Takin' It to the Laundry
Started out a humid but cool and cloudy day with the Sondheim: Concert at Carnegie Hall show I dubbed last summer while I ate Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast. I finally made it to the laundromat around quarter of 12. I didn't have a lot of laundry, so it didn't take very long. I read Stop Saying Everything's Fine while listening to CBS. The laundromat was pretty quiet, too. There were one or two people in and out, but it was mostly just me.
I went home, put everything away, and ran jazz CDs and Natalie Cole as I ate shrimp and a salad made with farm market-fresh veggies for lunch. As Natalie Cole wound down, I packed a ham sandwich and baggie of cherry tomatoes for dinner, changed into my uniform, and headed into a now-sunny day for work.
Ugh. I wish I hadn't. Work was insanely busy all evening long. We were short on help, too. A cashier and a bagger called out at the last minute. One family came through my express line and unloaded their huge, 200-dollar order before I could tell them they had too much. After all that, the mother ended up having Shop Rite gift cards she couldn't use in Acme. She'd gone to the wrong store! They ended up not taking that whole darn order.
Later that evening, another man rang up a much smaller order on his credit card. The card wouldn't go through. The man slammed his fist against the credit card machine, threw a temper tantrum, and took off before I could call security for wanton destruction of property. The Army recruit behind him was about ready to "take" him (in his words), that's how damn obnoxious that man was. If your card doesn't work, pay cash or use another card, and don't throw a fit over it.
I was so happy when the person in the self-checkout lane came in for me and I was able to get out on time. I don't think I could have stood it for much longer.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Bibbidi Bobbidi Muppets
I slept in really late this morning. It was past 11:30 before I finally got to making blueberry honey pancakes for breakfast and running Hey Cinderella! The earliest of three Muppet fairy tale specials starts out with your basic Cinderella (Belinda Montgomery) working to the bone for her wicked stepmother (Joyce Gordon). The king wants his son Prince Arthur (Robin Ward) to find a bride. Arthur doesn't want someone as stuffy as a princess. He wants someone more down-to-earth, and finds the perfect girl when Cinderella and her dog Rufus wander into his garden. She thinks he's the gardener; he doesn't care what she is, other than a nice girl. Cinderella can only go to his ball if she has a coach and horses...but this is a Muppet version, and the fairy godmother is having a hard time with her magic, Kermit's upset that the king won't let frogs come to the ball, and who needs horses anyway when you have a huge purple Muppet monster pulling your carriage? Cindy and Arthur do eventually make their dreams come true...but not in the usual way!
A really wacky version of one of the world's most wide-spread stories. Sure, we have a sweet kid in a fancy dress, the fairy godmother who helps her, the wicked stepmother and the none-too-bright king. But you don't see many Cinderellas where the coachman insists on staying a frog, there's a Muppet monster pulling the carriage, the fairy godmother is lousy at her job, and Cindy and her prince learn that there are other ways of finding true love than making the shoe fit. Enjoyable enough if you can find it; to my knowledge, this and the other two Muppet fairy tale specials, The Frog Prince and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, are out of print on video and were never on DVD.
(And I recognize some of the Muppets used in this special. The King, his page Featherstone, and Rufus the Dog would all turn up again in the later specials as well as the early seasons of The Muppet Show.)
I didn't do much else on this very hot day. Swept the porch after I finished the video, just to get outside. It was really hot, but not all that humid, much to my surprise. There was a really nice breeze, and it didn't feel too bad under the shady trees over my porch.
I finally got through to Mom around 10 minutes to 2. She had spent the morning working on her garden. No wonder she hadn't been able to get to me the first time I called - she was on top of a ladder when she heard the phone! Her jazz date with Dad didn't go too well. He'd had a little too much to drink beforehand and misbehaved. She apparently did get to attend some other concerts and events in the Cape May area that made up for it.
We also talked about the party she's having for my brother Keefe's leave in two weeks. My sister Rose, her family, and I are going to stay overnight. She said to bring a pillow, and that I'll probably sleep in the office, like I do when I visit alone. That's fine. Whatever works for them. I'm just looking forward to seeing the Cape May side of the family for the first time since Christmas Eve.
I talked to Mom so long, I ended up having to rush lunch and was almost late for work! Thank goodness work was busy, but otherwise not as much of a pain as the last few days. The 4 for 20 meat sale stopped working briefly mid-way through my shift, but they did get it fixed. Other than that, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.
I slept in really late this morning. It was past 11:30 before I finally got to making blueberry honey pancakes for breakfast and running Hey Cinderella! The earliest of three Muppet fairy tale specials starts out with your basic Cinderella (Belinda Montgomery) working to the bone for her wicked stepmother (Joyce Gordon). The king wants his son Prince Arthur (Robin Ward) to find a bride. Arthur doesn't want someone as stuffy as a princess. He wants someone more down-to-earth, and finds the perfect girl when Cinderella and her dog Rufus wander into his garden. She thinks he's the gardener; he doesn't care what she is, other than a nice girl. Cinderella can only go to his ball if she has a coach and horses...but this is a Muppet version, and the fairy godmother is having a hard time with her magic, Kermit's upset that the king won't let frogs come to the ball, and who needs horses anyway when you have a huge purple Muppet monster pulling your carriage? Cindy and Arthur do eventually make their dreams come true...but not in the usual way!
A really wacky version of one of the world's most wide-spread stories. Sure, we have a sweet kid in a fancy dress, the fairy godmother who helps her, the wicked stepmother and the none-too-bright king. But you don't see many Cinderellas where the coachman insists on staying a frog, there's a Muppet monster pulling the carriage, the fairy godmother is lousy at her job, and Cindy and her prince learn that there are other ways of finding true love than making the shoe fit. Enjoyable enough if you can find it; to my knowledge, this and the other two Muppet fairy tale specials, The Frog Prince and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, are out of print on video and were never on DVD.
(And I recognize some of the Muppets used in this special. The King, his page Featherstone, and Rufus the Dog would all turn up again in the later specials as well as the early seasons of The Muppet Show.)
I didn't do much else on this very hot day. Swept the porch after I finished the video, just to get outside. It was really hot, but not all that humid, much to my surprise. There was a really nice breeze, and it didn't feel too bad under the shady trees over my porch.
I finally got through to Mom around 10 minutes to 2. She had spent the morning working on her garden. No wonder she hadn't been able to get to me the first time I called - she was on top of a ladder when she heard the phone! Her jazz date with Dad didn't go too well. He'd had a little too much to drink beforehand and misbehaved. She apparently did get to attend some other concerts and events in the Cape May area that made up for it.
We also talked about the party she's having for my brother Keefe's leave in two weeks. My sister Rose, her family, and I are going to stay overnight. She said to bring a pillow, and that I'll probably sleep in the office, like I do when I visit alone. That's fine. Whatever works for them. I'm just looking forward to seeing the Cape May side of the family for the first time since Christmas Eve.
I talked to Mom so long, I ended up having to rush lunch and was almost late for work! Thank goodness work was busy, but otherwise not as much of a pain as the last few days. The 4 for 20 meat sale stopped working briefly mid-way through my shift, but they did get it fixed. Other than that, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
New Sci-Fi Tales of the Old West
Started off a lovely, warm, surprisingly dry morning with the American Top 40. We ram headlong into 1985 as pop, jazz, ballads, and dance music took us into summer. Hits from early June included "Smooth Operator" by Debarge, "Ssudieo" by Phil Collins, "Heaven" by Brian Adams, "Angel" by Madonna, "(Don't You) Forget About Me" by Simple Minds, the lovely "Suddenly" by Howard Jones, "Everything She Wants" by Wham!, and "Axel F," the theme from the first Beverly Hills Cop movie, by Harold Faltermeyer.
That week's #1 was one of my favorite songs from childhood. I still associate it with villains of any stripe to this day - Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
My first stop this morning was the Logan Presbyterian Church Thrift Shop. I had my first bag of donations to bring there since mid-March, including my old DVD player. They had lots of new things I hadn't seen before, including boxes of new videos. I ended up with five videos:
Two more movies in the Thin Man Series, The Thin Man Goes Home and Shadow of the Thin Man
The unusual western musical Red Garters with Rosemary Clooney.
Two classic English mysteries, the early Hitchcock tale The Lady Vanishes, and the second 70s all-star Agatha Christie adaptation Death On the Nile.
I found the video for the early 70s Muppet special Hey Cinderella! in the children's room. I saw the other Muppet fairy tale specials The Muppet Musicians of Bremen and The Frog Prince frequently on cable in the 80s and early 90s, but I don't remember catching this one.
It's just as well that I did so well at the Thrift Shop. I only saw one yard sale in Collingswood, and they had nothing interesting. I went right on to the Farm Market. The summer harvests are starting to make their debut. I saw cucumbers and blueberries for the first time today and got some of both, along with cherries, orange honey, zucchini, and organic romaine lettuce. It's a good thing more fruit is starting to appear. I heard one farmer say this is the last week for strawberries. The final pint was sold as I bought my honey; good thing I have plenty leftover from last week.
