Running Away With My Nose
Ugh. I'm having yet another allergy attack, the second one in a week! This is such a pain. I usually have them every couple of weeks to every couple of months. I never had problems like this when I lived in Wildwood. I'm wondering if it's the pollution in the air from Camden and Philadelphia? I'll bet a lot of people have allergy problems here who barely sniffle once at the Shore.
I spent the morning sleeping in and updating my general website, The Riverside Rest. Yahoo's free website service, GeoCities, is shutting down on October 26th. I'm going to gradually move most of my old general website, Emma's Home Town, to The Rest. Today, I moved three older essays and added a link to my Facebook page to the "On the Front Porch" index and dropped and added links to the "Walk in the Park" links page. Also did some general tweaking and updating.
Here's the links for both pages:
The Riverside Rest
Emma's Home Town
Good thing work wasn't really busy. I sneezed through most of it. Didn't have many groceries to get, either - yogurt, peanut butter, Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips, a small steak for pan-frying, turkey cutlets that had a $2.00 off coupon on them, and - not surprisingly - tissues. (Scottie's were on sale.)
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Soup Is Good Food
I slept in this morning. When I poked my head out the door, I realized there was no need for the air conditioner. It was mildly cloudy, breezy, and barely into the upper 70s-lower 80s. I switched it off and enjoyed my breakfast and Wonder Woman in peace.
I headed out to Collingswood around 11AM. Dropped off a small bag of donations for Erica at the thrift shop, then hung around in the Collingswood Library. I read a book on the Marvel Universe there, mostly just so I can keep track of who's who.
Did counseling next. Scott and I discussed my upcoming vacation, but we mostly talked about my recent difficulties controlling myself at work. I've been really hard on myself lately. I know it's embarassing, and I know I look silly when I do it, but...it's hard to stop doing it. It's what I instantly think - why did I make this mistake? If I were smart, I wouldn't have done it. I'm stupid for having done it. I know those thoughts are unproductive. It's just a matter of telling myself that in the heat of the moment, when an upset child afraid of not doing what's right and normal and what she's supposed to do takes over.
I wanted to do lunch after counseling, but I didn't really feel like pizza or a sandwich. I wanted something different...and I knew exactly what it was. I rode across Collingswood, down Cuthbert Road, past the Haddon Township Library, and over Crystal Lake Road to Pine Street on Audubon to that little Soup restaurant I last ate at in January. They're still there, and as messy and homey-looking as ever, with a few patriotic-related doo-dads replacing winter ones. I had the yummy Italian Wedding Soup, a fat slice of delicious cornbread, and a can of Diet A&W...and it all came to about $5.60. I really need to eat at that place more often.
I browsed in Willie the Woodsman's and Wife and Act Two Collectibles, but I didn't buy anything. Rode into Audubon to see if I could actually find their library. I finally did, after some fruitless riding around...only to discover it was closed from the 4th of July to the 19th! I discovered why when I stopped at Doria's Deli on the way home for a bottle of water and read in a local newspaper that Audubon hadn't allotted a single penny for their tiny library. Not one! And they hadn't told the staff, either. What a bunch of jerks. Do any of the council-people in Audubon actually READ?
Spent the rest of the afternoon at home, reading the Too Nice for Your Own Good book Lauren sent me and watching Wonder Woman. I'm really impressed with these episodes. They dealt with some surprisingly sensitive issues for a 70s sci-fi show, including the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II in "The Man Who Could Move the World" and the exploitation of musicians in "The Pied Piper." "Piper," which on paper sounded like a Bee-Gees era version of the Get Smart episode "The Groovy Guru," came out rather sweet (and with an odd "Pied Piper" in Martin Mull). I made Tacos with ground turkey, Farm Market colby cheese, and whole wheat wraps and steamed carrots for dinner.
I slept in this morning. When I poked my head out the door, I realized there was no need for the air conditioner. It was mildly cloudy, breezy, and barely into the upper 70s-lower 80s. I switched it off and enjoyed my breakfast and Wonder Woman in peace.
I headed out to Collingswood around 11AM. Dropped off a small bag of donations for Erica at the thrift shop, then hung around in the Collingswood Library. I read a book on the Marvel Universe there, mostly just so I can keep track of who's who.
Did counseling next. Scott and I discussed my upcoming vacation, but we mostly talked about my recent difficulties controlling myself at work. I've been really hard on myself lately. I know it's embarassing, and I know I look silly when I do it, but...it's hard to stop doing it. It's what I instantly think - why did I make this mistake? If I were smart, I wouldn't have done it. I'm stupid for having done it. I know those thoughts are unproductive. It's just a matter of telling myself that in the heat of the moment, when an upset child afraid of not doing what's right and normal and what she's supposed to do takes over.
I wanted to do lunch after counseling, but I didn't really feel like pizza or a sandwich. I wanted something different...and I knew exactly what it was. I rode across Collingswood, down Cuthbert Road, past the Haddon Township Library, and over Crystal Lake Road to Pine Street on Audubon to that little Soup restaurant I last ate at in January. They're still there, and as messy and homey-looking as ever, with a few patriotic-related doo-dads replacing winter ones. I had the yummy Italian Wedding Soup, a fat slice of delicious cornbread, and a can of Diet A&W...and it all came to about $5.60. I really need to eat at that place more often.
