When Good Luck Comes My Way

Started out another gorgeous day in the neighborhood by finally finishing this month's dusting. My bedroom usually doesn't get as pollen-coated as the living room. My neighbor's house blocks a lot of the wind on this side of the apartment. I wiped the cloth across my dresser around 11:30...and fifteen minutes later, I was in my uniform and on my way to work.

(Dusting my room had one nasty side effect. The pollen did awful things to my nose. I've been sniffling and sneezing ever since this morning.)

Work was on-and-off busy all day. There were no major problems, and I was in and out on time. In fact, I had a very nice stroke of luck. I found a hundred dollar bill next to my register last month. I gave it to a manger to return to its owner. Apparently, the owner was never found, and the manager gave me the hundred dollars. I could really use that money. I just paid my rent, and my recent paychecks have been good but not great.

As soon as I got home, I changed into regular clothes and went back out again for a walk to the bank. Even beyond my good fortune, it was just a gorgeous day for a walk. The sky was blue. The sun was shining. People were out strolling, if they weren't taking their children to the opening of Leo's Yum Yums, the ice cream parlor on West Clinton.

When I got in, I had leftover chicken burger, steamed asparagus, and sauteed spinach with mushrooms, garlic, and fresh mozzerella for dinner. I ran Psych, then Love Me Tonight.

I've read about Love Me Tonight in various books and web sites on musicals since I was 12, but I never saw it until I bought the DVD on Amazon about four years ago or so. Every single book and web site had nothing but high praise for it...and they were all right, for once. This is a delightful confection, with none of the stiffness of early talkie musicals, nor the pretenses of some later ones. Maurice Chevalier is a tailor who travels to a country chateau in France to get a nobleman to pay his debts and is mistaken for a baron. Jeanette MacDonald is a princess wasting away from boredom who falls for Chevalier...until she discovers his ruse.

As with his later Summer Holiday, Rouben Mamoulien does wonderful things with music and dialogue. The Rogers and Hart songs just flow naturally from the script. The songs are some of the duo's best, and probably their best work in Hollywood - "Lover," "Mimi," "Isn't It Romantic." The entire cast has a wonderful time with the sparkiling farce; special kudos to Myrna Loy as MacDonald's man-crazy cousin and C. Aubrey Smith as the stubborn head of the household.

At Loose Ends

I was originally going to do the Haddon Township Library this morning and early afternoon. I slept in, then rode over to Westmont around 11:30. It was another beautiful day, 70 and sunny (though a bit windier than yesterday), and Newton River Park was packed with joggers, walkers, parents pushing children in strollers, and ducks and geese. I tried to dodge a mother and her college-age daughter walking down the path, but I wasn't looking where I was going and my bike struck a small hole. I found myself, the bike, and the bag with my books and DVDs to return landing straight in the grass! I got really lucky. The bike and things in the basket were fine, and I didn't get hurt beyond a few bruises. The two ladies I tried to get around helped me round up my things.

I should have known that after all of that, the library still wouldn't be open. I rode up to two large dumpsters in the parking spaces in the back. There were closed signs on both front and back doors, and the library was dark. There wasn't even anyone working on cleaning things up this time.

That was frustrating. I should have known it would take a lot longer than a week to fix a busted boiler pipe that flooded half the library. And after I rode all the way over to Westmont AND got hurt doing so! I wasn't happy at all. I made short stops at a very quiet Super Fresh for Hodgeson Mill single-pack yeast, then treated myself to a bagel at the Bagel Shop. The lady who works there confirmed that yes, the library remained dark. Several people had come to the Bagel Shop upset because they hadn't known about the busted pipe or the library's closing.

Since I couldn't volunteer at one library, I figured I'd do another. I rode over to the Oaklyn Library after leaving the Bagel Shop. I organized the DVDs, took a good look at the kids' books, and pulled more young adult books that needed to be shelved. I also took out one of my favorite young adult novels, Miranda and the Movies, about a little girl who literally falls into the production of a silent movie in the early 1910s and finds herself joining the cast.

Went straight online after I got home. The Camden County Library's home page said it all - yes, the library is not only closed this week, but for at least the next three weeks. The damage was far more extensive than originally believed, especially in the boiler room and around the circulation desk and children's area. On one hand, at least they're upfront about what's going on, unlike the brouhaha surrounding the Oaklyn Library's closing in November and December. And everything I have out is now renewed until June 1st. Doesn't make it any less disappointing. The Haddon Township Library is my favorite of the three libraries I volunteer at. I really like it there. The ladies are nice to me, and they have a decent selection of books and DVDs.