Went straight home afterwards. Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon baking Blueberry Muffins and watching Cowboys and Aliens. Oh boy, was this a weird one. A lone man (Daniel Craig) awakens in 1873 Montana to find that he has no memory of who he is or how he ended up a with a huge wound and a strange metal cuff on his hand. He tries to hit the nearest town, Absolution, for medical attention, but only gets in trouble with the local cattle baron Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Dolarhyde discovers he's a bandit and is about to have him strung up when suddenly, a fleet of spaceships rocket out of nowhere, destroy much of the town, and rope people into their ships. Those who remain, including a lovely young woman (Olivia Wilde) with mysteries of her own, go out in search of these strange creatures who don't seem to be quite of this earth.
I did end up enjoying it. Craig and Ford played well off each other, and I like how everyone, Indians, cowboys, pacifists, war-mongers, outlaws, women, and kids, all ended up banding together to stop this strange menace from the stars. (Note that I don't use the word "alien." Neither do they. Science fiction wouldn't really become a popular genre for another couple of decades or so.) The creatures are very well done and VERY scary-looking. There's a bit of blood, too, though not enough to make gag reflexes kick in. Just blending two very different genres may make this too odd for most people, and the aliens were a bit too gross for my taste, but if you like westerns, alien invasion tales, Craig, or Ford, you may find this to be your cup of sarsaparilla.
I ran some of the Garfield Travel Adventures specials before heading to work. Work was a pain. We had long lines all day, and plenty of cranky people. I was very happy to get out of there. Finished out the specials while having leftovers for dinner.
Started off a lovely, warm, surprisingly dry morning with the American Top 40. We ram headlong into 1985 as pop, jazz, ballads, and dance music took us into summer. Hits from early June included "Smooth Operator" by Debarge, "Ssudieo" by Phil Collins, "Heaven" by Brian Adams, "Angel" by Madonna, "(Don't You) Forget About Me" by Simple Minds, the lovely "Suddenly" by Howard Jones, "Everything She Wants" by Wham!, and "Axel F," the theme from the first Beverly Hills Cop movie, by Harold Faltermeyer.
That week's #1 was one of my favorite songs from childhood. I still associate it with villains of any stripe to this day - Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
My first stop this morning was the Logan Presbyterian Church Thrift Shop. I had my first bag of donations to bring there since mid-March, including my old DVD player. They had lots of new things I hadn't seen before, including boxes of new videos. I ended up with five videos:
Two more movies in the Thin Man Series, The Thin Man Goes Home and Shadow of the Thin Man
The unusual western musical Red Garters with Rosemary Clooney.
Two classic English mysteries, the early Hitchcock tale The Lady Vanishes, and the second 70s all-star Agatha Christie adaptation Death On the Nile.
I found the video for the early 70s Muppet special Hey Cinderella! in the children's room. I saw the other Muppet fairy tale specials The Muppet Musicians of Bremen and The Frog Prince frequently on cable in the 80s and early 90s, but I don't remember catching this one.
It's just as well that I did so well at the Thrift Shop. I only saw one yard sale in Collingswood, and they had nothing interesting. I went right on to the Farm Market. The summer harvests are starting to make their debut. I saw cucumbers and blueberries for the first time today and got some of both, along with cherries, orange honey, zucchini, and organic romaine lettuce. It's a good thing more fruit is starting to appear. I heard one farmer say this is the last week for strawberries. The final pint was sold as I bought my honey; good thing I have plenty leftover from last week.
Went straight home afterwards. Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon baking Blueberry Muffins and watching Cowboys and Aliens. Oh boy, was this a weird one. A lone man (Daniel Craig) awakens in 1873 Montana to find that he has no memory of who he is or how he ended up a with a huge wound and a strange metal cuff on his hand. He tries to hit the nearest town, Absolution, for medical attention, but only gets in trouble with the local cattle baron Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Dolarhyde discovers he's a bandit and is about to have him strung up when suddenly, a fleet of spaceships rocket out of nowhere, destroy much of the town, and rope people into their ships. Those who remain, including a lovely young woman (Olivia Wilde) with mysteries of her own, go out in search of these strange creatures who don't seem to be quite of this earth.
I did end up enjoying it. Craig and Ford played well off each other, and I like how everyone, Indians, cowboys, pacifists, war-mongers, outlaws, women, and kids, all ended up banding together to stop this strange menace from the stars. (Note that I don't use the word "alien." Neither do they. Science fiction wouldn't really become a popular genre for another couple of decades or so.) The creatures are very well done and VERY scary-looking. There's a bit of blood, too, though not enough to make gag reflexes kick in. Just blending two very different genres may make this too odd for most people, and the aliens were a bit too gross for my taste, but if you like westerns, alien invasion tales, Craig, or Ford, you may find this to be your cup of sarsaparilla.
I ran some of the Garfield Travel Adventures specials before heading to work. Work was a pain. We had long lines all day, and plenty of cranky people. I was very happy to get out of there. Finished out the specials while having leftovers for dinner.
Friday, June 08, 2012
Music, Mystery, and Meddling Kids
Started off a gorgeous, sunny morning with Scooby Doo and the Music of the Vampires. In one of the strangest animated movies Mystery Inc has ever done, Velma brings the gang to a vampire convention that's under attack by an anti-supernatural southern bigwig looking to get into politics. And he's the least of their problems. The sponsor of the convention is low on money. His books on "old-fashioned" vampires aren't selling in the wake of newer-style, more romantic horror tales, and he badly needs this to be a success to pay off the woman who owns the midway. When he brings the kids to a performance by a stage troupe which is more-or-less a vampire cult, their over-dramatic show seems to bring a real vampire to life...and he wants Daphne for his bride! Meanwhile, Shaggy thinks he's been bitten by a vampire and goes into hiding and Freddie is hell-bent on being the next great vampire hunter. And yes, everyone sings, including the members of Mystery Inc.
This is a very odd attempt to send up two genres that are inexplicably popular with modern teenagers - the musical and romantic horror like the Twilight series. It didn't really work. Not only are both obvious and frequently-hit targets, but the music is unmemorable, and just doesn't sound right coming from Shaggy and Scooby. Not to mention, there's the stage troupe that insist on "living" their roles as vampires. And the kids are right - the set-up is too elaborate for words, or even for this particular cartoon. I don't recommend this one unless you or your kids are big Scooby fans and must see all the movies. Try the earlier movies or the cartoon sets first.
Went to the gym after the movie was over. I had a nice, sweaty 20-minute run on the elliptical machine. I saw a familiar face on Channel 3's Talk Philly show as I puffed. Peter Tork was one of the people interviewed today. I wish I could have heard what they said, but I didn't rent earphones. I know they did show segments from the original Monkees TV show and a few concerts.
After the gym, I went straight to work. I badly needed my paycheck and to do this week's grocery shopping. I had no sugar or buttermilk left, and my powdered sugar was low, too. I found shrimp on sale (the only meat I bought this week). I had coupons for Craisins, Smart Balance spread, and applesauce. There were good sales on eggs and Acme's generic "Essential Everyday" Honey Bunches of Oats, and I treated myself to another bag of those limited edition mint-dark-chocolate chips.
After I got home, I unloaded everything and had a quick lunch, then made a quick errand run around the neighborhood. A brief stop at Doria's Deli revealed the last of their 69 cent muffin cups had been purchased yesterday. Oh well. I'd have to get them at the Acme. I hurried off to the bank to deposit my paycheck, then to WaWa for skim milk and a pretzel.
I hung out and listened to music until it was time to go to work. Work was busy all night, but thankfully, other than some annoying beginning-of-the-month people, there were no major problems. I got out with enough time to pick up those muffin cups and something else I forgot when I was at the Acme earlier.
And I have a much better schedule this week, the best I've had in months. Tuesday and Thursday off, nothing earlier than 1 or later than 7:30. Good. I'll still be able to get some things done.
Started off a gorgeous, sunny morning with Scooby Doo and the Music of the Vampires. In one of the strangest animated movies Mystery Inc has ever done, Velma brings the gang to a vampire convention that's under attack by an anti-supernatural southern bigwig looking to get into politics. And he's the least of their problems. The sponsor of the convention is low on money. His books on "old-fashioned" vampires aren't selling in the wake of newer-style, more romantic horror tales, and he badly needs this to be a success to pay off the woman who owns the midway. When he brings the kids to a performance by a stage troupe which is more-or-less a vampire cult, their over-dramatic show seems to bring a real vampire to life...and he wants Daphne for his bride! Meanwhile, Shaggy thinks he's been bitten by a vampire and goes into hiding and Freddie is hell-bent on being the next great vampire hunter. And yes, everyone sings, including the members of Mystery Inc.