I browsed in Willie the Woodsman's and Wife and Act Two Collectibles, but I didn't buy anything. Rode into Audubon to see if I could actually find their library. I finally did, after some fruitless riding around...only to discover it was closed from the 4th of July to the 19th! I discovered why when I stopped at Doria's Deli on the way home for a bottle of water and read in a local newspaper that Audubon hadn't allotted a single penny for their tiny library. Not one! And they hadn't told the staff, either. What a bunch of jerks. Do any of the council-people in Audubon actually READ?
Spent the rest of the afternoon at home, reading the Too Nice for Your Own Good book Lauren sent me and watching Wonder Woman. I'm really impressed with these episodes. They dealt with some surprisingly sensitive issues for a 70s sci-fi show, including the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II in "The Man Who Could Move the World" and the exploitation of musicians in "The Pied Piper." "Piper," which on paper sounded like a Bee-Gees era version of the Get Smart episode "The Groovy Guru," came out rather sweet (and with an odd "Pied Piper" in Martin Mull). I made Tacos with ground turkey, Farm Market colby cheese, and whole wheat wraps and steamed carrots for dinner.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Wonder-Ful Balance
The morning did not begin pleasantly. I heard the mouse trap go off around 3AM, but I waited until quarter of 8 to take it out. When I leaned over to get the trap, I discovered the mouse was in the trap...but still moving! Ugh! I got it out of the house and into the outdoor trash can as quickly as possible. (Good thing I was taking the trash out and leaving it by the curb tonight anyway.)
Things mostly went uphill from there. Yoga class was full, but not as jammed as the Friday classes have been. (In fact, I intentionally avoided the Friday class this week after barely making it into the last two.) There were 12 people, including the teacher Jill. We worked on the shoulders, opening the hips, and on balance. I'm getting better at balancing, but focusing is just so hard, and I still can't do shoulder stands.
I rode home through Newton River Park, enjoying a gorgeous 85-degree day and the lovely breeze. Spent the rest of the afternoon taking advantage of the relatively (for this time of year) cooler temperatures to bake Peach Spice Muffins, getting rid of a very ripe peach and the last tiny bit of sweet potato left in my fridge.
I also enjoyed The Backyardigans and the first couple of episodes on the Wonder Woman: Season 2 set. "Literary Heroes" was the theme for this Backyardigans set. The titular episode, Robin Hood the Clean, was a bit odd. Mayor Stinkypants (Austin) won't allow the citizens of Filthingham to take a bath or even keep soap around! Tyrone finally goes to Purewood Forest to convince Robin Hood the Clean (Pablo) to come to Filthington to save the villagers from the Mayor's rigged Festival of Dirt. I found the emphasis on cleanliness in this episode to be well-meaning but a bit bizarre. Kids who are more into grossness will probably get a bigger kick out of it.
The rest of the episodes were better. Tyrone and Pablo are "The Two Musketeers"...but who's that masked hippo girl who wants to join them? I loved the emphasis on politeness, the balloon swords, and the lesson that you shouldn't judge a person (or hippo) before you've even met them. "To the Center of the Earth" took Professors Uniqua and Pablo to the title location to find Tyrone's missing lucky penny. The two inventors are eager to use their inventions, but Tyrone proves that sometimes the simplest way of doing something just might be the best way.
My favorite episode on this set by far was the Zorro spoof "The Masked Returner." Uniqua is a librarian in Veijo, California who becomes "The Masked Returner" when a book is overdue. When Don Austin (Austin's third villain in this set) refuses to return a library book that's due, it's The Masked Returner to the rescue...and to teach Don Austin a lesson in renewing library books and the importance of libraries.
The second season of Wonder Woman is a vast improvement over the first. As much as I love mid-20th-century history, moving the show to 1977 allowed for a better range of villains and more interesting characters. The Nazi-of-the-week formula in the first season got old fast. Something else I like is this show's fine line between camp and seriousness. It's neither as over-the-top as the (in)famous 60s Batman series nor as dark or brooding as something like Smallville. In fact, the only real cheesy elements, other than some odd plots, came from the updating - bad 70s fashion, dated computers and other technology, and obvious special effects.
Work was dead as a doornail. It got busy-ish during the usual 4-6 rush hour, but was otherwise quiet...except for my last customers. Some guy obviously didn't know a darn thing about doing WIC checks. He handed me a whole bunch and had relied on some stock guy who didn't know what he was talking about instead of reading the pamphlet and got half the stuff wrong. It took me forever to get rid of that guy.
The morning did not begin pleasantly. I heard the mouse trap go off around 3AM, but I waited until quarter of 8 to take it out. When I leaned over to get the trap, I discovered the mouse was in the trap...but still moving! Ugh! I got it out of the house and into the outdoor trash can as quickly as possible. (Good thing I was taking the trash out and leaving it by the curb tonight anyway.)
Things mostly went uphill from there. Yoga class was full, but not as jammed as the Friday classes have been. (In fact, I intentionally avoided the Friday class this week after barely making it into the last two.) There were 12 people, including the teacher Jill. We worked on the shoulders, opening the hips, and on balance. I'm getting better at balancing, but focusing is just so hard, and I still can't do shoulder stands.
I rode home through Newton River Park, enjoying a gorgeous 85-degree day and the lovely breeze. Spent the rest of the afternoon taking advantage of the relatively (for this time of year) cooler temperatures to bake Peach Spice Muffins, getting rid of a very ripe peach and the last tiny bit of sweet potato left in my fridge.