While I was online, I ordered Naughty Marietta and Sweethearts. The first Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy movie and the first they did in color were supposed to be released two weeks ago, but TCM held them back, supposedly to add extras. I'm going to try not to buy anything else online after these, though, unless I use that Barnes and Noble gift card. I'm only getting these because I've been waiting for years for them to come to DVD.

Still feeling depressed after ordering the movies, I decided to go for a walk. I stopped by Phillies Phatties and had a slice of cheese pizza and a can of Diet Pepsi for lunch. Strolled by the Oaklyn School as it let out, then down to Uncle Ken's. No one was home there. The only car in the driveway was Jessa's, and she's probably either at work or just finishing school.

After that, I headed for CVS to see if they had a nicer fan than the one with the plastic cover I bought last year. They didn't, but I did run into my friend Erica's mother Miss Helen and had a pleasant chat with her. She'd had an enjoyable Mother's Day with Erica, her sister (who lives in Collingswood), and several grandchildren, some of whom are in the Armed Services. She also confirmed that Uncle Ken, Dolores, Dad, and Jodie are still having problems with each other. Dad apparently wasn't home because he went right back out to another job.

Went straight home after that. I baked Peanut Crunch Cookies from one of my British baking cookbooks and watched Yolanda and the Thief. I really like this stylish 1946 fantasy musical. Fred Astaire is the thief of the title, and Lucile Bremer (the older sister in Meet Me In St Louis) is Yolanda, a naive South American heiress who prays for a guardian angel. What she thinks she gets is Astaire, a con artist who wants to bilk her out of her money. Love, however, has strange ways of winning out...including some real heavenly assistance.

Vincent Minellei went to town with the amazing color and fanciful touches here. My favorite number is Bremer and Astaire's delightful "Coffee Time." The most elaborate is Astaire's Technicolor, surreal nightmare with Bremer asking the perpetual batchelor "Will You Marry Me?"

A Place For Everything, and Everything In Its Place

After I came home from work yesterday tired, sleeping in was mandatory. I wasn't working until 5, and I had nothing that needed to be done right away. I slept until 9 and didn't get out to doing the laundry until 11:30.

Unlike past weeks, the laundromat was very busy when I came in. I did still get a washer and a dryer with no problems. I'm just glad someone had the sense to change the TV to the news and Who Wants to Be a Millionare?, instead of the awful reality show about housewives that usually runs around noon on Channel 3. What do people see in that junk?

I put the laundry away as soon as I got home. I had a leftover chicken burger, spinach salad, and an orange for lunch, then went for a walk to WaWa for milk and a pretzel. It was too nice to be inside all day. The weather the last few days has been as perfect as it gets in Southern New Jersey - sunny, breezy but not too windy, and just warm enough to be comfortable without sweating to death.

I saw quite a few people out and about. Lots of people were working on gardens or mowing lawns. Kids walking home from school lingered to chat with friends. Parents pushed younger children in strollers or followed them as they rode their bikes and scooters. There were dog-walkers and bikers and motorcyclists.

When I came back to the apartment, I worked on spring cleaning. Fitting my new records on the crate-shelves with the others required some re-organizing. I moved half of my books on entertainment to the white plastic shelves, freeing up the other crate for Broadway cast LPs and spoken word, comedy, and radio program recordings. The board games that were on the other plastic shelf were moved to the living room closet until I can find a better place for them. I spent the last hour or so dusting the living room. (I'll try getting the bedroom in tomorrow.)

I had just enough time to add natural peanut butter and honey to yogurt, grab a banana, change into my work uniform, and head for the Acme. Part of the reason I took the extra hours tonight was I figured, with the store between holidays again, we'd probably be dead...and I was mostly right. We were quite for a lot of the night and never more than mildly steady. I was in and out with no problems whatsoever.

To All Mothers...

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, including those whose children are four-legged or feathered. ;)

I slept in this morning as much as possible. I didn't get to calling my mother until around 11, after a breakfast of sweet potato pancakes and farm market grapefruit. Mom was tired but seemed pretty happy. She'd spent the weekend working in her garden and was getting ready to do more. She was the only one home. Dad finally went out fishing. Keefe was out with his girlfriend Vicki. Anny was with her own sons; she figured they'd call later.