This is a very odd attempt to send up two genres that are inexplicably popular with modern teenagers - the musical and romantic horror like the Twilight series. It didn't really work. Not only are both obvious and frequently-hit targets, but the music is unmemorable, and just doesn't sound right coming from Shaggy and Scooby. Not to mention, there's the stage troupe that insist on "living" their roles as vampires. And the kids are right - the set-up is too elaborate for words, or even for this particular cartoon. I don't recommend this one unless you or your kids are big Scooby fans and must see all the movies. Try the earlier movies or the cartoon sets first.
Went to the gym after the movie was over. I had a nice, sweaty 20-minute run on the elliptical machine. I saw a familiar face on Channel 3's Talk Philly show as I puffed. Peter Tork was one of the people interviewed today. I wish I could have heard what they said, but I didn't rent earphones. I know they did show segments from the original Monkees TV show and a few concerts.
After the gym, I went straight to work. I badly needed my paycheck and to do this week's grocery shopping. I had no sugar or buttermilk left, and my powdered sugar was low, too. I found shrimp on sale (the only meat I bought this week). I had coupons for Craisins, Smart Balance spread, and applesauce. There were good sales on eggs and Acme's generic "Essential Everyday" Honey Bunches of Oats, and I treated myself to another bag of those limited edition mint-dark-chocolate chips.
After I got home, I unloaded everything and had a quick lunch, then made a quick errand run around the neighborhood. A brief stop at Doria's Deli revealed the last of their 69 cent muffin cups had been purchased yesterday. Oh well. I'd have to get them at the Acme. I hurried off to the bank to deposit my paycheck, then to WaWa for skim milk and a pretzel.
I hung out and listened to music until it was time to go to work. Work was busy all night, but thankfully, other than some annoying beginning-of-the-month people, there were no major problems. I got out with enough time to pick up those muffin cups and something else I forgot when I was at the Acme earlier.
And I have a much better schedule this week, the best I've had in months. Tuesday and Thursday off, nothing earlier than 1 or later than 7:30. Good. I'll still be able to get some things done.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Balance and the Family Get-Together
I slept until nearly 10, then had a late breakfast and finished the Scooby Doo cartoons. While the majority of the episodes on the Around the World set came from The Scooby Doo Show, a couple came from it's late-70s follow up that introduced Scrappy Doo, and the last was from the early 80s New Scooby Doo Mysteries featuring Scrappy, Scooby, and the gang. Scrappy doesn't bother me, but I know how other people feel about him, so if you have problems with him you might want to stay clear of some of the shows on the second disc.
Scrappy did figure into one of my favorite episodes on the second disc, the New Scooby Doo Mysteries two-parter "The Ghost of the Ancient Astronauts." You read the title right. Velma's archeologist Uncle Cosmo discovers a jewel that will lead to a treasure guarded by the ghosts of thousand-year-old astronauts. A female smuggler and her men are after the jewel and the treasure, too. Mystery Inc finally solves the case...with a little unexpected help from space creatures! (And yes, it does feel like George Lucas saw it before making Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.)
Another good one was the earlier "The Ozark Witch Switch" from the mid-70s show. The gang take shelter from a storm in a cabin that belongs to a family of hillbillies. They believe the ancestress of their feuding ancestors has come back to life to turn them into frogs. They seem to be right, until Scooby and the gang find out what she's really after.
I finally headed out around 12:30. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteer session there. It was fairly busy despite being a gorgeous day. The big clouds in the sky were holding off, leaving sunshine and fresh wind. I had other things to do today, so I just did a quick check on the DVDs and organized the children's picture books.
It was a lovely day for a ride to Haddonfield. The back bike tire had been rubbing against the frame ever since Richard changed my tire last month. He said he thought he might have knocked it out of alignment. After several wrong turns, I finally made it to King's Highway and the Freestyle Bike Shop. The boy needed all of a few seconds to tighten the tire. (The back tire is really too wide, but it was the only tire I could find when I changed it.) A little oil, and I was on my way.
I had expected fixing the bike to take a LOT longer. I had more time for a decent lunch. The trouble was, I didn't have a lot of money on me, especially if I wanted to do yoga later. I rode down Haddon Avenue. Checked a nice little coffee shop with lots of people eating outside, but they had $6.40 for a slice of quiche! No way. Maybe on a day when I had money to burn. I moved on and over the train bridge into less-tony Westmont.
Most of the restaurants in Westmont are attached to bars. Westmont is one of the few towns in this area that allows liquor. (In fact, the only other one is Oaklyn.) I did finally find three in the same strip mall as the Yogo Factory. Opted for the pizzeria, Finzio's. They were pretty much a smaller version of Tu Se Bella in Audubon, with slices of gourmet pizza tantalizingly calling on the counter and seating in front and to the side.
I sat in the seat directly behind the TV. Ordered a slice of white pizza with orange-ish chicken and peppers and a large bottle of water. I ended up needing the water. That chicken was HOT! And I don't mean temperature-hot. I mean melt-your-mouth-kill-your-tongue SPICY! I hate spicy food. Turns out it was buffalo chicken. I picked it off and hastily ate the rest.
Good thing I planned on visiting Primo's Water Ice on the next block anyway. A small chocolate-peanut butter cup went a long way to soothing my fiery mouth and running nose. I love their water ice, and this one was divine, nice and soothingly chocolatey, with real chunks of peanut butter. The girl at the counter said the director of the movie Tuesday at Morrie's once tried some and loved it.
After a quick stop at Walgreens', I moved on to the Collingswood Library for some more volunteering. This time, there wasn't much to do. I shelved a Wii title and a few movies. School was out by then, and there were a lot of people around, too many to get much else done. I browsed in a guide book on New York City until it was time for yoga.
I enjoyed yoga class today. It was a smaller class today, only five people with the teacher Lee, and two were new. We concentrated on basic standing and balancing poses. I really like the afternoon Basic and Gentle classes better. It's easier to concentrate when there's fewer people in the room, and going slower makes it more intense. I never sweat this much in the morning classes! I had a nice chat with Lee after class about getting out of the Acme and trying to meet people, too.
Dad had called during my class. I called him back while I was outside, but got the answering machine. I decided to swing by Uncle Ken's house anyway. I hadn't seen him and Jodie in a while. I rode through Newton River Park, enjoying the lovely weather. I dodged dog-walkers and teenagers on their way home from sports practices.
Dad, Jodie, Rose, and Khai were all in the driveway when I arrived. Dad and Jodie were having pizza, and Rose and Khai were visiting. Did I want to join them? Sure, why not? I didn't have any big dinner plans. We chatted over pizza and mozerella sticks. Khai went in the pool for a little while. Dad opened the pool last week, and it's still really cold, barely in the 70s. Khai had a wonderful time splashing about, but his lips were blue when his mother and grandmother finally pulled him out. We warmed him up over slices of mushroom and cheese and episodes of Team Umazoomi and Jeopardy!
I finally left after Jeopardy! They mentioned during the show that a thunderstorm was headed this way. Indeed, there were dark clouds rushing in, even as I swiftly got my bike home. Someone must have read the radar wrong. At press time, I haven't seen anything but clouds and wind.
I slept until nearly 10, then had a late breakfast and finished the Scooby Doo cartoons. While the majority of the episodes on the Around the World set came from The Scooby Doo Show, a couple came from it's late-70s follow up that introduced Scrappy Doo, and the last was from the early 80s New Scooby Doo Mysteries featuring Scrappy, Scooby, and the gang. Scrappy doesn't bother me, but I know how other people feel about him, so if you have problems with him you might want to stay clear of some of the shows on the second disc.
Scrappy did figure into one of my favorite episodes on the second disc, the New Scooby Doo Mysteries two-parter "The Ghost of the Ancient Astronauts." You read the title right. Velma's archeologist Uncle Cosmo discovers a jewel that will lead to a treasure guarded by the ghosts of thousand-year-old astronauts. A female smuggler and her men are after the jewel and the treasure, too. Mystery Inc finally solves the case...with a little unexpected help from space creatures! (And yes, it does feel like George Lucas saw it before making Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.)
Another good one was the earlier "The Ozark Witch Switch" from the mid-70s show. The gang take shelter from a storm in a cabin that belongs to a family of hillbillies. They believe the ancestress of their feuding ancestors has come back to life to turn them into frogs. They seem to be right, until Scooby and the gang find out what she's really after.
I finally headed out around 12:30. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteer session there. It was fairly busy despite being a gorgeous day. The big clouds in the sky were holding off, leaving sunshine and fresh wind. I had other things to do today, so I just did a quick check on the DVDs and organized the children's picture books.
It was a lovely day for a ride to Haddonfield. The back bike tire had been rubbing against the frame ever since Richard changed my tire last month. He said he thought he might have knocked it out of alignment. After several wrong turns, I finally made it to King's Highway and the Freestyle Bike Shop. The boy needed all of a few seconds to tighten the tire. (The back tire is really too wide, but it was the only tire I could find when I changed it.) A little oil, and I was on my way.