I also enjoyed The Backyardigans and the first couple of episodes on the Wonder Woman: Season 2 set. "Literary Heroes" was the theme for this Backyardigans set. The titular episode, Robin Hood the Clean, was a bit odd. Mayor Stinkypants (Austin) won't allow the citizens of Filthingham to take a bath or even keep soap around! Tyrone finally goes to Purewood Forest to convince Robin Hood the Clean (Pablo) to come to Filthington to save the villagers from the Mayor's rigged Festival of Dirt. I found the emphasis on cleanliness in this episode to be well-meaning but a bit bizarre. Kids who are more into grossness will probably get a bigger kick out of it.
The rest of the episodes were better. Tyrone and Pablo are "The Two Musketeers"...but who's that masked hippo girl who wants to join them? I loved the emphasis on politeness, the balloon swords, and the lesson that you shouldn't judge a person (or hippo) before you've even met them. "To the Center of the Earth" took Professors Uniqua and Pablo to the title location to find Tyrone's missing lucky penny. The two inventors are eager to use their inventions, but Tyrone proves that sometimes the simplest way of doing something just might be the best way.
My favorite episode on this set by far was the Zorro spoof "The Masked Returner." Uniqua is a librarian in Veijo, California who becomes "The Masked Returner" when a book is overdue. When Don Austin (Austin's third villain in this set) refuses to return a library book that's due, it's The Masked Returner to the rescue...and to teach Don Austin a lesson in renewing library books and the importance of libraries.
The second season of Wonder Woman is a vast improvement over the first. As much as I love mid-20th-century history, moving the show to 1977 allowed for a better range of villains and more interesting characters. The Nazi-of-the-week formula in the first season got old fast. Something else I like is this show's fine line between camp and seriousness. It's neither as over-the-top as the (in)famous 60s Batman series nor as dark or brooding as something like Smallville. In fact, the only real cheesy elements, other than some odd plots, came from the updating - bad 70s fashion, dated computers and other technology, and obvious special effects.
Work was dead as a doornail. It got busy-ish during the usual 4-6 rush hour, but was otherwise quiet...except for my last customers. Some guy obviously didn't know a darn thing about doing WIC checks. He handed me a whole bunch and had relied on some stock guy who didn't know what he was talking about instead of reading the pamphlet and got half the stuff wrong. It took me forever to get rid of that guy.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Taking Care of Business
Today had more ups and downs than a roller coaster! It didn't start well. I was putting my contacts in when I dropped one. I ran my hands over the sink, all around the sink, under the sink. Nothing. It either went down the drain or fell into the basket with all the books, magazines, and random catalogs I read in the bathroom. That was my last pair. I wasn't happy, but it wasn't a total loss. I have my glasses. I just added a trip to America's Best to my morning errands.
My bike tire wasn't all the way flat, only about half-way there. I pulled out my hand-pump and did it well enough to be able to take the cruiser bike on my errands. I still went to Wal-Mart for an inner tube. Even if it was fine, it wouldn't hurt to have it...and it was a slow leak, more the better. (I also picked up a Transformers-themed birthday card for my nephew Skylar, whose big day is July 31st.) The line at Wal-Mart was long, but it moved fast. I made a quick stop at America's Best to order my new contacts (and my last set before I have to get my eyes examined again), then headed home.
The mail box was full when I arrived. Lauren mentioned a couple of days ago that she was posting an order to Amazon.com. Did I want anything, too? I opted for Wonder Woman: Season 2 and an X-Men paperback, The Return. There was also a surprise in the second box with The Return, a self-help book called Too Nice For Your Own Good: How to Stop Making 9 Self-Sabotaging Mistakes. When I asked Lauren about it later, she said she bought one for herself and thought it might help me, too.
She might have something there. I'm pretty good about not taking on too much...but I suppress anger or blame myself of express it negatively, and everyone in the universe has scolded me about being hard on myself. I'm afraid of anger. When I think of anger, I think of the physical results - hitting, slapping, pulling hair. My mother and my stepfather beat each other black and blue in the mid and late 80s, in full view of their three young daughters. They never touched us...but there's other kinds of trauma besides being physically hurt yourself. I spent a lot of my childhood swallowing anger at the other children who could seem to do everything perfectly and and made fun of me and the teachers who didn't even try to stop them (or tried and were put down for it). I'm afraid of hurting anyone. I don't know how to be aggressive without being a pain. I have to swallow my anger at my obnoxious customers every day and then I blame myself for their behavior.
And I ran right into one of those problems. Jessa and Taylere weren't at home when I went to fetch them for our trip into Philadelphia. Jessa's car wasn't there. Uncle Ken and Dolores were inside watching TV; Dad was outside mowing the lawn. I'd discovered too late that I didn't have Jessa's phone number on my cell phone. She either forgot or thought I did, though I could have sworn I'd told her we'd leave between one or two, and it was about 1:30 by that point. I left in tears.
After I calmed myself down, I decided to return to my original plan for today, which was going to the library. I'm really glad I did. The DVDs were overflowing to the point where they were two rows deep on the DVD return cart and there were STILL more coming in. I organized them as best I could (took me over an hour), then took out some items of my own - two American Girls summer stories (Addy Saves the Day and Samantha Saves the Day), a stack of Disney Vacation and Uncle Scrooge comic books (I prefer funny animals and/or kids to superheroes), and a book on taking the GRE. I want to see what I'm up against if I do decide to go back to school. They finally had the newest Backyardigans DVD, Robin Hood the Clean, and I snapped up the Irish indie musical Once, which I've wanted to see.
