player.)
I took a very, very full rush-hour PATCO train home to Collingswood. Unfortunately, the rain had returned by that point. I had a long, windy, rainy ride home. I called Linda when I got in to reassure that I had gotten home fine. I ate leftover enchalada casserole and watched Sailor Moon Super S episodes while warming up.
Thanks again, Linda, James, and John for a lovely day! :)
The weather did not look promising this morning. In fact, it was downright ugly. Weather or no weather, I still wanted to meet my friends Linda and James Young from Georgia in Philadelphia to see some of the historic sites. I did have a very good omen right before I left. I use an old purse as a camera case. I was looking for the pocket that was for money and coins. When I found it, that pocket contained nine dollars and at least a dollar-fifty in change. Combined with the 35 I earned raking for Miss Ellie, the 7 dollar rebate check from X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in September, and my own money leftover from my paycheck last week, I had 60 dollars to play with today.
After my stop at the bank to cash the afore-mentioned check, I rode over to Collingswood and jumped on the PATCO train to the 8th and Market stop. It was still raining when I finally met Linda and James at the National Convention Center, which turned out to be two blocks from the 8th and Market Gallery Mall PATCO stop. I was glad to see both of them. They looked as lovely as ever. I haven't seen them since the WENN convention we all went to in Queens in June 2001.
It turned out we had a little time before the 11:20 Independence Hall tour. We walked through the Liberty Bell's home. For a day with such lousy weather, the entire area was bustling. There were several groups of schoolchildren on field day trip to see history, in ages from middle elementary to high school. It was especially busy in the Liberty Bell building. We saw the story of the Bell, from it's creation in England in the 1770s to the last time it was rung, in George Washington's birthday, in 1846...when the crack got so bad, they couldn't ring it again or they'd risk breaking it in half. James said it was outside when he last visited Philadelphia in 1976, but it had been moved into it's own building in the 90s.
Our next stop was Independence Hall...once we got past a long security line. There was one at the Liberty Bell, too. James said the last time he came to Independence Hall, people just walked right in. Not in post-9/11 America. I thought they were a little rude, but I imagine sitting in a cold tent poking in people's stuff all day couldn't have been a picnic.
The tour was surprisingly short...and there was a fairly large crowd despite the weather. We were herded into one plain, yellow-and-white room first with nothing but chairs and a painting of the Signing of the Founding Fathers. After the man gave us an entertaining lecture on the signing of the Declaration of Independence and afterwards, he took us upstairs to Independence Hall. We saw the room where the Founding Fathers met to argue the Declaration of Independence, and later the Constitution and the laws that would govern the new country. The room for court and judge was on the other side. It all had excellent reproduction furniture and huge marble fireplaces and a beautiful glass chandelier in the discussion room.
We headed back to Market Street and down to South Philly to meet a friend of Linda and James', John Baxidine, for lunch at a little restaraunt in South Philly. John has worked with Rupert Holmes, the creator and head writer of Remember WENN, on several of his shows. It was wonderful to hear him talk about the shows he's orchestrated (he's an orchestrator) and about Rupert's many projects. James and I got to trade stories of fast cars, crazy dads, and long car rides while we ate cheese steaks. Linda had her favorite chicken soup.
After we finished lunch and left John, we headed right over the bridge and into Penn's Landing. Penn's Landing is Philly's restored waterfront area, filled with boat-museums and lovely parks. At least, on days when it's not cold, windy, and raining like crazy. The wind was awful going over the bridge. Even so, we took in the large Seaport Museum, exploring Philadelphia's maritime past, from trading with China to immigration to ship-building.
In addition to the land based museum, Penn's Landing is home to two ship-museums. The first, the Beuna, is a submarine. It was really nerve-wracking getting down into that ship. The stairs were narrow and very slippery! It wasn't as bad once we were actually in the sub, but it was a bit of a tough tour, thanks to the narrow conditions. It was facinating to see all the real items they used aboard the sub, though, and learn things from from Navy-history-loving James, like how the men used to sleep next to the torpedoes.
There was somewhat more space on the older Olympia. Olympia is the oldest war ship still afloat at 117, and it looks something like a Cape May home on the water, with lots of wood and antique tools and furniture. It was slightly easier to get onboard, too. This being a larger ship, there were more rooms...and more to see, including a dentist's office, a laundry room, an infirmary, and a captain quarters that was more than triple the size of the one in the sub.