I had expected fixing the bike to take a LOT longer. I had more time for a decent lunch. The trouble was, I didn't have a lot of money on me, especially if I wanted to do yoga later. I rode down Haddon Avenue. Checked a nice little coffee shop with lots of people eating outside, but they had $6.40 for a slice of quiche! No way. Maybe on a day when I had money to burn. I moved on and over the train bridge into less-tony Westmont.
Most of the restaurants in Westmont are attached to bars. Westmont is one of the few towns in this area that allows liquor. (In fact, the only other one is Oaklyn.) I did finally find three in the same strip mall as the Yogo Factory. Opted for the pizzeria, Finzio's. They were pretty much a smaller version of Tu Se Bella in Audubon, with slices of gourmet pizza tantalizingly calling on the counter and seating in front and to the side.
I sat in the seat directly behind the TV. Ordered a slice of white pizza with orange-ish chicken and peppers and a large bottle of water. I ended up needing the water. That chicken was HOT! And I don't mean temperature-hot. I mean melt-your-mouth-kill-your-tongue SPICY! I hate spicy food. Turns out it was buffalo chicken. I picked it off and hastily ate the rest.
Good thing I planned on visiting Primo's Water Ice on the next block anyway. A small chocolate-peanut butter cup went a long way to soothing my fiery mouth and running nose. I love their water ice, and this one was divine, nice and soothingly chocolatey, with real chunks of peanut butter. The girl at the counter said the director of the movie Tuesday at Morrie's once tried some and loved it.
After a quick stop at Walgreens', I moved on to the Collingswood Library for some more volunteering. This time, there wasn't much to do. I shelved a Wii title and a few movies. School was out by then, and there were a lot of people around, too many to get much else done. I browsed in a guide book on New York City until it was time for yoga.
I enjoyed yoga class today. It was a smaller class today, only five people with the teacher Lee, and two were new. We concentrated on basic standing and balancing poses. I really like the afternoon Basic and Gentle classes better. It's easier to concentrate when there's fewer people in the room, and going slower makes it more intense. I never sweat this much in the morning classes! I had a nice chat with Lee after class about getting out of the Acme and trying to meet people, too.
Dad had called during my class. I called him back while I was outside, but got the answering machine. I decided to swing by Uncle Ken's house anyway. I hadn't seen him and Jodie in a while. I rode through Newton River Park, enjoying the lovely weather. I dodged dog-walkers and teenagers on their way home from sports practices.
Dad, Jodie, Rose, and Khai were all in the driveway when I arrived. Dad and Jodie were having pizza, and Rose and Khai were visiting. Did I want to join them? Sure, why not? I didn't have any big dinner plans. We chatted over pizza and mozerella sticks. Khai went in the pool for a little while. Dad opened the pool last week, and it's still really cold, barely in the 70s. Khai had a wonderful time splashing about, but his lips were blue when his mother and grandmother finally pulled him out. We warmed him up over slices of mushroom and cheese and episodes of Team Umazoomi and Jeopardy!
I finally left after Jeopardy! They mentioned during the show that a thunderstorm was headed this way. Indeed, there were dark clouds rushing in, even as I swiftly got my bike home. Someone must have read the radar wrong. At press time, I haven't seen anything but clouds and wind.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
The Dog, the Kids, and the Witches
I ran more Scooby Doo as I had breakfast and got ready to head out late this morning. I didn't have to work until 5:30, so there was plenty of time to do what I had to do. Of course, I lost my keys and ended up spending twenty minutes looking for them. I can't lose my keys. Miss Ellie had the other set of house keys, and she's not there anymore. I have no idea if Andrew knows where they are in her house, or when Andrew and Linda are at their home a few blocks down. I eventually found them in the pocket of the capris I wore yesterday. Boy, do I still feel silly.
I lost so much time, I opted to move the planned run to the Oaklyn Library tomorrow and just did the other two errands I needed to get done. The first was a really big one. When I was on vacation, I got a form from the insurance company that said they couldn't process my claim for the orthopedics until they had more information. I needed the doctor to do the other side of the papers. Trouble is, the Camden County Foot and Ankle Center moved to Haddon Heights in December. Between my vacation and them being farther away, I'd just put off going up there.
Turns out the Foot and Ankle Center moved into the same building as Haddon Imaging, where I rode last fall to see if they'd check out my foot. I found them easily once I knew where to look. The lobby alone was twice the size of the one in Oaklyn - no wonder they moved. Caroline the receptionist let me sign my part right there in the lobby. She said all Dr. Berlin needed to do was sign it, and she'd fill out the rest. She swore she'd send it out tomorrow and my orthopedics would arrive in a few weeks.
Rode straight to Lucile Roberts in Audubon for my first gym session this week. It was really, really quiet when I came in and did my 20 minutes on the stationary bike. By the time I was finishing on the leg weight machines, there were a few people in the weight machine area and no one on the cardio machines. I'll have to remember to come to the gym in mid-afternoon more often.
After I finished, I went home to have leftovers for lunch, bake Ginger Cookies (made with fruit concentrate and applesauce), and watch Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster. The second Cartoon Network-made live-action Scooby film takes the gang to Daphne's playboy uncle's (Ted McGinty) country club, where they all have jobs for the summer. A monster in the lake by the club appears and scares off all the guests, and may force the closure of the club...and the loss of the kids' jobs...if they don't find out what's really behind its appearance. Meanwhile, the kids are remembering they're teenagers with raging hormones. As in the current animated version, Daphne and Fred are chasing each other, Shaggy's chasing Velma, and Scooby's just wishes Shaggy would notice him. Velma's acting peculiar, even for her, and her behavior may be the key to finding out what the lake monster is and who controls it.
I was impressed. This was a really cute movie, and the closest to the cartoon of the four live-action Scooby Doo films. A leap ahead of the original Cartoon Network film, and more fun than either of the theatrical Scooby movies, too. For one thing, this is only about the second or third time in the entire Scooby franchise I've seen a story revolve around Velma, one of my favorite characters. (I'm also fond of Shaggy and Scooby.) Shaggy's fantasies of wooing Velma were totally adorable. I loved his vaudevillian "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," complete with barbershop quartet and Velma in a fancy dress and parasol. There were lots of gags from the original show incorporated (look for the famous in-and-out-of-doors routine towards the end). The music video representing the styles of 1969 through the early 90s at the end had nothing to do with anything but was enjoyable anyway. I still say you're better off with the original cartoon to introduce kids to Scooby, but if you or your kids ever catch this on DVD or Cartoon Network, you could do far worse.
Ran off to work as soon as the cookies were out of the oven. Work was busy for most of the night; we're still in the beginning of the month. Alas, I had to deal with some fairly obnoxious people. One woman gave me such a hard time over a meat sale and a sale on soda, even the people behind her complained. Another group bickered loudly the entire time they were in the store. They called a truce on the noise after they got up to me, but they were still sniping at each other. Thank heavens I didn't have many hours anyway and was able to get off with no problems.
I ran more Scooby Doo as I had breakfast and got ready to head out late this morning. I didn't have to work until 5:30, so there was plenty of time to do what I had to do. Of course, I lost my keys and ended up spending twenty minutes looking for them. I can't lose my keys. Miss Ellie had the other set of house keys, and she's not there anymore. I have no idea if Andrew knows where they are in her house, or when Andrew and Linda are at their home a few blocks down. I eventually found them in the pocket of the capris I wore yesterday. Boy, do I still feel silly.
I lost so much time, I opted to move the planned run to the Oaklyn Library tomorrow and just did the other two errands I needed to get done. The first was a really big one. When I was on vacation, I got a form from the insurance company that said they couldn't process my claim for the orthopedics until they had more information. I needed the doctor to do the other side of the papers. Trouble is, the Camden County Foot and Ankle Center moved to Haddon Heights in December. Between my vacation and them being farther away, I'd just put off going up there.
Turns out the Foot and Ankle Center moved into the same building as Haddon Imaging, where I rode last fall to see if they'd check out my foot. I found them easily once I knew where to look. The lobby alone was twice the size of the one in Oaklyn - no wonder they moved. Caroline the receptionist let me sign my part right there in the lobby. She said all Dr. Berlin needed to do was sign it, and she'd fill out the rest. She swore she'd send it out tomorrow and my orthopedics would arrive in a few weeks.
Rode straight to Lucile Roberts in Audubon for my first gym session this week. It was really, really quiet when I came in and did my 20 minutes on the stationary bike. By the time I was finishing on the leg weight machines, there were a few people in the weight machine area and no one on the cardio machines. I'll have to remember to come to the gym in mid-afternoon more often.
After I finished, I went home to have leftovers for lunch, bake Ginger Cookies (made with fruit concentrate and applesauce), and watch Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster. The second Cartoon Network-made live-action Scooby film takes the gang to Daphne's playboy uncle's (Ted McGinty) country club, where they all have jobs for the summer. A monster in the lake by the club appears and scares off all the guests, and may force the closure of the club...and the loss of the kids' jobs...if they don't find out what's really behind its appearance. Meanwhile, the kids are remembering they're teenagers with raging hormones. As in the current animated version, Daphne and Fred are chasing each other, Shaggy's chasing Velma, and Scooby's just wishes Shaggy would notice him. Velma's acting peculiar, even for her, and her behavior may be the key to finding out what the lake monster is and who controls it.