I asked Mom if she'd gotten the card I sent. She said no, but she hadn't opened Saturday's mail, either. She brought the card in and opened it while we were on the phone. She was really thrilled with it; considering how long it took me to find one I liked for her at work, I'm happy she's happy.

Mom said she assumed the Acme would be dead today. Boy, was she wrong. We were packed for almost the entire afternoon. We were also short on help; there were call-outs, which resulted in long lines. Thankfully, the holiday and weather that was even nicer than yesterday's put everyone in a good mood. I was in and out of the store with no problems other than being tired.

I spent the rest of the evening reading A Song In the Dark and listening to CDs. I got so caught up in it, I was late starting my flounder and sauteed broccoli dinner...which means I was late getting in the shower...which means I was late listening to The Dress Circle. I did get to hear the last 15 minutes on a show on Frank Loesser's Hollywood music. My favorite number by far was a marvelous duet between Shirley Ross and Bob Hope, "Two Sleepy People," from the 1938 movie Thanks For the Memory.

The Perfect Day for a Farm Market

Yes, today was the opening day of this year's Collingswood Farm Market. It was also the day of Haddon Township's town-wide yard sale. As with the Audubon sale last month, I had some really wonderful luck, especially with records:

The Who - Odds and Sods, soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright

Madonna - Like A Virgin

Foreigner - Foreigner

Earth Wind and Fire - Greatest Hits Vol 1

Disney kids' Christmas record that includes Chip n' Dale singing "The Chipmunk Song (Please Christmas Don't Be Late)"

Cream - Disraeli Gears

Blondie - Eat to the Beat

Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swinging Lovers (The woman who sold this one - along with the Disney album and Madonna - to me said it was her father's favorite album.)

Soundtrack to the offbeat 1984 rock musical/action flick Streets of Fire

I also found a large gingerbread man-shaped Wilton cake pan and That's Entertainment Part II on video.

It was a gorgeous day for riding all over Collingswood, Haddon Township, Westmont, and Oaklyn. The morning was sunny as could be, with blue skies and 70-degree temperatures. It's the nicest it's been in weeks.

Not surprisingly, the Farm Market was packed to the gills when I finally made it there around 10:30. Not only was it a nice day and the first one of the year, but this is a very busy weekend. Tomorrow's Mother's Day. Many colleges either have already finished or will be done next week. It's the beginning of the month. May is a big month for birthdays. Not to mention, I'm sure the gorgeous weather prompted many spontaneous picnics and barbecues.

I finally picked up asparagus, mushrooms from the mushroom seller, leeks, and carrots. Strawberries won't be out until next week and it's too early for other fruit like peaches, so I picked up grapefruit (2 for a dollar!), oranges, and kiwi from the wholesaler. (I did end up getting strawberries and bananas at the Acme. They were out of bananas by 10:30.) Grabbed a small jar of plum butter and a bear-shaped bottle of blueberry honey.

There was a pleasant surprise waiting for me when I finally got home around 12:30. I used part of that Barnes and Noble gift card my brother Keefe gave me for my birthday to buy the second edition of one of my favorite books, A Song In the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film, by Richard Barrios. I ordered it almost a week ago, and it only now just got here. No matter; I'm thrilled to have it. There's new (and larger) photos, references to recently-found fragments of formerly lost films, and still some of the best information on a rarely-discussed topic.

I was feeling pretty good as I headed to work. For once, my shift didn't damper my mood. We were steady all night, and it went quickly. During my last hour, one of the college students complained that he volunteers for a local fire department and will be training on Monday; he couldn't take his shift. I was more than happy to take it over for him. I'll now be working 5-9 on Monday, which, with my lack of hours this week, I sorely needed.

Enjoying the Spring

Mother Nature is finally behaving here in South Jersey. While it was still windy today, it wasn't anywhere near as cold. The sun was a ball of gold in a bright blue sky. Fat white-gray clouds drifted lazily by the occasional jet taking off from Philadelphia International Airport.

I started this gorgeous day by sleeping in and reading in bed, something I haven't done in ages. When I finally did get moving, my first stop was the Acme. I needed my paycheck, schedule, and to do some grocery shopping. I picked up ground chicken and lamb chops, brown sugar, yogurt, oats, and I was almost out of cooking spray.