It was getting darker when we finally got off the Olympia. The rain had stopped by then, but it was getting colder and windier by the minute. We stopped back in the Seaport Museum right before they closed. Linda and James bought books on Naval history and ships. I didn't see anything I liked. A SEPTA bus driver was nice enough to drive us over the bridge after we explained that we wanted to get around the windy bridge to the nearest subway.
I walked with James and Linda as far as the Walgreens on 8th Street. The rain was gone, and the wind was far less where there were 600 buildings to block it, but it was still cold. James was thirsty, so we stopped at Walgreens to buy water. It was really busy, but I found the open cosmetics counter when I was looking for WebKinz, so we could all get out quick. (I never did find WebKinz.)
We parted ways outside of Walgreens. James and Linda wanted to find the subway and head back to their hotel. I browsed the Gallery Mall for about an hour or so. I finally found the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles "Those Aren't Pillows!" edition I was looking for last week and a very cheap used copy of the public-domain Road To... movies Road to Rio and Road to Bali. I've had them on video since high school, but it'll be nice to get them on DVD. (The DVDs turned out to be scratched, but they worked when I put them in the DVD player.)
I took a very, very full rush-hour PATCO train home to Collingswood. Unfortunately, the rain had returned by that point. I had a long, windy, rainy ride home. I called Linda when I got in to reassure that I had gotten home fine. I ate leftover enchalada casserole and watched Sailor Moon Super S episodes while warming up.
Thanks again, Linda, James, and John for a lovely day! :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Good Eats and Mall Adventures
First stop today was the Haddon Township Library for this week's first volunteering session in two weeks. (I skipped last week; there was just too much going on for me to get there then.) The kids' DVDs were in pretty good shape for once, so I made sure the adult DVDs were equally well-organized and did the soundtrack, jazz, and holiday CDs. Helped some kids find DVDs, too. Had a lovely chat with a five-year-old about the Samantha American Girls movie and helped a little boy and his mother find Disney shorts DVDs. (When he couldn't find a Mickey DVD, he opted for Donald's nephews.)
I headed to the Collingswood PATCO next to hop a train and a bus to the Deptford Mall area. While it was a nicer day than the last few have been, it was still very windy and a tad cold...not a bad mall day. I had somewhat better shopping luck at the malls than at Philly. No clothes at Target, but I did get shampoo and mouthwash (which I needed), the newest Good Eats DVD set (turned out Target's Food Network DVD sets were on sale this week), and the second Tiny Toon Adventures set. The Toons were a splurge - at $34, it was more expensive than Alton Brown but cheaper than it probably would be at FYE.
I had a quick grilled chicken wrap and cole slaw at the Chick Fil'A in the Deptford Mall's Food Court, then went clothes shopping. The clothes are still ugly, but I did manage to find some things I liked. Skorts are back in, much to my surprise. Fine by me. Means I'll be able to wear a skirt and still ride my bike. I bought a skort and a good, simple blouse at Sears, a plain orange t-shirt and olive tank-top at JC Penny, a good button-down white shirt that I really liked at Avenue, and a somewhat fancier scoop-neck blouse at Charlotte Russe. I also checked out New York and Company, Layne Bryant, the Ann Taylor Loft, and American Eagle Outfitters with no luck.
The clothes weren't my only good finds at Sears. I'd been hoping to finally get an inexpensive CD/cassette player to replace the recalcitrant Victrola on this trip. The one at Target was $60, a little bit more than I wanted to spend. I was looking for the women's clothes when I passed by a row of washing machines in the back of store. Peering beyond the large white, red, and silvery boxes, I saw TVs blaring local news. Figuring that if they had TVs, they may have CD/cassette players, I wandered over. I looked everything over, passing iPod players without a thought (I don't own one) until I got to the CD/cassette only. Not only did I see the same Sony player for 10 dollars cheaper than Target, but they had a smaller Emerson model for $34. Perfect. Easy for me to carry home and simple to use.
I'm so glad to be able to play my cassettes again! I have an old favorite on now, Rod Stewart's Vagabond Heart. This is one of the first cassettes I had as a kid, and I was happy to find it again.
Oh, and I stopped at the Oaklyn Library on the way home to take out two more DVDs I wanted to see. I've wanted to check out the X-Men movies for a while, if only to ogle Hugh Jackman in tight leather, but all anyone seems to have is the third one. So...if I like the third one, I'll grab all three. And everyone's talked so much about Wall-E and given it such high marks, but this is the first time I've seen it at the libraries.