I was impressed. This was a really cute movie, and the closest to the cartoon of the four live-action Scooby Doo films. A leap ahead of the original Cartoon Network film, and more fun than either of the theatrical Scooby movies, too. For one thing, this is only about the second or third time in the entire Scooby franchise I've seen a story revolve around Velma, one of my favorite characters. (I'm also fond of Shaggy and Scooby.) Shaggy's fantasies of wooing Velma were totally adorable. I loved his vaudevillian "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," complete with barbershop quartet and Velma in a fancy dress and parasol. There were lots of gags from the original show incorporated (look for the famous in-and-out-of-doors routine towards the end). The music video representing the styles of 1969 through the early 90s at the end had nothing to do with anything but was enjoyable anyway. I still say you're better off with the original cartoon to introduce kids to Scooby, but if you or your kids ever catch this on DVD or Cartoon Network, you could do far worse.
Ran off to work as soon as the cookies were out of the oven. Work was busy for most of the night; we're still in the beginning of the month. Alas, I had to deal with some fairly obnoxious people. One woman gave me such a hard time over a meat sale and a sale on soda, even the people behind her complained. Another group bickered loudly the entire time they were in the store. They called a truce on the noise after they got up to me, but they were still sniping at each other. Thank heavens I didn't have many hours anyway and was able to get off with no problems.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Miss Redmer Meets the Mummy...and the Comedians
Though it was nicer today than it has been, in the lower 60s and sunny, I opted to start out the morning by working on the inventories in the apartment and doing some online stuff. I had the last of the Spring Pasta and Mussels Salad on a bed of organic green lettuce for lunch while finishing That's Entertainment. After that ended, I rounded up a bag of books, CDs, videos, and the Oklahoma! DVD I didn't need to bring to the Haddon Township Library.
It was windy and off-and-on cloudy for most of the day. Many people took advantage of the lack of actual rain to head into Newton River Park. I dodged dog walkers (including one with the cutest little puppy, a slender white critter with light brown spots), parents pushing their children in strollers, and a mother teaching her son to fish.
The Haddon Township Library was pretty busy by the time I finally made it there. The kids were just out of school and clamoring for books and DVDs. One little boy needed help finding SpongeBob Square Pants. A slightly older boy requested Goosebumps. There were almost no kids' books to shelve, but I did have lots of DVDs to put away.
For the first time in months, I took out a pile of DVDs myself. In addition to Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster (which I never got to last week), I took out Cowboys & Aliens, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, a set of Scooby Doo cartoons with an around-the-world theme, and the newest Scooby Doo animated film, Scooby Doo: Music of the Vampire. Yes, it's a musical, and I'm still willing to take my chances.
After I left the library, I rode across the street to the Westmont Plaza. My main stop was JoAnn's. I came up with an idea to spruce up the exterior of my apartment. I thought I'd try painting a couple of wooden plaques and hanging them as "Welcome to the Riverside Rest" signs the siding next to my front door. I couldn't find any large wood pieces that would work. Two thinner ones shaped like plaques would have to do. I also bought more acrylic paints, these earth-toned.
Made a quick stop at Super Fresh but couldn't find what I was looking for. I was originally going to run more errands, but the traffic on Cuthbert Road and the White Horse Pike was horrible, the wind was picking up, and the clouds were beginning to look more like yesterday' dark gray puffs. I just rode home.
It was so chilly, I was able to make baked spiral ham, mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed asparagus without making my apartment the least bit warm. Ran Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy as I prepared dinner. The final Universal film of the 40s and 50s' favorite wise-cracking, monster-chasing comic duo takes them to Egypt, where they're photographers hoping to make a quick buck. Freddie (Lou Costello) finds the corpse of a professor who recently discovered a mummy that may be cursed. His pal Pete (Bud Abbott) doesn't believe him...until he sees the corpse and ends up blamed for his murder. Meanwhile, Freddie ends up with the medallion that may be the key to getting past the Mummy and to the fabulous treasure he guards. A group of smugglers want the treasure and mummy to sell; cultists want the medallion to keep the mummy alive and guarding the princess and her hoard. Pete and Freddie do their best to outwit both groups, avoid the reanimated mummy, stay alive, and make a heap of cash besides.
Abbott and Costello are one of the few major "Golden Age of Hollywood" comic acts I don't own in any form. I do like them, especially their famous series of horror spoofs. I just haven't gotten around to getting their films yet. This is the last of the series; their vogue was winding down, having been replaced by younger, hipper comics like Martin and Lewis. While not the funniest movie they ever did, there's some nice bits, including their interplay with the shovels and the smugglers x-ray-ing Lou.
Switched to the first three episodes on the Scooby Doo cartoon set while cleaning up from dinner. Much to my surprise, all three shows were from the mid-70s The Scooby Doo Show. For kids who grew up in the 70s and 80s, this is probably the incarnation of Scooby they know best. It's pretty much the same formula as the original - kids, dog, ghosts who turn out to be local criminals - in more exotic locations. "The Fiesta Host Is an Aztec Ghost" takes the gang to Mexico, where they solve the mystery of a giant Aztec statue who has been terrorizing a Mayan temple. "The Spirits of '76" returns them to the US to explore the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. When they're accidentally locked in, they discover a plot to steal money from the US Mint.
My favorite was the genuinely creepy "The Harum Scarum Sanitarium." Lost near the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the members of Mystery Inc. find themselves in a sanitarium that was once owned by a mad doctor who used organ music to control animals. While the boys dodge the ghost of the mad scientist, the girls try to figure out why those patients are going out in an ambulance in the middle of the night, and how the ambulance keeps disappearing. Not only was this the scariest episode hands down, but it was nice to see Fred end up chasing Shaggy and Scooby and their appetites for once, instead of one of the girls.
Though it was nicer today than it has been, in the lower 60s and sunny, I opted to start out the morning by working on the inventories in the apartment and doing some online stuff. I had the last of the Spring Pasta and Mussels Salad on a bed of organic green lettuce for lunch while finishing That's Entertainment. After that ended, I rounded up a bag of books, CDs, videos, and the Oklahoma! DVD I didn't need to bring to the Haddon Township Library.
It was windy and off-and-on cloudy for most of the day. Many people took advantage of the lack of actual rain to head into Newton River Park. I dodged dog walkers (including one with the cutest little puppy, a slender white critter with light brown spots), parents pushing their children in strollers, and a mother teaching her son to fish.
The Haddon Township Library was pretty busy by the time I finally made it there. The kids were just out of school and clamoring for books and DVDs. One little boy needed help finding SpongeBob Square Pants. A slightly older boy requested Goosebumps. There were almost no kids' books to shelve, but I did have lots of DVDs to put away.
For the first time in months, I took out a pile of DVDs myself. In addition to Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster (which I never got to last week), I took out Cowboys & Aliens, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, a set of Scooby Doo cartoons with an around-the-world theme, and the newest Scooby Doo animated film, Scooby Doo: Music of the Vampire. Yes, it's a musical, and I'm still willing to take my chances.
After I left the library, I rode across the street to the Westmont Plaza. My main stop was JoAnn's. I came up with an idea to spruce up the exterior of my apartment. I thought I'd try painting a couple of wooden plaques and hanging them as "Welcome to the Riverside Rest" signs the siding next to my front door. I couldn't find any large wood pieces that would work. Two thinner ones shaped like plaques would have to do. I also bought more acrylic paints, these earth-toned.
Made a quick stop at Super Fresh but couldn't find what I was looking for. I was originally going to run more errands, but the traffic on Cuthbert Road and the White Horse Pike was horrible, the wind was picking up, and the clouds were beginning to look more like yesterday' dark gray puffs. I just rode home.
It was so chilly, I was able to make baked spiral ham, mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed asparagus without making my apartment the least bit warm. Ran Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy as I prepared dinner. The final Universal film of the 40s and 50s' favorite wise-cracking, monster-chasing comic duo takes them to Egypt, where they're photographers hoping to make a quick buck. Freddie (Lou Costello) finds the corpse of a professor who recently discovered a mummy that may be cursed. His pal Pete (Bud Abbott) doesn't believe him...until he sees the corpse and ends up blamed for his murder. Meanwhile, Freddie ends up with the medallion that may be the key to getting past the Mummy and to the fabulous treasure he guards. A group of smugglers want the treasure and mummy to sell; cultists want the medallion to keep the mummy alive and guarding the princess and her hoard. Pete and Freddie do their best to outwit both groups, avoid the reanimated mummy, stay alive, and make a heap of cash besides.