My schedule was...a problem. On one hand, three days off will allow me to get a lot of things done, including more spring cleaning. On the other hand...I only work four days and 20 hours, including an early Saturday. That means I'll either have to go to the Farm Market really early next week or skip it.

I went straight home after leaving the Acme. After I put everything away, I headed right back out. It was too nice of a day for being inside.

Spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and roaming around Oaklyn and Audubon. I did this week's volunteering at the Oaklyn Library. They were closing in a half-hour when I arrived. I did get organizing the DVDs in and took a quick look at the children's books.

Went to the bank next. I wasn't as fast there as I would have liked; their computers were down. Even when I did give them my money, it couldn't actually go through until tomorrow.

It was the perfect day for a ramble around Audubon. I rode over the bridge and down to Pine Street and Simply Soups for lunch. The cup of White Bean and Escarole Soup I had was tasty - a creamy soup with escarole, white beans, and huge pieces of mushroom topped with Parmesan cheese. I also had breadsticks and a can of "Diet White Birch Beer" from "Weis" (Wegman's?).

My luck on that trip ended there. Willie the Woodsman and Wife no longer carries the newest WebKinz - I badly want the adorable new Grizzly Bear. I didn't see anything I liked at Act Two Collectibles (which was finally open). I did get a CD of old-time movie and pop singers at Abbie Road, but didn't see anything else I liked. And I did pick up a sweet and soft coconut macaroon at Desserts By Design.

I went back to the apartment after leaving Desserts By Design. Worked on a Strawberry Chiffon Cake while watching TV show episodes. I watched an episode of Psych this morning that dealt with a comic book convention. Gus is a huge comics book fan and is really into it. Shawn isn't, but goes along with it anyway. Turns out a local teenager who moonlights as a blogger who gives nasty reviews to comic-book oriented movies bought his way into the convention. The question is...where did the money come from, and where is the kid now?

Comic book conventions may be big deals now, but as one of the less-strange Wonder Woman episodes of the third season reminded us, they've been around for a while. Diana Prince investigates the theft of some top-secret laser crystals in the LA area. She's not thrilled to find herself booked into the same hotel as a comic book convention. It turns out to be a great cover for a sneaky thief who desperately wants to recover those crystals and sell them to a well-known businessman. Can Wonder Woman stop the show...and the crystals from falling into the wrong hands?

Feliz Cumpleanos to a Great Uncle

Unlike yesterday, it was sunny and bright when I went to work this morning. It was warmer than yesterday, too, though it remains windy. Work was quiet when I came in; I had enough time to help shelve candy. By 4PM, the crowds were coming in spurts. This was a problem when my relief seemed to be late. A manager was nice enough to come in for me.

This time, I went straight home. There was something I wanted to do this afternoon. When I finally got in, I changed into a regular shirt. I cut the loaf of Oatmeal Cinnamon Bread I made yesterday in half and signed Uncle Ken's birthday card, then went for a walk to his house.

Uncle Ken is not having an easy time of it lately. Not only is there a lot of tension between his girlfriend Dolores, my dad, and Dad's girlfriend Jodie...but Uncle Ken has cancer. Bad cancer. Bad as in "he may only have a year or so to live" cancer. He, Dolores, and her daughter and grandson were there when I arrived. Dolores was making everyone burgers, including Uncle Ken. Uncle Ken was happy to see me and loved the card I gave him, but he seemed tired. He'd been in chemotherapy since 8:30 this morning. Dolores confirmed this when I joined her and her family in the kitchen. She also said Dad's coming home from his cruise ship job tomorrow. I'll try to get to seeing him tomorrow or sometime this weekend.

After I headed back to my place, I continued this month's cleaning. The windows really needed to be done. I didn't do them last month. The treatments needed to be dusted, too, especially the ones facing the sides of the house where the wind blows in pollen.

Ran two more first season Psych episodes during dusting and dinner. "Weekend Warriors," in which Shawn discovers who killed one of Captain Lassiter's Civil War re-enactors, was the better of the two. "Who Ya Gonna Call," which had a man who thinks he's being haunted call Shawn and Gus to rid him of whatever is plaguing him, was just plain weird...especially what the "ghost" turns out to be.