First stop today was the Haddon Township Library for this week's first volunteering session in two weeks. (I skipped last week; there was just too much going on for me to get there then.) The kids' DVDs were in pretty good shape for once, so I made sure the adult DVDs were equally well-organized and did the soundtrack, jazz, and holiday CDs. Helped some kids find DVDs, too. Had a lovely chat with a five-year-old about the Samantha American Girls movie and helped a little boy and his mother find Disney shorts DVDs. (When he couldn't find a Mickey DVD, he opted for Donald's nephews.)
I headed to the Collingswood PATCO next to hop a train and a bus to the Deptford Mall area. While it was a nicer day than the last few have been, it was still very windy and a tad cold...not a bad mall day. I had somewhat better shopping luck at the malls than at Philly. No clothes at Target, but I did get shampoo and mouthwash (which I needed), the newest Good Eats DVD set (turned out Target's Food Network DVD sets were on sale this week), and the second Tiny Toon Adventures set. The Toons were a splurge - at $34, it was more expensive than Alton Brown but cheaper than it probably would be at FYE.
I had a quick grilled chicken wrap and cole slaw at the Chick Fil'A in the Deptford Mall's Food Court, then went clothes shopping. The clothes are still ugly, but I did manage to find some things I liked. Skorts are back in, much to my surprise. Fine by me. Means I'll be able to wear a skirt and still ride my bike. I bought a skort and a good, simple blouse at Sears, a plain orange t-shirt and olive tank-top at JC Penny, a good button-down white shirt that I really liked at Avenue, and a somewhat fancier scoop-neck blouse at Charlotte Russe. I also checked out New York and Company, Layne Bryant, the Ann Taylor Loft, and American Eagle Outfitters with no luck.
The clothes weren't my only good finds at Sears. I'd been hoping to finally get an inexpensive CD/cassette player to replace the recalcitrant Victrola on this trip. The one at Target was $60, a little bit more than I wanted to spend. I was looking for the women's clothes when I passed by a row of washing machines in the back of store. Peering beyond the large white, red, and silvery boxes, I saw TVs blaring local news. Figuring that if they had TVs, they may have CD/cassette players, I wandered over. I looked everything over, passing iPod players without a thought (I don't own one) until I got to the CD/cassette only. Not only did I see the same Sony player for 10 dollars cheaper than Target, but they had a smaller Emerson model for $34. Perfect. Easy for me to carry home and simple to use.
I'm so glad to be able to play my cassettes again! I have an old favorite on now, Rod Stewart's Vagabond Heart. This is one of the first cassettes I had as a kid, and I was happy to find it again.
Oh, and I stopped at the Oaklyn Library on the way home to take out two more DVDs I wanted to see. I've wanted to check out the X-Men movies for a while, if only to ogle Hugh Jackman in tight leather, but all anyone seems to have is the third one. So...if I like the third one, I'll grab all three. And everyone's talked so much about Wall-E and given it such high marks, but this is the first time I've seen it at the libraries.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday In the City
Slept in today, longer than I usual do. I didn't have breakfast until almost 11! I called Mom while making Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Mom was fine. She'd been sick for most of the week, but was now feeling much better. She apparently intended to spend the day quietly knitting.
While cooler than yesterday and cloudy, it was still relatively warm. I wanted to make a rare Sunday shopping trip, but couldn't decide whether to do the Deptford Mall area or Philadelphia. Mom suggested a walk in Philly, and I finally agreed. It was still too nice to spend the whole day wandering around a mall. I headed to Collingswood after today's Beatles show ended. ("Questions and Answers" was the theme of the day.)
The vending machines for the PATCO Speedline Trains only give you coin change...including dollar coins. Not the best thing to be carrying around Philly. Of course, it turned out that all I had was a twenty dollar bill. I was lucky the people at Cafe Antonio's pizzeria were nice enough to change them to paper money for me. Maybe they did it because I was really thirsty and bought a soda. (The kids and their families who were eating there were amused enough - they called it "pirate's gold.")
Took a surprisingly full PATCO into Philly. In addition to old women on a Sunday jaunt and military personnel on leave, there were large groups of sports fans in Phillies and Flyers jerseys and jackets. Yes, both teams played today. The Flyers, in fact, are in the playoffs but had been having a lot of trouble with the high-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins. (I later found out that both teams won their respective games.)