Abbott and Costello are one of the few major "Golden Age of Hollywood" comic acts I don't own in any form. I do like them, especially their famous series of horror spoofs. I just haven't gotten around to getting their films yet. This is the last of the series; their vogue was winding down, having been replaced by younger, hipper comics like Martin and Lewis. While not the funniest movie they ever did, there's some nice bits, including their interplay with the shovels and the smugglers x-ray-ing Lou.
Switched to the first three episodes on the Scooby Doo cartoon set while cleaning up from dinner. Much to my surprise, all three shows were from the mid-70s The Scooby Doo Show. For kids who grew up in the 70s and 80s, this is probably the incarnation of Scooby they know best. It's pretty much the same formula as the original - kids, dog, ghosts who turn out to be local criminals - in more exotic locations. "The Fiesta Host Is an Aztec Ghost" takes the gang to Mexico, where they solve the mystery of a giant Aztec statue who has been terrorizing a Mayan temple. "The Spirits of '76" returns them to the US to explore the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. When they're accidentally locked in, they discover a plot to steal money from the US Mint.
My favorite was the genuinely creepy "The Harum Scarum Sanitarium." Lost near the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the members of Mystery Inc. find themselves in a sanitarium that was once owned by a mad doctor who used organ music to control animals. While the boys dodge the ghost of the mad scientist, the girls try to figure out why those patients are going out in an ambulance in the middle of the night, and how the ambulance keeps disappearing. Not only was this the scariest episode hands down, but it was nice to see Fred end up chasing Shaggy and Scooby and their appetites for once, instead of one of the girls.
Monday, June 04, 2012
Rain On, Rain Off
I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind. It's rained on and off the entire day. I ran That's Entertainment as I had Cheerios and a half of a grapefruit for breakfast. It did shower for a little while, but it slowed down long enough for me to head to the laundromat around quarter of noon.
The laundromat wasn't too bad. It was busy when I got there, but down to one or two people when I left. The weather may have had something to do with it. I was reading and only half-listening to Family Feud when I turned to look out the back door...and saw rain coming down in buckets. Thankfully, that lasted for about five minutes before the sun came out again. I got myself and the laundry home dry.
I ran the soundtrack for That's Entertainment Part 2 while putting my laundry away. I had just enough time after I finished to have the last of yesterday's wrap for lunch, change into my uniform, pack dinner, and head out the door. It was showering when I left, of course. I did get a little wet, but I wasn't dripping.
Work was, once again, busy all night. We're still in the beginning of the month, which means we're still dealing with a lot of annoying people. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad. It wasn't raining when I headed out; I don't know if it rained while I was in work. At press time, it hasn't rained again.
I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind. It's rained on and off the entire day. I ran That's Entertainment as I had Cheerios and a half of a grapefruit for breakfast. It did shower for a little while, but it slowed down long enough for me to head to the laundromat around quarter of noon.
The laundromat wasn't too bad. It was busy when I got there, but down to one or two people when I left. The weather may have had something to do with it. I was reading and only half-listening to Family Feud when I turned to look out the back door...and saw rain coming down in buckets. Thankfully, that lasted for about five minutes before the sun came out again. I got myself and the laundry home dry.
I ran the soundtrack for That's Entertainment Part 2 while putting my laundry away. I had just enough time after I finished to have the last of yesterday's wrap for lunch, change into my uniform, pack dinner, and head out the door. It was showering when I left, of course. I did get a little wet, but I wasn't dripping.
Work was, once again, busy all night. We're still in the beginning of the month, which means we're still dealing with a lot of annoying people. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad. It wasn't raining when I headed out; I don't know if it rained while I was in work. At press time, it hasn't rained again.
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Strange Spring Weather
The weather was pretty normal when I finally got up this morning around 9:30. It was mostly sunny, with a few clouds that were hardly threatening. I read The Artist's Way and worked in my journal, then put on Brunch With the Beatles. Brunch concentrated on one of my favorite Beatles albums, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the first CDs I ever owned. (It was a birthday present from Mom in 1993, along with the cast album for the original 1952 Broadway version of Can-Can. I still have both CDs.) I love the jaunty "With a Little Help from My Friends." Other familiar tunes from Pepper include "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "When I'm 64", the title number, and the innovative "A Day In the Life." Also released around the same time were the hit singles "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever."
I called Mom after finishing my Banana Silver Dollar Pancakes. We had a nice, long chat. Mom was getting ready to run some chores before going to a jazz concert in Cape May with Dad. Apparently, it's a tribute to a local musician who played jazz piano in some area clubs and bed-and-breakfasts as well as on many professional studio sessions who died suddenly earlier this year. Mom's hoping to find more concerts and events in the southern Cape May County area that she can attend, with or without Dad, now that she has more free time and no longer has to take care of children or a household.
I am, too. I did get a lot of things sorted out here last summer. I cleared out old files on CD and zip disc and all those videos, and that really helped lift a lot of weight out of my soul. All that kept me inside a lot, though, as did the bad weather throughout much of August. I'd like to try to get out more this summer. I've been wanting to make a trip back to Atlantic City, if only to take a look at the Outlets, and now might be a good time to do it. I'd like to try a day trip to Wildwood, too. One of the very few things I miss about Wildwood is strolling the boardwalk in the summer. If I have some money by August, I may also attempt that day trip to New York I debated but finally opted not to do during the summer of 2010.
The other thing we discussed was my brother Keefe. Not only did he just buy his first car, a 1998 Camaro, but he'll be on leave in a few weeks. Mom wants to have a family party for him on the 19th. She's going to invite my sisters and their family and close friends, Keefe's small circle of pals, his beloved girlfriend Vicki, their neighbors in Erma, and a few family friends. It sounds like they're going to rent a tent and have a big barbecue. I just hope it doesn't get too crazy. I tried calling Rose to confirm the 19th, but I got her answering machine. I left a message; if she doesn't call back by tomorrow, I'll call her.
The Beatles show was long done when Mom and I finally got off the phone. I put on my sandals, grabbed my purse, and went for a walk to the park and to CVS. CVS was my first stop. I just needed brush picks. Also got Crest toothpaste on a really good sale for $1.99, and decided to try a bag of the new all-green Mint M&Ms.
I strolled through Newton River Park as I munched on my little chocolate goodies. There were many people out, enjoying the peaceful, pretty day. Kids and their parents ran around the playground. Teenagers skateboarded on the paths. The big mimosa tree's woody bean-like pods were now brown and falling to the ground; they crunched under my feet. I saw a robin by the mimosa who stood so stock-still, I thought he was a statue until he flew away, towards Collingswood High's sports fields across the street.
As I passed over the arched cobblestone bridge (which had new railings), I noticed dark, heavy clouds in the distance. I didn't like the look of that at all. I walked faster across the street and down the same path I did last week, hoping to avoid the oncoming storm. The leaf-laden trees made dark green arches as I passed under them. They seemed mysterious and almost spooky. It was like a world out of time, despite the houses on the hill above me.
The clouds were almost above me as I hurried up the stone steps and onto East Collingswood Avenue. Despite the weather, there were still a lot of people about. I passed a woman strolling a basket of laundry home from the laundromat on the corner as the first fat drops of rain began to fall.
My original plan was to pick up a hoagie at WaWa. The rain changed this a bit. There's a deli, Amato Bros, across the street from the laundromat. I rushed over there as the shower grew heavier. When I first moved to Oaklyn, the building was a newsstand, Oaklyn News. It shut down shortly afterwards. It's been a deli under at least three or four different names ever since. At the very least, the current owners did a much nicer job of remodeling the place than the previous owners. There were new granite counters, beverage coolers, and wire tables, along with a mounted TV playing a Phillies game. (They were losing badly to the Miami Marlins.) I ordered a turkey club wrap with mustard on a tomato-basil tortilla. The thing was so big, I ended up taking most of the second half home.
The rain slowed down as I walked home, and was gone by the time I discovered a tiny rose bush with bright magenta flowers nestled among the tangle alongside the train overpass. I couldn't resist picking one for my hair.
Though the sun eventually came out, I didn't trust the weather and stayed inside the rest of the night. I baked a basic Golden Butter Cake using fruit concentrate instead of a lot of the sugar as I ran jazz CDs and the 1948 MGM musical Summer Holiday. A reworking of the play Ah, Wilderness, Summer Holiday introduces us to the Miller family, who live in suburban Connecticut in the early 20th century. Dad (Walter Huston) owns the town newspaper and is fairly progressive-minded for the era. Uncle Sid (Frank Morgan) wants to marry his long-time girlfriend Lilly (Agnes Moorehead), but she's not crazy about his drunken behavior or broken promises. Middle son Richard (Mickey Rooney) has picked up a lot of radical notions from the books he's been reading and passes them onto his shy girlfriend (Gloria Del Haven). Her banker pop is scandalized when his daughter starts spouting Marxist theories and erotic poetry and makes her break up with Richard. The upset teen learns far more about life than he ever wanted when, in a fit of despair, he spends a drunken night with a chorus girl and learns that maybe he's not quite ready for the grown-up world yet.