It was almost quarter of 6 by the time I finally got out of the library. It was too late for me to make dinner, and I'd forgotten to get something out of the fridge anyway. Inspired by a book on New Jersey Diners I saw at the library, I headed down the hill to the Crystal Lake Diner. Though the parking lot was full, it actually wasn't that busy inside. A young man who was the host recognized me, and the waiter was very sweet about waiting for me to choose. I finally opted for a chicken cheese steak platter with fries, fried onions, a pickle, and cole slaw. It was delicious...and huge. So big, I ended up taking half of it home.
Jessa called while I was chatting with Lauren. She apologized for the mix-up earlier. We'll try something next week or the week after, when I get my paycheck.
And I just saw a huge gray mouse go flying across my bedroom floor! I have no idea where he went. I set up a trap in the space between my wall, the children's book case, and the American Girl dolls' bed. I hope that's right. I didn't see any mouse holes, but it may be behind the case and the closets next to it.
And I think the trap just went off...
Today had more ups and downs than a roller coaster! It didn't start well. I was putting my contacts in when I dropped one. I ran my hands over the sink, all around the sink, under the sink. Nothing. It either went down the drain or fell into the basket with all the books, magazines, and random catalogs I read in the bathroom. That was my last pair. I wasn't happy, but it wasn't a total loss. I have my glasses. I just added a trip to America's Best to my morning errands.
My bike tire wasn't all the way flat, only about half-way there. I pulled out my hand-pump and did it well enough to be able to take the cruiser bike on my errands. I still went to Wal-Mart for an inner tube. Even if it was fine, it wouldn't hurt to have it...and it was a slow leak, more the better. (I also picked up a Transformers-themed birthday card for my nephew Skylar, whose big day is July 31st.) The line at Wal-Mart was long, but it moved fast. I made a quick stop at America's Best to order my new contacts (and my last set before I have to get my eyes examined again), then headed home.
The mail box was full when I arrived. Lauren mentioned a couple of days ago that she was posting an order to Amazon.com. Did I want anything, too? I opted for Wonder Woman: Season 2 and an X-Men paperback, The Return. There was also a surprise in the second box with The Return, a self-help book called Too Nice For Your Own Good: How to Stop Making 9 Self-Sabotaging Mistakes. When I asked Lauren about it later, she said she bought one for herself and thought it might help me, too.
She might have something there. I'm pretty good about not taking on too much...but I suppress anger or blame myself of express it negatively, and everyone in the universe has scolded me about being hard on myself. I'm afraid of anger. When I think of anger, I think of the physical results - hitting, slapping, pulling hair. My mother and my stepfather beat each other black and blue in the mid and late 80s, in full view of their three young daughters. They never touched us...but there's other kinds of trauma besides being physically hurt yourself. I spent a lot of my childhood swallowing anger at the other children who could seem to do everything perfectly and and made fun of me and the teachers who didn't even try to stop them (or tried and were put down for it). I'm afraid of hurting anyone. I don't know how to be aggressive without being a pain. I have to swallow my anger at my obnoxious customers every day and then I blame myself for their behavior.
And I ran right into one of those problems. Jessa and Taylere weren't at home when I went to fetch them for our trip into Philadelphia. Jessa's car wasn't there. Uncle Ken and Dolores were inside watching TV; Dad was outside mowing the lawn. I'd discovered too late that I didn't have Jessa's phone number on my cell phone. She either forgot or thought I did, though I could have sworn I'd told her we'd leave between one or two, and it was about 1:30 by that point. I left in tears.
After I calmed myself down, I decided to return to my original plan for today, which was going to the library. I'm really glad I did. The DVDs were overflowing to the point where they were two rows deep on the DVD return cart and there were STILL more coming in. I organized them as best I could (took me over an hour), then took out some items of my own - two American Girls summer stories (Addy Saves the Day and Samantha Saves the Day), a stack of Disney Vacation and Uncle Scrooge comic books (I prefer funny animals and/or kids to superheroes), and a book on taking the GRE. I want to see what I'm up against if I do decide to go back to school. They finally had the newest Backyardigans DVD, Robin Hood the Clean, and I snapped up the Irish indie musical Once, which I've wanted to see.
It was almost quarter of 6 by the time I finally got out of the library. It was too late for me to make dinner, and I'd forgotten to get something out of the fridge anyway. Inspired by a book on New Jersey Diners I saw at the library, I headed down the hill to the Crystal Lake Diner. Though the parking lot was full, it actually wasn't that busy inside. A young man who was the host recognized me, and the waiter was very sweet about waiting for me to choose. I finally opted for a chicken cheese steak platter with fries, fried onions, a pickle, and cole slaw. It was delicious...and huge. So big, I ended up taking half of it home.
Jessa called while I was chatting with Lauren. She apologized for the mix-up earlier. We'll try something next week or the week after, when I get my paycheck.
And I just saw a huge gray mouse go flying across my bedroom floor! I have no idea where he went. I set up a trap in the space between my wall, the children's book case, and the American Girl dolls' bed. I hope that's right. I didn't see any mouse holes, but it may be behind the case and the closets next to it.