Today may be a holy day, but Philadelphia was bustling when I arrived. I briefly explored the Gallery Mall, but it was too nice to be inside for too long. Headed to big Macy's on Market Street next. That was a disappointment. Fashion still hasn't improved since my last attempt at spring shopping. There were a few mildly cute early 60's style dresses and button-down blouses and a few ruffled skirts, but it was mostly the same awful empire waists and gypsy blouses and bell bottoms I've seen for the past couple of years. I really hate this. I made no bones to the cashier that I didn't buy a blouse because I thought they were butt-ugly. Could we please, PLEASE drop the fussy ruffled collars, hippie-style Indian embroidery, and the loud, huge neon psychedelic print? I walked out with another pair of jeans like the ones I bought on New Year's Eve, only darker, and that was the only clothes I bought.
Crossed over to City Hall next and made my way to the Avenue of the Arts. The big FYE was a mob scene, and I didn't figure out why until I tried to go upstairs to the DVDs. Seems there was an autograph signing for some hard rock band called Silverback today, which explains the lines of eager teenagers. I took the elevator upstairs instead. Finally came downstairs with the MGM musical Words and Music and a DVD copy of National Lampoon's Vacation to add to the CD of the recent musical Curtains I picked up downstairs. (And I was able to take the stairs on the way out - by the time I finished browsing the DVDs, the kids were long gone.) Words and Vacation were both used and on sale, thanks to a 20% off all used DVD sale coupled with my Membership discount.
Made my way down Chestnut and Walnut next to the big Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square. Alas, I still didn't have much luck with clothes shopping. Talbot and the Ann Taylor Loft had nice clothes but ridiculous prices. Express at the Liberty Place Mall was having a huge sale, but their clothes were more of the same junk I'd seen at Macy's. I have the feeling I'd probably have more luck clothes-shopping at the New Jersey malls.
Barnes and Noble was somewhat better. It was still busy, but not like it was at FYE. I made some decent finds, too. Used the last of my Christmas B&N gift card on a chai latte and a peanut butter cup cookie. The gift card I got from Keefe bought a hardback copy of the just-released new Hannah Swenson mystery, Cream Puff Murder. I also found another mystery series I love and haven't read in ages, Dorothy Cannell's Thin Woman series, along with the Entertainment Weekly Summer Movie Preview. I always buy the Summer Movie Preview, have since high school...especially when I get to ogle Hugh Jackman's amazing forearms.
I noticed as I was paying for my order that it had grown even cloudier since I'd arrived in Rittenhouse Square. Cloudier and much colder, as I discovered when I headed out the door and into the late spring afternoon. The wind was picking up, too. I was only wearing jean capris and a thin red sweater, not the best protection against fickle spring weather. I went straight home on a, for once, not full dinnertime PATCO.
The weather wasn't much better in Camden County. I was able to ride home without incident and make a lovely chicken bake with red potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.
Slept in today, longer than I usual do. I didn't have breakfast until almost 11! I called Mom while making Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Mom was fine. She'd been sick for most of the week, but was now feeling much better. She apparently intended to spend the day quietly knitting.
While cooler than yesterday and cloudy, it was still relatively warm. I wanted to make a rare Sunday shopping trip, but couldn't decide whether to do the Deptford Mall area or Philadelphia. Mom suggested a walk in Philly, and I finally agreed. It was still too nice to spend the whole day wandering around a mall. I headed to Collingswood after today's Beatles show ended. ("Questions and Answers" was the theme of the day.)
The vending machines for the PATCO Speedline Trains only give you coin change...including dollar coins. Not the best thing to be carrying around Philly. Of course, it turned out that all I had was a twenty dollar bill. I was lucky the people at Cafe Antonio's pizzeria were nice enough to change them to paper money for me. Maybe they did it because I was really thirsty and bought a soda. (The kids and their families who were eating there were amused enough - they called it "pirate's gold.")
Took a surprisingly full PATCO into Philly. In addition to old women on a Sunday jaunt and military personnel on leave, there were large groups of sports fans in Phillies and Flyers jerseys and jackets. Yes, both teams played today. The Flyers, in fact, are in the playoffs but had been having a lot of trouble with the high-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins. (I later found out that both teams won their respective games.)