Cinnamon Sweet

It was raining when I went to work this morning. The rain was still fairly hard when I left, but it began to slow down even as I rounded the corner of Nicholson and the Black Horse Pike and saw the Acme and the Audubon Shopping Center. I wasn't too wet when I arrived. Other than some mildly annoying customers, we were off-and-on busy all day. There were no really big problems, and my relief was on time.

In fact, the managers were in pretty decent moods. One was re-arranging the front end. She found new places to hang the dollar totes and the rain gear, removing racks that took up too much room. Another manager was thrilled that she and her husband were getting a new hound puppy and talked happily about it all day.

After work, I bought cards for my Uncle Ken's birthday tomorrow and for Mother's Day. When I rode home, it was cloudy, cold, and windy, but the rain was long gone. I changed my shirt when I got in and started making a loaf of Oatmeal Cinnamon Bread to replace the French Bread that's almost gone.

I went for a walk in Veteran's Park next-door while the bread rose. The park is beautiful this time of year. The trees and vines look lovely with their new bright green coats.

On my way back, I saw petals scattered around the side path leading to my apartment. I always wondered where they came from. I didn't think any of the trees in the back yard had flowers. I looked up...and realized that one of the trees on the side path was a magnolia tree. I never knew that before! The bottom limbs on that tree are so dead, only spiders use them.

I ran Psych for the rest of the evening as the bread baked and I had leftovers for dinner. I'm not as into the show as Lauren is, but it's kind of cute. My favorite was the wedding episode; only Shawn would hold a bachelor party in a cop's hotel room and charge it to his bill.

Balance at Home and On the Road

Started out today with a rare Tuesday yoga class. Since I was going to go to the Haddon Township Library today anyway, I figured it made sense to do what I had to do in Collingswood, the next town over from Westmont, this morning instead of Friday. It was a bit cloudy and cool this morning; I brought my spring jacket, just in case.

Vicki, who often attends Karin's Thursday class, was the teacher today. She was energetic and fun. She moved faster than Karin, but not as fast as Eric. The emphasis was on balancing and standing poses. Thankfully, the balancing involved standing against walls, which I can do.

Went to the Collingswood Library next. The young girl in charge first put me in the back office, sticking bar code labels on new library cards. When I finished that, I organized the DVDs. I wish I'd been able to come last week. The DVDs were a mess. The children's section was a total disaster, with half of everything out of order and most series not together.

I made some quick stops after leaving the library. I bought a book on women changing careers and the first three James Howe Bunnicula books (Bunnicula, Howliday Inn, and The Celery Stalks At Midnight) from the used book seller. I had a slice of plain cheese and a slice of Red Pepper and Mushroom on Blue Cheese pizza at Cafe Antonio's. I bought a shower curtain from Dollar Depot next to the Westmont Acme.

My next stop was supposed to be the Haddon Township Library. When I arrived, there was yellow tape across the doors of the back end, and they were wide open. Ok. I could run with that. The doors must have been broken. When I walked in, though, there were people bustling around, some wearing face masks. Everything was covered with tarps. A man told me to leave. The library was closed until further notice.

Well, THAT wasn't good. I had DVDs due...and I couldn't even return them. The return boxes were taped over. I asked a guy walking out wearing working gloves and carrying some debris what was going on. He said something about a flood, but didn't know any details; he'd just arrived.

That put a damper on my good mood. I made brief stops at JoAnn's and at Super Fresh for sugar, but I wasn't really up for further adventures. Besides, it had gotten sunny, windy, and very hot by this point. It was too hot and windy for bike rides.

There was a package waiting for me when I arrived. Lauren sent me episodes of the USA comedy/mystery series Psych, a favorite of hers. I hauled them upstairs, along with everything else I bought this morning.

The first thing I did when I got inside was go online to find out what happened at the Haddon Township Library. As it turns out, there was none of the mystery that lingered when the Oaklyn Library closed suddenly in November. A boiler room pipe had burst, soaking the area around the circulation desk, librarian's lounge, book sale area, bathrooms, meeting room, and children's area. According to the Camden County Library's site, they'll be closed through Friday for major cleanup. Bummer. Friday's my only other day off this week, and I'll be busy with the farm market on Saturday. Oh well, no Haddon Township Library volunteering this week. I renewed the DVDs.