And I think the trap just went off...
Monday, July 06, 2009
Flat Tire
Everything went fine this morning, of course. I got my laundry done. I got my Fourth of July decorations down. My laundry took a little longer than usual (I did last month's towels today along with all the regular items), and I was a little later than I should have been getting out to work.
Of course, I discover when I finally get downstairs that my back tire is half-way to being flat. Again. After it was just replaced last month. I have no idea how this happened. It was fine last night, when I rode home from work. I didn't use it at all this morning. I didn't see any rips or tears in the tire, and there didn't seem to be any rocks or nails in there. I was almost late for work. Again.
Thank goodness work was steady-to-dead, with no major problems. I ended up walking home. It was too nice of a day to call Dad, and I felt bad about blowing a tire he just paid to replace last month. I should learn to be smarter and more careful. The inner tube should be fine. This isn't supposed to happen a month after you replace a tire. I'm so, so angry at myself.
A neighbor who's a friend of Dad's and lives around the corner from me saw me walking home. She and her husband offered to fix the bike tomorrow if I can get the inner tube. I can afford it...but I'd really rather walk than beg a ride from Dad. Maybe Jessa.
I'm deeply embarrassed. I can't believe I blew another inner tube. This must make the third time I blew an inner tube this year, maybe the fourth. I'm so careless and thoughtless. Why can't I do anything right?
Everything went fine this morning, of course. I got my laundry done. I got my Fourth of July decorations down. My laundry took a little longer than usual (I did last month's towels today along with all the regular items), and I was a little later than I should have been getting out to work.
Of course, I discover when I finally get downstairs that my back tire is half-way to being flat. Again. After it was just replaced last month. I have no idea how this happened. It was fine last night, when I rode home from work. I didn't use it at all this morning. I didn't see any rips or tears in the tire, and there didn't seem to be any rocks or nails in there. I was almost late for work. Again.
Thank goodness work was steady-to-dead, with no major problems. I ended up walking home. It was too nice of a day to call Dad, and I felt bad about blowing a tire he just paid to replace last month. I should learn to be smarter and more careful. The inner tube should be fine. This isn't supposed to happen a month after you replace a tire. I'm so, so angry at myself.
A neighbor who's a friend of Dad's and lives around the corner from me saw me walking home. She and her husband offered to fix the bike tomorrow if I can get the inner tube. I can afford it...but I'd really rather walk than beg a ride from Dad. Maybe Jessa.
I'm deeply embarrassed. I can't believe I blew another inner tube. This must make the third time I blew an inner tube this year, maybe the fourth. I'm so careless and thoughtless. Why can't I do anything right?
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Recovering from the Holiday
Slept in this morning after spending a lot of it trying to keep my nose from running all over the place. My allergies aren't as bad as Thursday, but they're still annoying. Other than that, I ate Blueberry Pancakes, worked on editing our latest Monkees role play, and listened to the Brunch With the Beatles show on WOGL. (Ringo Starr, whose birthday is Tuesday, was in the spotlight.)
I called Mom a bit later than usual. I hadn't realized until this morning that I left my cell phone in my purse all night and it had died. I let it charge and called her on my home phone instead. Mom was in a good mood. The big seafood party she and Dad had for their neighbors had gone well. The two of them and Keefe seemed to be in the midst of cleaning up after it; Mom was washing dishes when I called her.
Work was steady-to-dead, not nearly as bad as yesterday or as it usually is on a Sunday. There were a few mildly obnoxious customers. I messed up a check, putting it in as exact when the man wanted money back, which was a little embarrassing. My relief was late. Good thing I was just going straight home anyway.
Slept in this morning after spending a lot of it trying to keep my nose from running all over the place. My allergies aren't as bad as Thursday, but they're still annoying. Other than that, I ate Blueberry Pancakes, worked on editing our latest Monkees role play, and listened to the Brunch With the Beatles show on WOGL. (Ringo Starr, whose birthday is Tuesday, was in the spotlight.)
I called Mom a bit later than usual. I hadn't realized until this morning that I left my cell phone in my purse all night and it had died. I let it charge and called her on my home phone instead. Mom was in a good mood. The big seafood party she and Dad had for their neighbors had gone well. The two of them and Keefe seemed to be in the midst of cleaning up after it; Mom was washing dishes when I called her.
Work was steady-to-dead, not nearly as bad as yesterday or as it usually is on a Sunday. There were a few mildly obnoxious customers. I messed up a check, putting it in as exact when the man wanted money back, which was a little embarrassing. My relief was late. Good thing I was just going straight home anyway.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
"Saturday In the Park, I Think It Was the 4th of July..."
Beep! Beep! Beep
I opened one eye. The bedside clock said "7:00." I closed the eye. I'd just rest for five more minutes...
I open my eye again...and the clock reads "7:38." I had work at 9. Needless to say, I just barely made it. Not the best way to start a holiday.
Work was mostly on-and-off busy. In fact, we really only had long lines because we lacked help all day long. You'd think they'd have enough sense to schedule most of the store for the biggest holiday of the summer. (You can bet no Acme employees in Cape May County made plans for today.) I was lucky I was able to get off when I did. Another person left when I did...and there were no reliefs for either of us and very long lines. It was a really good thing I got the flour I forgot yesterday during my break!