Today may be a holy day, but Philadelphia was bustling when I arrived. I briefly explored the Gallery Mall, but it was too nice to be inside for too long. Headed to big Macy's on Market Street next. That was a disappointment. Fashion still hasn't improved since my last attempt at spring shopping. There were a few mildly cute early 60's style dresses and button-down blouses and a few ruffled skirts, but it was mostly the same awful empire waists and gypsy blouses and bell bottoms I've seen for the past couple of years. I really hate this. I made no bones to the cashier that I didn't buy a blouse because I thought they were butt-ugly. Could we please, PLEASE drop the fussy ruffled collars, hippie-style Indian embroidery, and the loud, huge neon psychedelic print? I walked out with another pair of jeans like the ones I bought on New Year's Eve, only darker, and that was the only clothes I bought.
Crossed over to City Hall next and made my way to the Avenue of the Arts. The big FYE was a mob scene, and I didn't figure out why until I tried to go upstairs to the DVDs. Seems there was an autograph signing for some hard rock band called Silverback today, which explains the lines of eager teenagers. I took the elevator upstairs instead. Finally came downstairs with the MGM musical Words and Music and a DVD copy of National Lampoon's Vacation to add to the CD of the recent musical Curtains I picked up downstairs. (And I was able to take the stairs on the way out - by the time I finished browsing the DVDs, the kids were long gone.) Words and Vacation were both used and on sale, thanks to a 20% off all used DVD sale coupled with my Membership discount.
Made my way down Chestnut and Walnut next to the big Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square. Alas, I still didn't have much luck with clothes shopping. Talbot and the Ann Taylor Loft had nice clothes but ridiculous prices. Express at the Liberty Place Mall was having a huge sale, but their clothes were more of the same junk I'd seen at Macy's. I have the feeling I'd probably have more luck clothes-shopping at the New Jersey malls.
Barnes and Noble was somewhat better. It was still busy, but not like it was at FYE. I made some decent finds, too. Used the last of my Christmas B&N gift card on a chai latte and a peanut butter cup cookie. The gift card I got from Keefe bought a hardback copy of the just-released new Hannah Swenson mystery, Cream Puff Murder. I also found another mystery series I love and haven't read in ages, Dorothy Cannell's Thin Woman series, along with the Entertainment Weekly Summer Movie Preview. I always buy the Summer Movie Preview, have since high school...especially when I get to ogle Hugh Jackman's amazing forearms.
I noticed as I was paying for my order that it had grown even cloudier since I'd arrived in Rittenhouse Square. Cloudier and much colder, as I discovered when I headed out the door and into the late spring afternoon. The wind was picking up, too. I was only wearing jean capris and a thin red sweater, not the best protection against fickle spring weather. I went straight home on a, for once, not full dinnertime PATCO.
The weather wasn't much better in Camden County. I was able to ride home without incident and make a lovely chicken bake with red potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fall Is In the Air
Brr! I awoke to a lovely, sunny, chilly morning. I went to the Acme to get my paycheck in a heavy sweater and t-shirt, but switched to my light winter coat after I got home because it was just that cold. It was still windy, too, and the air had that great wood-burning scent it gets in the fall and winter. I went right back out again after putting away whole wheat flour, yogurt, small beef round steaks, ground chicken, and granola bars.
After everything was where it belonged, I went right back out again. My first stop was the PNC Bank branch on the White Horse Pike down the street from me. On my way up the hill on West Clinton Avenue, I scraped the back of my foot on my heavy metal bike pedal. When I made it across the street, I put my foot on a low ledge and checked it. It had bled through the sock, but I wear cuffed socks and the small spot didn't show. I slapped a band aid on it. I always carry band aids in my purse for occasions like this.
The bank was looking especially festive today. The tellers celebrated the Phillies' win with a huge cake and Philadelphia soft pretzels. I had a slice of cake and a pretzel while one of the tellers deposited my money.
My next stop was the Collingswood PATCO Station. I hopped a westbound train and got off at the 8th Street Gallery Mall stop. The Gallery Mall is the huge, blocks-spanning mall on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. I mean, this place is so big, the train stops under it! I browsed a few stores before deciding to avoid the lunch crowd and head outside.
It really was a beautiful day. It was slightly warmer in Phildelphia, but still windy, and even in the city there was that spicy wood-burning smell. I made a brief stop at Burlington Coat Factory to avoid the spiel of an obnoxious evangelist blabbering about the Ten Commandments on the sidewalk to anyone who would (or wouldn't) listen. I usually love the Burlington Coat Factory (especially their great collection of hats and purses), but I couldn't find anything I liked. Nothing seemed right. The purses were too chunky. The hats were too fancy. The low-cut, flared jeans were impractical for bike riding. The bright, empire-waisted blouses looked ridiculous and flimsy. The big buttons on the coats would have made me look huge. God, how I HATE fashion.