This is a really sweet variation on Meet Me In St. Louis and the later On Moonlight Bay. Director Rouben Mamoulien brought many of the same trademark touches he gave to Love Me Tonight, including a song passing from one character to the next, and the natural flow of dialogue into music and back again. This is especially apparent in the opening number "In Our Home Town," as the Millers discuss their home and their places in it, and in the sequence where the gold-digging chorus girl gets Rooney drunk. Filters and fades allow him to imagine her in scantier and scantier costumes, until she's sitting in his lap and singing "I Think You're the Sweetest Kid I Ever Knew."
The rain came back as I was finishing up my shower, this time in the form of a doozy of a thunderstorm. It faded out around 8:30, but the rain's been off and on ever since.
The weather was pretty normal when I finally got up this morning around 9:30. It was mostly sunny, with a few clouds that were hardly threatening. I read The Artist's Way and worked in my journal, then put on Brunch With the Beatles. Brunch concentrated on one of my favorite Beatles albums, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the first CDs I ever owned. (It was a birthday present from Mom in 1993, along with the cast album for the original 1952 Broadway version of Can-Can. I still have both CDs.) I love the jaunty "With a Little Help from My Friends." Other familiar tunes from Pepper include "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "When I'm 64", the title number, and the innovative "A Day In the Life." Also released around the same time were the hit singles "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever."
I called Mom after finishing my Banana Silver Dollar Pancakes. We had a nice, long chat. Mom was getting ready to run some chores before going to a jazz concert in Cape May with Dad. Apparently, it's a tribute to a local musician who played jazz piano in some area clubs and bed-and-breakfasts as well as on many professional studio sessions who died suddenly earlier this year. Mom's hoping to find more concerts and events in the southern Cape May County area that she can attend, with or without Dad, now that she has more free time and no longer has to take care of children or a household.
I am, too. I did get a lot of things sorted out here last summer. I cleared out old files on CD and zip disc and all those videos, and that really helped lift a lot of weight out of my soul. All that kept me inside a lot, though, as did the bad weather throughout much of August. I'd like to try to get out more this summer. I've been wanting to make a trip back to Atlantic City, if only to take a look at the Outlets, and now might be a good time to do it. I'd like to try a day trip to Wildwood, too. One of the very few things I miss about Wildwood is strolling the boardwalk in the summer. If I have some money by August, I may also attempt that day trip to New York I debated but finally opted not to do during the summer of 2010.
The other thing we discussed was my brother Keefe. Not only did he just buy his first car, a 1998 Camaro, but he'll be on leave in a few weeks. Mom wants to have a family party for him on the 19th. She's going to invite my sisters and their family and close friends, Keefe's small circle of pals, his beloved girlfriend Vicki, their neighbors in Erma, and a few family friends. It sounds like they're going to rent a tent and have a big barbecue. I just hope it doesn't get too crazy. I tried calling Rose to confirm the 19th, but I got her answering machine. I left a message; if she doesn't call back by tomorrow, I'll call her.
The Beatles show was long done when Mom and I finally got off the phone. I put on my sandals, grabbed my purse, and went for a walk to the park and to CVS. CVS was my first stop. I just needed brush picks. Also got Crest toothpaste on a really good sale for $1.99, and decided to try a bag of the new all-green Mint M&Ms.
I strolled through Newton River Park as I munched on my little chocolate goodies. There were many people out, enjoying the peaceful, pretty day. Kids and their parents ran around the playground. Teenagers skateboarded on the paths. The big mimosa tree's woody bean-like pods were now brown and falling to the ground; they crunched under my feet. I saw a robin by the mimosa who stood so stock-still, I thought he was a statue until he flew away, towards Collingswood High's sports fields across the street.
As I passed over the arched cobblestone bridge (which had new railings), I noticed dark, heavy clouds in the distance. I didn't like the look of that at all. I walked faster across the street and down the same path I did last week, hoping to avoid the oncoming storm. The leaf-laden trees made dark green arches as I passed under them. They seemed mysterious and almost spooky. It was like a world out of time, despite the houses on the hill above me.
The clouds were almost above me as I hurried up the stone steps and onto East Collingswood Avenue. Despite the weather, there were still a lot of people about. I passed a woman strolling a basket of laundry home from the laundromat on the corner as the first fat drops of rain began to fall.
My original plan was to pick up a hoagie at WaWa. The rain changed this a bit. There's a deli, Amato Bros, across the street from the laundromat. I rushed over there as the shower grew heavier. When I first moved to Oaklyn, the building was a newsstand, Oaklyn News. It shut down shortly afterwards. It's been a deli under at least three or four different names ever since. At the very least, the current owners did a much nicer job of remodeling the place than the previous owners. There were new granite counters, beverage coolers, and wire tables, along with a mounted TV playing a Phillies game. (They were losing badly to the Miami Marlins.) I ordered a turkey club wrap with mustard on a tomato-basil tortilla. The thing was so big, I ended up taking most of the second half home.
The rain slowed down as I walked home, and was gone by the time I discovered a tiny rose bush with bright magenta flowers nestled among the tangle alongside the train overpass. I couldn't resist picking one for my hair.
Though the sun eventually came out, I didn't trust the weather and stayed inside the rest of the night. I baked a basic Golden Butter Cake using fruit concentrate instead of a lot of the sugar as I ran jazz CDs and the 1948 MGM musical Summer Holiday. A reworking of the play Ah, Wilderness, Summer Holiday introduces us to the Miller family, who live in suburban Connecticut in the early 20th century. Dad (Walter Huston) owns the town newspaper and is fairly progressive-minded for the era. Uncle Sid (Frank Morgan) wants to marry his long-time girlfriend Lilly (Agnes Moorehead), but she's not crazy about his drunken behavior or broken promises. Middle son Richard (Mickey Rooney) has picked up a lot of radical notions from the books he's been reading and passes them onto his shy girlfriend (Gloria Del Haven). Her banker pop is scandalized when his daughter starts spouting Marxist theories and erotic poetry and makes her break up with Richard. The upset teen learns far more about life than he ever wanted when, in a fit of despair, he spends a drunken night with a chorus girl and learns that maybe he's not quite ready for the grown-up world yet.
This is a really sweet variation on Meet Me In St. Louis and the later On Moonlight Bay. Director Rouben Mamoulien brought many of the same trademark touches he gave to Love Me Tonight, including a song passing from one character to the next, and the natural flow of dialogue into music and back again. This is especially apparent in the opening number "In Our Home Town," as the Millers discuss their home and their places in it, and in the sequence where the gold-digging chorus girl gets Rooney drunk. Filters and fades allow him to imagine her in scantier and scantier costumes, until she's sitting in his lap and singing "I Think You're the Sweetest Kid I Ever Knew."
The rain came back as I was finishing up my shower, this time in the form of a doozy of a thunderstorm. It faded out around 8:30, but the rain's been off and on ever since.
Saturday, June 02, 2012
The Sound of Yard Sales
Started off an absolutely beautiful, even chilly morning with the American Top 40. This week was all about early June 1981, with a round of rock, soul, and the last vestiges of disco. Hits include "America" by Neil Diamond, "All Those Years Ago" by George Harrison, "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey, "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers, and "Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon had the week's top album, but the single that was dominating the charts in the spring of 1981 was the Kim Carnes classic "Bette Davis Eyes," which apparently had been #1 for at least three weeks prior.
Headed off to Collingswood around 9:30. I stopped at the Farm Market first before I went wandering around. There was a ridiculously long line at the first booth. I didn't find out why until I'd walked around a bit. Apparently, they were the only farm still selling strawberries. They also had snap peas and the first-of-the-season cherries. Zucchini just debuted, too. I bought snap peas, organic green lettuce from the organic booth (their small heads are so much easier to deal with and to eat than the huge ones sold by the other farms), scallions, mushrooms, and the much-sought-after cherries and strawberries. Yes, I had to stand in line. I'm just glad they had any left by the time I got up there.
Today was Collingswood's Town-Wide Yard Sale. I mostly rode around in the streets between Haddon Avenue and Cooper River Park, where I had my bike ride Thursday. While I didn't do quite as well as last year, I made a couple of really good finds.
The best ones came from a multi-family sale at what looked like an apartment building. A blanket was filled with vintage card and board games from the 70s and 80s. I picked up Deluxe Uno (I have Harry Potter Uno, which I got from Mom when I moved, but I'm not a real big Harry Potter fan) and a box of four different Strawberry Shortcake card and small board games, both in their boxes and with all their pieces. A wire shelf of DVDs yielded a set of 3 Rogers and Hammerstein movies, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. I already had Oklahoma!, but not the other two, and the set was still in its plastic (including Target sticker). I paid a mere $1.75 for all three and a small soft pretzel.