I rushed home to grab my bathing suit and the cake I baked for my cousin Samantha's 4th of July Pool Party. My sister Jessa and her school buddy Rich beat me there. Her huge Buick was already parked in front of Miss Ellie's side of the house when I arrived. It didn't take me long to change, hit the bathroom, grab the cake, my bathing suit and towel, and my purse, and head out. Thankfully, there was no traffic on the Black Horse Pike, and we made it there in a little over 20 minutes (barring getting lost in Sam's every-house-looks-the-same neighborhood).
It was the same party I went to at my grown cousin Samantha's house last year, only this time, I remembered my bathing suit. That might not have been a good idea this time. Unlike last year, today was sunny but a little cool for this time of year, only into the lower 80s with a nice breeze. The pool was chilly, about 79. I've felt worse (I used to swim in sea water in June when it was still in the 60s), and my little cousins Ethan and Matt and the two other boys there probably didn't even notice. Karen fussed - apparently, hers and Jim's pool is not only heated, but there isn't a tree in 10 miles of their backyard. CJ probably wouldn't have noticed a typhoon appearing in the middle of the pool. He loves swimming.
There was lots of food - shredded pork, steamed crabs, and shish-kabobs in addition to the usual barbecued chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers, along with a carrot salad, vegetable crudites, macaroni and potato salads, deviled eggs, and an unusual "red, white, and blue" ambrosia made from blueberries, strawberries, and mini-marshmallows. There were tons of desserts, too - my Berry Banana Snack Cake, a blueberry-blackberry pie, a cookie tray, a tray of mini-cupcakes, and a plate of brownies Matt had apparently made himself. I stuffed myself silly.
Jessa drove me home. Dad and Jodie had driven up in Dad's classic Mustang convertible, which would have been a little crowded for me, and were leaving later. We made a brief stop at Rich's house in nearby Laurel Springs while he changed into dry clothes (he took a clothes-and-all dip in the pool), then headed for the White Horse Pike. Another buddy of Jessa's called while we were passing Audubon. He was already waiting for her at Dad and Uncle Ken's house. I told her we could just go there, instead of stopping at my place. No use in wasting gas, especially if there were already people there. Jessa and her guy friends left for the fireworks and Cooper River Park, and I walked over the tracks to my apartment.
I switched purses, put my wet things out to dry, and headed back to the White Horse Pike. I stopped at PNC Bank to deposit yesterday's paycheck in the ATM machine, then walked down to Newton River Park. It was only about 7:30, way too early for fireworks, so I thought I'd go the long way around the park to the stump I sat on last year, starting out on Beechwood Avenue and going around to the area across from the Heights condos.
It took longer than I thought it would. The area around the Collingswood High School, where the fireworks are set off, were taped off. I had to walk around several blocks and past the high school. There were already people pouring into the high school stadium to watch the fireworks. I considered joining them, but I really didn't want to get caught in the crush going home, and I didn't feel like wandering around Collingswood in the dark, either.
I finally made my way over to Newton River Park. It was only about quarter after 8, still too early for fireworks. I settled down at one stump, but it was crumbling and too close to the noisy playground, so I moved back and found another stump closer to the White Horse Pike. I laid back for an hour and watched all the families settle down on their blankets. One family set off small fireworks in the grass. Another family consisted of young teenagers who happily chased each other. "They're like puppies without the cuteness," as one of the girls described her brother and his friend as they played catch with a tennis ball.
It was almost 9:30 before the fireworks appeared, but they were well worth the wait. They were just as spectacular as previous years. I especially loved the two red rings together, and the ones that seemed to explode twice.
I made sure to leave during the finale...and even so, the traffic on the White Horse Pike was still crazy. I crossed with grandparents and their young grandchildren, stopping at CVS for one of those new Dasani flavored waters. The fireworks seemed to continue behind me as I walked up the hill alongside CVS and the (closed for the holiday) car wash. I saw the people who live next-door to the car wash watching the second set of fireworks as I passed. I have no idea who set those off. Haddon Township had theirs last night. Maybe Pensauken?
Well, at any rate, I hope all of my American readers had an equally fun Fourth of July!
Beep! Beep! Beep
I opened one eye. The bedside clock said "7:00." I closed the eye. I'd just rest for five more minutes...
I open my eye again...and the clock reads "7:38." I had work at 9. Needless to say, I just barely made it. Not the best way to start a holiday.
Work was mostly on-and-off busy. In fact, we really only had long lines because we lacked help all day long. You'd think they'd have enough sense to schedule most of the store for the biggest holiday of the summer. (You can bet no Acme employees in Cape May County made plans for today.) I was lucky I was able to get off when I did. Another person left when I did...and there were no reliefs for either of us and very long lines. It was a really good thing I got the flour I forgot yesterday during my break!
I rushed home to grab my bathing suit and the cake I baked for my cousin Samantha's 4th of July Pool Party. My sister Jessa and her school buddy Rich beat me there. Her huge Buick was already parked in front of Miss Ellie's side of the house when I arrived. It didn't take me long to change, hit the bathroom, grab the cake, my bathing suit and towel, and my purse, and head out. Thankfully, there was no traffic on the Black Horse Pike, and we made it there in a little over 20 minutes (barring getting lost in Sam's every-house-looks-the-same neighborhood).