A trip to Reading Terminal Market made me feel much better. Reading Terminal Market is Philadelphia's huge version of the Collingswood Farm Market, a massive old building filled with everything from produce stalls to lunch counters to gift booths selling leather and knit goods and jewelry. It was quarter of 2 by the time I got there, and amazingly busy. Some counters were packed two deep. Everything seemed to mingle - girls in uniforms meant to represent the Pennsylvania Dutch next to girls in tight t-shirts hawking cookies. Executives eating at the seafood counter next to janitors and news vendors. I wound up having fish cakes and a soda at the Pearl's Oyster Bar counter next to the 12th street entrance. I also bought a sugar cookie from the bakery across from Pearl's. The fish cakes were supposed to be a sandwich, but no one had bothered cutting the fish cakes, only the bread, so I just ate the cakes, the tomatoes, and a few slices of bread instead. The sugar cookie was really good, a little lemony and not too sweet.
I made my way down Market Street, through City Hall and down to the big FYE on Broad Street. I finally picked up Warner Bros' new Classic Christmas Collection, a set featuring all of their major holiday specials (including three Rankin-Bass specials never seen on DVD before) there. I didn't get anything at the Borders across the street, but I did pick up two records (instrumental recordings of Sigmund Romberg operetta songs and a Johnny Mathis LP) and two children's books (a vintage Strawberry Shortcake kid's cookbook and the American Girls book Addy's Surprise) from Russkof's Used Books and Records, the wonderful used book store on 10th Street.
(I love Washington Square. Bordered by the Jefferson Hospital and Medical College, it has the slightly seedy/genteel feel of Cape May in my youth. The area is mostly bars, small stores like Russkof's, coffee bars for the medical students, and for some reason, lots of small hardware stores. The buildings are, except for some obviously new hospital buildings, a little shabby but not so run-down you feel like you're gonna be killed any second. I imagine it's worse during the night, but during the day, it's really cool.)
I got on the PATCO stop around the corner from Russkof's with no problem. It was about 5:30 by then, and the train was only slightly full when I went home. (I definately wanted to avoid the 6PM rush.)
Oh, and a major word of warning about that Classic Christmas Collection set - boy, did Warner Bros make a mess of that. The disc that's supposed to hold the "Deluxe Edition" of the original animated Year Without a Santa Claus seems to hold the live-action TV movie released last year instead. That's not a big deal for me. I do have the animated Year Without on DVD, but wanted the other specials and to replace my video copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. However, everything on the case indicates the animated version (including the cover art), and people who bought this hoping for the original will be very disappointed. I seem to remember hearing that Little Drummer Boy, Book II was supposed to be on here, but I don't see it.
Brr! I awoke to a lovely, sunny, chilly morning. I went to the Acme to get my paycheck in a heavy sweater and t-shirt, but switched to my light winter coat after I got home because it was just that cold. It was still windy, too, and the air had that great wood-burning scent it gets in the fall and winter. I went right back out again after putting away whole wheat flour, yogurt, small beef round steaks, ground chicken, and granola bars.
After everything was where it belonged, I went right back out again. My first stop was the PNC Bank branch on the White Horse Pike down the street from me. On my way up the hill on West Clinton Avenue, I scraped the back of my foot on my heavy metal bike pedal. When I made it across the street, I put my foot on a low ledge and checked it. It had bled through the sock, but I wear cuffed socks and the small spot didn't show. I slapped a band aid on it. I always carry band aids in my purse for occasions like this.
The bank was looking especially festive today. The tellers celebrated the Phillies' win with a huge cake and Philadelphia soft pretzels. I had a slice of cake and a pretzel while one of the tellers deposited my money.
My next stop was the Collingswood PATCO Station. I hopped a westbound train and got off at the 8th Street Gallery Mall stop. The Gallery Mall is the huge, blocks-spanning mall on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. I mean, this place is so big, the train stops under it! I browsed a few stores before deciding to avoid the lunch crowd and head outside.