The rest of the day was passed quietly. I read my old copy of A Song In the Dark. I made the bed. I vacuumed the apartment. I swept the porch. I'd wait until the fuzzy seed pods were finished coming down and it was less windy, but I couldn't stand how messy my porch looked anymore.

Watched the first episode of Psych during dinner. Psych is a goofy comic mystery on the same offbeat lines as another popular USA mystery show, Monk. The odd detective here is a psychic...or so he claims. He's really a smart guy with a really, really good memory who passes himself off as a psychic so the cops will believe his constant tips to the police force. He and his skeptical pal with the delicate stomach set themselves up as unusual private eyes in order to help the local law enforcement with a kidnapping case.

I went for a walk after a quick spinach-and-mushroom omelet for dinner. It was late, past 7:30, and still windy. It was cooler than it had been in the heat of the day. The clouds that vanished after this morning had returned, though they didn't look threatening. I strolled down to the end of Goff Avenue to admire the view, then headed down past the Oaklyn School (which looked busy - a board meeting, I think) to West Clinton. The dafodils are gone, but there are lots of other flowers blooming - iris, magnolias, azaleas, pansies, dandelions, and the last of the lilacs and tulips. Some yards have so much grass, they're starting to look like sets for the MGM Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies.

Let's Make the World A Better Place

With the Armed Forces doing their part in getting rid of world-wide menaces (much to the delight of every front-page in the country), I started the first of three morning shifts I have this week. None of them are as long as last week's, but they're also much busier. It wasn't bad when I came in at 10, but business picked up around 11:30 and was on-and-off the rest of the day. Other than some annoying beginning-of-the-month customers, there were no major problems. My relief was just on-time, and I was in and out with little fanfare.

It was cloudy and windy when I rode to work this morning. The clouds broke up around noon-1PM. When I arrived home, it was still windy, but the clouds were replaced by bright sunlight and picture-perfect upper 60s temperatures.

I changed into shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed my laundry and purse, and headed for the laundromat. I debated doing the laundry tomorrow, but finally decided I had too much going on already. Once again, I hit it just right. When I arrived, the only person there was one of the older ladies who manages the place and NBC10 News running several pieces about local reaction to Osama Bin Laden's death. By the time I left, two couples were working on several very large loads of laundry.

When I got home, I put everything away and ran Minnie's Masquerade again. Ran through that and Max and the Three Bunnies while making Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins and salmon and spinach salad for dinner.

The Internet was down originally when I tried to get on. It did come back up, but I'm not happy. I'm debating what to do. I've heard that Comcast's customer service is as bad as Verizon's, if not worse. Right now, I'm debating either switching to FIOS and hoping that works better or seeing if I can find another Internet provider all together.

Recovering From the Weekend

I'm still tired from my eight hour shifts this weekend and didn't do a lot today. I made French Toast for breakfast while listening to Brunch With the Beatles. "The Beatles and Other British Revolution Bands" was the theme today. They ran Beatles songs from 1964 and '65, along with other bands from across the pond that debuted around the same time. My favorite of what I heard was Peter and Gordon's "World Without Love."

Called Mom after I finished my French Toast. She was quite happily home alone this morning. Keefe was out with his girlfriend Vicki...and Dad was just out. She told me she did finally find something to do with those sweet rolls I made that came out badly. With sugar, eggs, milk, wheat germ, and spices added and cut into bits, they apparently made a wonderful bread pudding that the boys couldn't get enough of.

Headed to work about ten minutes after getting off the phone with Mom. Work was busy for most of the afternoon. Unlike earlier in the weekend, we had plenty of help. My relief was on time, and everyone was in a good mood. There were no problems getting in or out.

After I went home, I went straight upstairs, changed out of my uniform, grabbed my purse and a sweater, and went right back out again. I needed to use the ATM machine at PNC Bank for my paycheck. Besides, it wasn't a bad day. It was windy and cloudy, but much warmer than I thought it would be.

I spent the rest of the evening reading, eating leftovers for dinner, and making granola bars. Listened to The Dress Circle after dinner. Broadway shows that debuted in May were spotlighted tonight. We heard songs from Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game, a hilarious cut number from Mame, the recent revival of 110 In the Shade, the lesser-known Rogers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet, Richard Rodgers' last musical I Remember Mama, and the original Ethel Merman Gypsy.