It was the same party I went to at my grown cousin Samantha's house last year, only this time, I remembered my bathing suit. That might not have been a good idea this time. Unlike last year, today was sunny but a little cool for this time of year, only into the lower 80s with a nice breeze. The pool was chilly, about 79. I've felt worse (I used to swim in sea water in June when it was still in the 60s), and my little cousins Ethan and Matt and the two other boys there probably didn't even notice. Karen fussed - apparently, hers and Jim's pool is not only heated, but there isn't a tree in 10 miles of their backyard. CJ probably wouldn't have noticed a typhoon appearing in the middle of the pool. He loves swimming.
There was lots of food - shredded pork, steamed crabs, and shish-kabobs in addition to the usual barbecued chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers, along with a carrot salad, vegetable crudites, macaroni and potato salads, deviled eggs, and an unusual "red, white, and blue" ambrosia made from blueberries, strawberries, and mini-marshmallows. There were tons of desserts, too - my Berry Banana Snack Cake, a blueberry-blackberry pie, a cookie tray, a tray of mini-cupcakes, and a plate of brownies Matt had apparently made himself. I stuffed myself silly.
Jessa drove me home. Dad and Jodie had driven up in Dad's classic Mustang convertible, which would have been a little crowded for me, and were leaving later. We made a brief stop at Rich's house in nearby Laurel Springs while he changed into dry clothes (he took a clothes-and-all dip in the pool), then headed for the White Horse Pike. Another buddy of Jessa's called while we were passing Audubon. He was already waiting for her at Dad and Uncle Ken's house. I told her we could just go there, instead of stopping at my place. No use in wasting gas, especially if there were already people there. Jessa and her guy friends left for the fireworks and Cooper River Park, and I walked over the tracks to my apartment.
I switched purses, put my wet things out to dry, and headed back to the White Horse Pike. I stopped at PNC Bank to deposit yesterday's paycheck in the ATM machine, then walked down to Newton River Park. It was only about 7:30, way too early for fireworks, so I thought I'd go the long way around the park to the stump I sat on last year, starting out on Beechwood Avenue and going around to the area across from the Heights condos.
It took longer than I thought it would. The area around the Collingswood High School, where the fireworks are set off, were taped off. I had to walk around several blocks and past the high school. There were already people pouring into the high school stadium to watch the fireworks. I considered joining them, but I really didn't want to get caught in the crush going home, and I didn't feel like wandering around Collingswood in the dark, either.
I finally made my way over to Newton River Park. It was only about quarter after 8, still too early for fireworks. I settled down at one stump, but it was crumbling and too close to the noisy playground, so I moved back and found another stump closer to the White Horse Pike. I laid back for an hour and watched all the families settle down on their blankets. One family set off small fireworks in the grass. Another family consisted of young teenagers who happily chased each other. "They're like puppies without the cuteness," as one of the girls described her brother and his friend as they played catch with a tennis ball.
It was almost 9:30 before the fireworks appeared, but they were well worth the wait. They were just as spectacular as previous years. I especially loved the two red rings together, and the ones that seemed to explode twice.
I made sure to leave during the finale...and even so, the traffic on the White Horse Pike was still crazy. I crossed with grandparents and their young grandchildren, stopping at CVS for one of those new Dasani flavored waters. The fireworks seemed to continue behind me as I walked up the hill alongside CVS and the (closed for the holiday) car wash. I saw the people who live next-door to the car wash watching the second set of fireworks as I passed. I have no idea who set those off. Haddon Township had theirs last night. Maybe Pensauken?
Well, at any rate, I hope all of my American readers had an equally fun Fourth of July!
Friday, July 03, 2009
Frustrated With Balance...and Work
Did yoga class today. That might not have been a good idea. Once again, the class was incredibly full, with at least 20-25 people (I lost count), counting the teacher Micki. I felt so awkward with all those people around. I always feel so behind everyone else! Not surprisingly, a lot of our poses were floor-based, given how little space there was. I can't pull myself up fast, or lift myself out of a squat.
(I was supposed to meet Rose there, but she never showed. Might be just as well. I arrived at 9:15, and the studio was already half-full.)
Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at home. It was a gorgeous day for early July, windy, partly-sunny, and in the upper 70s. My kitchen was cool enough for me to bake a cake for my cousin Samantha's Fourth of July celebration tomorrow. I used a Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix that was on clearance at the Acme, the last of the blueberries from the Farm Market, and one ripe banana, and made Berry-Banana Snack Cake. I also used some random vegetables sitting in my refrigerator and made pasta salad.
Work was a pain in the rear. It's the beginning of the month, with all the fun that implies. We had lots of obnoxious, demanding old people and ignorant idiots who don't read signs and won't bag even when they're perfectly capable of doing so. Add to this a whole raft of tourists on their way from somewhere else, visiting relatives and friends over the holiday weekend. I'm just glad it wasn't nearly as busy as I thought it would be. It was pretty busy when I came in, but it had gentled down to steady by the time I finished.
I did my own grocery shopping after work. Added blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and peaches to the list of brown sugar, yogurt, ground chicken, and Weight Watchers Smart Ones Single-Cup Desserts, since I work too early to get to the Collingswood Farm Market tomorrow. (I'll get there next Saturday. My schedule next week is pretty decent. Other than mildly fewer hours, I have no hours later than 7:30 or earlier than 2, which works fine by me.)
Did yoga class today. That might not have been a good idea. Once again, the class was incredibly full, with at least 20-25 people (I lost count), counting the teacher Micki. I felt so awkward with all those people around. I always feel so behind everyone else! Not surprisingly, a lot of our poses were floor-based, given how little space there was. I can't pull myself up fast, or lift myself out of a squat.