It really was a beautiful day. It was slightly warmer in Phildelphia, but still windy, and even in the city there was that spicy wood-burning smell. I made a brief stop at Burlington Coat Factory to avoid the spiel of an obnoxious evangelist blabbering about the Ten Commandments on the sidewalk to anyone who would (or wouldn't) listen. I usually love the Burlington Coat Factory (especially their great collection of hats and purses), but I couldn't find anything I liked. Nothing seemed right. The purses were too chunky. The hats were too fancy. The low-cut, flared jeans were impractical for bike riding. The bright, empire-waisted blouses looked ridiculous and flimsy. The big buttons on the coats would have made me look huge. God, how I HATE fashion.
A trip to Reading Terminal Market made me feel much better. Reading Terminal Market is Philadelphia's huge version of the Collingswood Farm Market, a massive old building filled with everything from produce stalls to lunch counters to gift booths selling leather and knit goods and jewelry. It was quarter of 2 by the time I got there, and amazingly busy. Some counters were packed two deep. Everything seemed to mingle - girls in uniforms meant to represent the Pennsylvania Dutch next to girls in tight t-shirts hawking cookies. Executives eating at the seafood counter next to janitors and news vendors. I wound up having fish cakes and a soda at the Pearl's Oyster Bar counter next to the 12th street entrance. I also bought a sugar cookie from the bakery across from Pearl's. The fish cakes were supposed to be a sandwich, but no one had bothered cutting the fish cakes, only the bread, so I just ate the cakes, the tomatoes, and a few slices of bread instead. The sugar cookie was really good, a little lemony and not too sweet.
I made my way down Market Street, through City Hall and down to the big FYE on Broad Street. I finally picked up Warner Bros' new Classic Christmas Collection, a set featuring all of their major holiday specials (including three Rankin-Bass specials never seen on DVD before) there. I didn't get anything at the Borders across the street, but I did pick up two records (instrumental recordings of Sigmund Romberg operetta songs and a Johnny Mathis LP) and two children's books (a vintage Strawberry Shortcake kid's cookbook and the American Girls book Addy's Surprise) from Russkof's Used Books and Records, the wonderful used book store on 10th Street.
(I love Washington Square. Bordered by the Jefferson Hospital and Medical College, it has the slightly seedy/genteel feel of Cape May in my youth. The area is mostly bars, small stores like Russkof's, coffee bars for the medical students, and for some reason, lots of small hardware stores. The buildings are, except for some obviously new hospital buildings, a little shabby but not so run-down you feel like you're gonna be killed any second. I imagine it's worse during the night, but during the day, it's really cool.)
I got on the PATCO stop around the corner from Russkof's with no problem. It was about 5:30 by then, and the train was only slightly full when I went home. (I definately wanted to avoid the 6PM rush.)
Oh, and a major word of warning about that Classic Christmas Collection set - boy, did Warner Bros make a mess of that. The disc that's supposed to hold the "Deluxe Edition" of the original animated Year Without a Santa Claus seems to hold the live-action TV movie released last year instead. That's not a big deal for me. I do have the animated Year Without on DVD, but wanted the other specials and to replace my video copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. However, everything on the case indicates the animated version (including the cover art), and people who bought this hoping for the original will be very disappointed. I seem to remember hearing that Little Drummer Boy, Book II was supposed to be on here, but I don't see it.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Hot Child In The City
Whew, what a LOOONG day! I did return everything I needed to return to the Camden County Library, including my volunteering papers. After that, I headed to the thrift shop, where I helped another volunteer, Grace, put out lighter winter clothes.
I'm still kicking myself for thinking my counseling appointment was at 2PM instead of 1PM. I know, most people said it wasn't a big deal, but I look forward to talking to Scott, and it makes me feel so immature and irresponsible when I do things like this! A real adult wouldn't forget something as important as a counseling appointment.
I did go into Philadelphia, though...and I forgot to ask Barnes and Noble about a job, too. On the other hand, I did buy the original Broadway casts of How To Succeed In Business Without Even Trying and Once Upon a Mattress and the rare Finian's Rainbow movie soundtrack from a record/used book store on 10th Street. (Turn down Fred Astaire's last appearance in a non-documentary musical?) I also picked up another Paige Turner book, Murder On A Hot Tin Roof and a new journal from Barnes and Noble.
Whew, what a LOOONG day! I did return everything I needed to return to the Camden County Library, including my volunteering papers. After that, I headed to the thrift shop, where I helped another volunteer, Grace, put out lighter winter clothes.
I'm still kicking myself for thinking my counseling appointment was at 2PM instead of 1PM. I know, most people said it wasn't a big deal, but I look forward to talking to Scott, and it makes me feel so immature and irresponsible when I do things like this! A real adult wouldn't forget something as important as a counseling appointment.