Other finds included another DVD (the John Candy solo vehicle Summer Rental), a video (the gangster-movie spoof Johnny Dangerously), a vintage book of Disney stories from the 50s and 60s called Walt Disney's Treasury, and three CDs:
Counting Crows - Films About Ghosts - The Best of....
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell
Red Hot & Blue, a collection of contemporary artists singing Cole Porter standards
I stopped at one more yard sale on Eldridge Avenue near the high school and found nothing of interest before I headed home. I put everything away, then had Spring Seafood Pasta Salad on farm-market lettuce and a bowl of slightly-mushed strawberries for lunch while watching the Bowery Boys movie Jungle Gents and a couple of episodes of Garfield and Friends.
Work was very busy when I came in, and would remain so for most of the night. Not only is it a lovely weekend for a barbecue, but it's also the beginning of the month. Other than some mildly annoying people, I was in and out with no problems.
Started off an absolutely beautiful, even chilly morning with the American Top 40. This week was all about early June 1981, with a round of rock, soul, and the last vestiges of disco. Hits include "America" by Neil Diamond, "All Those Years Ago" by George Harrison, "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey, "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers, and "Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon had the week's top album, but the single that was dominating the charts in the spring of 1981 was the Kim Carnes classic "Bette Davis Eyes," which apparently had been #1 for at least three weeks prior.
Headed off to Collingswood around 9:30. I stopped at the Farm Market first before I went wandering around. There was a ridiculously long line at the first booth. I didn't find out why until I'd walked around a bit. Apparently, they were the only farm still selling strawberries. They also had snap peas and the first-of-the-season cherries. Zucchini just debuted, too. I bought snap peas, organic green lettuce from the organic booth (their small heads are so much easier to deal with and to eat than the huge ones sold by the other farms), scallions, mushrooms, and the much-sought-after cherries and strawberries. Yes, I had to stand in line. I'm just glad they had any left by the time I got up there.
Today was Collingswood's Town-Wide Yard Sale. I mostly rode around in the streets between Haddon Avenue and Cooper River Park, where I had my bike ride Thursday. While I didn't do quite as well as last year, I made a couple of really good finds.
The best ones came from a multi-family sale at what looked like an apartment building. A blanket was filled with vintage card and board games from the 70s and 80s. I picked up Deluxe Uno (I have Harry Potter Uno, which I got from Mom when I moved, but I'm not a real big Harry Potter fan) and a box of four different Strawberry Shortcake card and small board games, both in their boxes and with all their pieces. A wire shelf of DVDs yielded a set of 3 Rogers and Hammerstein movies, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. I already had Oklahoma!, but not the other two, and the set was still in its plastic (including Target sticker). I paid a mere $1.75 for all three and a small soft pretzel.
Other finds included another DVD (the John Candy solo vehicle Summer Rental), a video (the gangster-movie spoof Johnny Dangerously), a vintage book of Disney stories from the 50s and 60s called Walt Disney's Treasury, and three CDs:
Counting Crows - Films About Ghosts - The Best of....
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell
Red Hot & Blue, a collection of contemporary artists singing Cole Porter standards
I stopped at one more yard sale on Eldridge Avenue near the high school and found nothing of interest before I headed home. I put everything away, then had Spring Seafood Pasta Salad on farm-market lettuce and a bowl of slightly-mushed strawberries for lunch while watching the Bowery Boys movie Jungle Gents and a couple of episodes of Garfield and Friends.
Work was very busy when I came in, and would remain so for most of the night. Not only is it a lovely weekend for a barbecue, but it's also the beginning of the month. Other than some mildly annoying people, I was in and out with no problems.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Summer In the Rain
It was still sunny when I got up this morning, and the sky remained bright, bright blue. It was even cooler and windier than yesterday...and more comfortable than it has been in weeks. My apartment was so chilly this morning, I finally switched the fans off. I had a bowl of oatmeal and continued dubbing Superman: The Serial, then headed out to hit the gym and run errands.
Lucile Roberts was really busy this morning. I was surprised. I got there around 10AM, earlier than I have the past few weeks, and morning classes are rare. I'm glad I was able to get an elliptical machine. By the time I finished my 20 minutes (and was sweating up a storm), the weight area was far less busy. I was able to move onto the arm weight machines and hand weights.
The Acme was even busier. There was a very, very long line at the customer service desk. I'd completely forgotten today is the first day of the month. A lot of people had just gotten checks, and with the bank gone, everyone now has to cash their checks at the front desk. Good thing I wasn't getting a big paycheck.
I did have some grocery shopping to do. Acme was having a sale on skinned chicken thighs, and I needed to restock ground chicken. I found a small container of cooked fresh mussels. I love mussels! It had a coupon on it, too. I ended up getting it for $1.36. My whole and unbleached flour containers needed to be refilled. This is probably the last week or two of buying grapefruit and pears at the Acme. Once we get into June, more fruit should start appearing at the Farm Market. I picked up Emerald Roasted Cinnamon Almonds and more of the Emerald Trail Mix bags. Was out of whole wheat tortillas, and I noticed yesterday that my brown sugar container was empty.
Heavy clouds had been building up on the horizon since I was in the gym. The shower started while I was riding home from the Acme. Thankfully, it didn't last long. It stopped shortly after I arrived home and put everything away.
I decided that the mussels would be perfect for a Spring Seafood Pasta Salad. I sliced celery and asparagus, boiled spiral pasta, and tossed them with the mussels, light mayo, and dollar-store Old Bay Seasoning. It was spooned over a bed of organic red lettuce from the Farm Market. Yum! Refreshing, tasty, and very seafood-y.
I made Mint-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies while I did the last few chapters of Superman and ran a Bowery Boys movie, Bowery to Bagdad. I made these with honey and apple concentrate instead of sugar. They're very tasty, sweet but not too much. Alas, once again, I burned a batch...and I'd just taken the last batch out of the oven when I had to run off to work.
It was still just cloudy when I rode back to the Acme. Work was busy, but not quite as much as it had been in the morning. I guess I missed the worst of it. There were some mildly annoying beginning of the month people. Otherwise, I was in and out with no problems.
I found out the other reason for it slowing down when I headed out. It was raining...and doing it much harder than it had when I was grocery shopping. Good thing I brought my rain jacket because I thought I might be cold. I rode home and got wet. It's rained on and off ever since.
It was still sunny when I got up this morning, and the sky remained bright, bright blue. It was even cooler and windier than yesterday...and more comfortable than it has been in weeks. My apartment was so chilly this morning, I finally switched the fans off. I had a bowl of oatmeal and continued dubbing Superman: The Serial, then headed out to hit the gym and run errands.
Lucile Roberts was really busy this morning. I was surprised. I got there around 10AM, earlier than I have the past few weeks, and morning classes are rare. I'm glad I was able to get an elliptical machine. By the time I finished my 20 minutes (and was sweating up a storm), the weight area was far less busy. I was able to move onto the arm weight machines and hand weights.
The Acme was even busier. There was a very, very long line at the customer service desk. I'd completely forgotten today is the first day of the month. A lot of people had just gotten checks, and with the bank gone, everyone now has to cash their checks at the front desk. Good thing I wasn't getting a big paycheck.
I did have some grocery shopping to do. Acme was having a sale on skinned chicken thighs, and I needed to restock ground chicken. I found a small container of cooked fresh mussels. I love mussels! It had a coupon on it, too. I ended up getting it for $1.36. My whole and unbleached flour containers needed to be refilled. This is probably the last week or two of buying grapefruit and pears at the Acme. Once we get into June, more fruit should start appearing at the Farm Market. I picked up Emerald Roasted Cinnamon Almonds and more of the Emerald Trail Mix bags. Was out of whole wheat tortillas, and I noticed yesterday that my brown sugar container was empty.
Heavy clouds had been building up on the horizon since I was in the gym. The shower started while I was riding home from the Acme. Thankfully, it didn't last long. It stopped shortly after I arrived home and put everything away.
I decided that the mussels would be perfect for a Spring Seafood Pasta Salad. I sliced celery and asparagus, boiled spiral pasta, and tossed them with the mussels, light mayo, and dollar-store Old Bay Seasoning. It was spooned over a bed of organic red lettuce from the Farm Market. Yum! Refreshing, tasty, and very seafood-y.
I made Mint-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies while I did the last few chapters of Superman and ran a Bowery Boys movie, Bowery to Bagdad. I made these with honey and apple concentrate instead of sugar. They're very tasty, sweet but not too much. Alas, once again, I burned a batch...and I'd just taken the last batch out of the oven when I had to run off to work.
It was still just cloudy when I rode back to the Acme. Work was busy, but not quite as much as it had been in the morning. I guess I missed the worst of it. There were some mildly annoying beginning of the month people. Otherwise, I was in and out with no problems.
I found out the other reason for it slowing down when I headed out. It was raining...and doing it much harder than it had when I was grocery shopping. Good thing I brought my rain jacket because I thought I might be cold. I rode home and got wet. It's rained on and off ever since.
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