(I was supposed to meet Rose there, but she never showed. Might be just as well. I arrived at 9:15, and the studio was already half-full.)
Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at home. It was a gorgeous day for early July, windy, partly-sunny, and in the upper 70s. My kitchen was cool enough for me to bake a cake for my cousin Samantha's Fourth of July celebration tomorrow. I used a Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix that was on clearance at the Acme, the last of the blueberries from the Farm Market, and one ripe banana, and made Berry-Banana Snack Cake. I also used some random vegetables sitting in my refrigerator and made pasta salad.
Work was a pain in the rear. It's the beginning of the month, with all the fun that implies. We had lots of obnoxious, demanding old people and ignorant idiots who don't read signs and won't bag even when they're perfectly capable of doing so. Add to this a whole raft of tourists on their way from somewhere else, visiting relatives and friends over the holiday weekend. I'm just glad it wasn't nearly as busy as I thought it would be. It was pretty busy when I came in, but it had gentled down to steady by the time I finished.
I did my own grocery shopping after work. Added blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and peaches to the list of brown sugar, yogurt, ground chicken, and Weight Watchers Smart Ones Single-Cup Desserts, since I work too early to get to the Collingswood Farm Market tomorrow. (I'll get there next Saturday. My schedule next week is pretty decent. Other than mildly fewer hours, I have no hours later than 7:30 or earlier than 2, which works fine by me.)
Thursday, July 02, 2009
The Nose Doesn't Know
Ugh. I spent most of today in the midst of one of my infrequent but annoying allergy attacks. My nose is running and stuffy and my eyes are sore and itchy, but it's not a cold. The rest of me is fine. No sore throat or nausea. I'm wondering if it has to do with the big thunderstorm we had last night, our first in over a week (and the first I've seen of those "isolated thunderstorms" that have been in the forecast since last weekend).
Probably just as well that I slept late and spent the morning doing computer work. (Lauren was eager to do this month's Monkees role play, so we began and finished it early. Look for it after the Fourth of July weekend.) I've been sneezing and sniffling and blowing my nose like crazy.
My customers at work were cool about my nose, too. Probably just as well that I only did 4 1/2 hours today. It was steady, with no really big problems, and my relief was actually early.
Ugh. I spent most of today in the midst of one of my infrequent but annoying allergy attacks. My nose is running and stuffy and my eyes are sore and itchy, but it's not a cold. The rest of me is fine. No sore throat or nausea. I'm wondering if it has to do with the big thunderstorm we had last night, our first in over a week (and the first I've seen of those "isolated thunderstorms" that have been in the forecast since last weekend).
Probably just as well that I slept late and spent the morning doing computer work. (Lauren was eager to do this month's Monkees role play, so we began and finished it early. Look for it after the Fourth of July weekend.) I've been sneezing and sniffling and blowing my nose like crazy.
My customers at work were cool about my nose, too. Probably just as well that I only did 4 1/2 hours today. It was steady, with no really big problems, and my relief was actually early.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Are You Ready For the Summer?
Now, I am. It was cool enough for me to bake a blueberry-chocolate-chip coffee cake this morning. Most of the remainder of the morning and the afternoon was spent cleaning, making up my rent, and doing things around the apartment. The morning started out cloudy, but by the time I'd taken the last swipe at my computer with a dust rag, the sun was shining and the sky was bright blue. It was too late for me to go out for a long trip. I headed over to Uncle Ken and Dad's for a swim instead.
I'm so glad I did. The water was much warmer today than it was at this time last week, into the lower 80s. I swam and relaxed in the pool for about 40 minutes before Jodie arrived. I climbed out to chat with her and read the Jane Wheel mystery I'd brought. Dad came out with one of his guitars a bit later to practice. It felt very cozy, with Jodie and me reading and Dad playing.
Jodie invited me to stay for a basic summer dinner of grilled cheeseburgers, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn on the cob. Jessa joined Dad, Jodie, and I in the kitchen. It was delicious (even though the patties were store-made, not the home-made kind Mom used to make). The corn was much better than Dad claimed. I two two remaining cobs home with me to make salads and have for lunch this weekend.
Now, I am. It was cool enough for me to bake a blueberry-chocolate-chip coffee cake this morning. Most of the remainder of the morning and the afternoon was spent cleaning, making up my rent, and doing things around the apartment. The morning started out cloudy, but by the time I'd taken the last swipe at my computer with a dust rag, the sun was shining and the sky was bright blue. It was too late for me to go out for a long trip. I headed over to Uncle Ken and Dad's for a swim instead.
I'm so glad I did. The water was much warmer today than it was at this time last week, into the lower 80s. I swam and relaxed in the pool for about 40 minutes before Jodie arrived. I climbed out to chat with her and read the Jane Wheel mystery I'd brought. Dad came out with one of his guitars a bit later to practice. It felt very cozy, with Jodie and me reading and Dad playing.
Jodie invited me to stay for a basic summer dinner of grilled cheeseburgers, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn on the cob. Jessa joined Dad, Jodie, and I in the kitchen. It was delicious (even though the patties were store-made, not the home-made kind Mom used to make). The corn was much better than Dad claimed. I two two remaining cobs home with me to make salads and have for lunch this weekend.
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