I did go into Philadelphia, though...and I forgot to ask Barnes and Noble about a job, too. On the other hand, I did buy the original Broadway casts of How To Succeed In Business Without Even Trying and Once Upon a Mattress and the rare Finian's Rainbow movie soundtrack from a record/used book store on 10th Street. (Turn down Fred Astaire's last appearance in a non-documentary musical?) I also picked up another Paige Turner book, Murder On A Hot Tin Roof and a new journal from Barnes and Noble.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Pride and Embarrassment
As you can probably tell from the entry below, I'm completely disgusted with myself right now. I went over on Weight Watchers for the third time in four days. I've NEVER done this badly in the almost two months I've been doing it! I'm eating way too much junk food and not enough of the right foods, like fruit and vegetables.
I just can't help it. I like muffins, cakes, and breads, but people aren't supposed to eat them. They're supposed to eat fruits and vegetables. I think I'm making the right foods and that they'll be low-fat, but of course, the recipes never are.
I'm proud of my 14-year-old brother Keefe. He won his middle school's Outstanding Achievement In Band Award and got a $200 saving's bond! He was the lead drummer in the school's marching band, and Mom and Rose both said he and the whole band were fantastic. They won several awards, including first place in the New York's marching band-heavy St. Patrick's Day Parade.
He looked very handsome in his suit and tie. I'm glad he's the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting dressed up. ;)
I don't know how my brother puts up with my mom and stepdad, though. All they do is bicker! They bickered the whole five minutes to Teitleman Middle School, then bickered all the way home, and kept fussing at each other even while Mom served the rest of us cake! Mom blamed my stepdad's immaturity, but she's at fault, too. She's bossy and, as I know too well, she can be a nag.
Maybe it's just as well Rose had to work and we only stayed a few hours. I don't know how long I could have taken the two of them going at it. :p
I did something stupid after getting home. I locked myself out while leaving to go out to dinner, and of course, my landlady is out of town. I was lucky she has reletives in the neighborhood (who happen to be friends of my uncle), but I really need to be more careful. I can't go into hysterics every time there's trouble, either. Everyone took it really well, but it's immature of me to cry and get upset every time something bad happens. It's just a habit. I get scared and worried and I don't know what to do.
And of course, the salad I ordered at the Italian restaraunt I went to when I finally did get my keys turned out to be a hell of a lot of points, thanks to the ham, turkey, and cheese used.
I wish I were a lot smarter.
As you can probably tell from the entry below, I'm completely disgusted with myself right now. I went over on Weight Watchers for the third time in four days. I've NEVER done this badly in the almost two months I've been doing it! I'm eating way too much junk food and not enough of the right foods, like fruit and vegetables.
I just can't help it. I like muffins, cakes, and breads, but people aren't supposed to eat them. They're supposed to eat fruits and vegetables. I think I'm making the right foods and that they'll be low-fat, but of course, the recipes never are.
I'm proud of my 14-year-old brother Keefe. He won his middle school's Outstanding Achievement In Band Award and got a $200 saving's bond! He was the lead drummer in the school's marching band, and Mom and Rose both said he and the whole band were fantastic. They won several awards, including first place in the New York's marching band-heavy St. Patrick's Day Parade.
He looked very handsome in his suit and tie. I'm glad he's the kind of guy who doesn't mind getting dressed up. ;)
I don't know how my brother puts up with my mom and stepdad, though. All they do is bicker! They bickered the whole five minutes to Teitleman Middle School, then bickered all the way home, and kept fussing at each other even while Mom served the rest of us cake! Mom blamed my stepdad's immaturity, but she's at fault, too. She's bossy and, as I know too well, she can be a nag.
Maybe it's just as well Rose had to work and we only stayed a few hours. I don't know how long I could have taken the two of them going at it. :p
I did something stupid after getting home. I locked myself out while leaving to go out to dinner, and of course, my landlady is out of town. I was lucky she has reletives in the neighborhood (who happen to be friends of my uncle), but I really need to be more careful. I can't go into hysterics every time there's trouble, either. Everyone took it really well, but it's immature of me to cry and get upset every time something bad happens. It's just a habit. I get scared and worried and I don't know what to do.
And of course, the salad I ordered at the Italian restaraunt I went to when I finally did get my keys turned out to be a hell of a lot of points, thanks to the ham, turkey, and cheese used.
I wish I were a lot smarter.
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