Baby, Dream Your Dream
Started my day the old-fashioned way - with cereal and milk in front of Saturday morning cartoons. In today's Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry went on a trip to "Pearis," France to visit her pen pal Crepes Suzette, bringing her beloved pets Pupcake the Dog and Custard the Cat with her. The pets cause quite a commotion when Pupcake wanders off into the streets of Pearis and Custard and Crepes' poodle Eclair go after him. Crepes is no help - she just panics (in a nice spoof of the French tendency towards dramatics). It takes both girls working together to overcome Crepes' freak-outs, find all three pets, and even stop a runaway city bus!
An unusual friendship was also at the heart of today's Care Bears. Wing Nut, the little robot who acts as a gardener/street cleaner and is Oopsy Bear's best friend, was made an "honorary Care Bear" by the rest of the crew. Wing Nut accidentally crashes himself when he tries to get a flower for Share Bear, who has been trying to teach him the fundamentals of being a Care Bear...like sharing. The little lavender bear ends up learning a lesson in her own emotion when her heart-shaped locket is the one thing that could fix Wing Nut...but rather than part with it, she goes to nasty Grizzle the Mechanical Bear and asks for his help. Grizzle programs Wing Nut to capture the Care Bears instead of befriend them, but Share Bear inadvertantly overloads Wing Nut when she reminds him of their friendship. She and Wing Nut finally learns an important lesson - it's not easy to give your heart (or heart locket) to a friend, but in the end, it's worth it.
This was a surprisingly touching episode for Adventures In Care-a-Lot, a sweet cross between Wall-E and Short Circuit. Wing Nut, like Oopsy, often feels out-of-the-loop, making the attention Share Bear gives him all the more important. Grizzle, for his part, is an improvement over previous regular Care Bears villains Professor Cold Heart and Beastly, Shrieky, and No Heart. Though he can be menacing when called on to be, he's generally more of a comic/pathetic character - he lives all alone in a huge old workshop high in the sky and only talks to his wacky robot creations, including one that doesn't talk back.
I ran the usual weekly chores after Care Bears ended. Went to the Acme for this week's grocery shopping. The Acme was as busy as yesterday, but the express line wasn't bad, and I was in and out fairly quickly. The Acme was having a lot of really good sales - 39 cents for Acme and Yoplait yogurt! - that I couldn't resist taking advantage of. After I got home, I put everything away, had a Blueberry Preserves and Peanut Butter Sandwich for lunch, and headed to the bank.
There was still plenty of time left in the day after I finished with the bank's ATM machine. Despite the cloudy, chilly, damp day, I didn't feel like sitting inside for half the afternoon like I did on Thursday. I hiked down to Newton River Park for a walk, then went over to Collingswood and got my hair cut at Haddon Hair Designs across from the thrift shop. The only other customers there were very old ladies, but the owner and her daughters and younger workers were bustling and gossiping and teasing each other, reminding me a great deal of my sisters and mother and I when we all lived together.
A young lady named Stacy did my hair, and she did a beautiful job. It's down to my shoulders, very cute and curly and bouncy. It's a little shorter than I normally keep it, but then again, I like wearing my hair down at this time of year anyway. It feels so much better to finally have all that hair off my shoulders. I love my hair, but it does get really thick.
My next stop was the Friends In Deed Thrift Shop to say "hi" to my friend Erica and see what they had. The place was packed, almost literally elbow to elbow! I was probably lucky to find three records (the original casts of Annie, Sweet Charity, and Subways Are For Sleeping) and two vintage children's books (a Raggedy Ann and Andy picture book and a 1949 Nancy Drew novel, The Clue of the Leaning Chimney). I couldn't get Erica's attention until I went up to the counter with my purchases. She's fine, but her mother's sick and she's taking care of her, which means we won't be doing any dinner or going anywhere together for a while.
I browsed around Collingswood a little while longer after that, but finally decided it was getting late and colder and was just time to head home. I stopped at CVS for eggs on the way back.
The rest of the evening was spent baking cake, making Merlin's Magic Chicken, and watching Hello, Dolly!. Dolly is one of the last of the really big Broadway adaptations of the 60s and early 70s, the uber-musical comedy. The lady in question is a widowed young matchmaker in 1890 New York. She intends to match herself to a "well-known half-a-millionaire" feed store owner in what was then small-town Yonkers, but he's after a pretty milliner in Manhattan. Dolly eventually involves two stock clerks eager for adventure, the millionaire's niece and her very tall artist sweetheart in her plot to win herself a millionaire...and give everyone in Yonkers the adventure of their lives!
Barbara Streisand really was too young to play the widowed Dolly, but she goes to town with the part anyway and has total blast. Michael Crawford is also charming (awkward American accent and all) as the eldest of the two clerks. Gene Kelly's amazing ensemble numbers "Dancing," "Before the Parade Passes By," and "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" makes the most of those huge New York sets and show off Michael Kidd's athletic choreography and Irene Sharaff's gorgeous costumes.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Stuck
I ended up spending most of today at work. The Acme called me in around 9AM. Two people called out, and they were already low on help, thanks to cutting hours. I'm really, really getting sick of this economy stuff. This is what happens when thousands of people buy things they don't need and can't afford on credit, which is why I don't trust credit cards.
Work was very busy, made even worse by the lack of help and increase of panicky employees. We're also getting closer to the beginning of the month, with all the obnoxious people who come out around that time. One woman threw a fit when her spicy chicken wings didn't come up the price she thought they were and flounced off to check the price herself, ignoring the fact that I'd already started her order and I had a line! I could have sent for a bagger to check the price if she'd had a little patience. Why do people shop when they're in a hurry?
There were carts filled with Valentine's Day leftovers early this afternoon - stationary, heart-shaped containers, cookie cutters, bags, cheap stuffed animals and jewelry boxes, hair items, wrapping paper, pink-and-red napkins and paper plates. At first, we were told they were free, but then a bunch of the general merchandise managers started to complain. They finally decided that yes, it was still free...but that employees could only browse through it on their own time. I put many items back before I finally ended up with four plain red plastic heart containers that'll be great to hold cookies or slices of cake for birthday presents.
I ended up spending most of today at work. The Acme called me in around 9AM. Two people called out, and they were already low on help, thanks to cutting hours. I'm really, really getting sick of this economy stuff. This is what happens when thousands of people buy things they don't need and can't afford on credit, which is why I don't trust credit cards.
Work was very busy, made even worse by the lack of help and increase of panicky employees. We're also getting closer to the beginning of the month, with all the obnoxious people who come out around that time. One woman threw a fit when her spicy chicken wings didn't come up the price she thought they were and flounced off to check the price herself, ignoring the fact that I'd already started her order and I had a line! I could have sent for a bagger to check the price if she'd had a little patience. Why do people shop when they're in a hurry?
There were carts filled with Valentine's Day leftovers early this afternoon - stationary, heart-shaped containers, cookie cutters, bags, cheap stuffed animals and jewelry boxes, hair items, wrapping paper, pink-and-red napkins and paper plates. At first, we were told they were free, but then a bunch of the general merchandise managers started to complain. They finally decided that yes, it was still free...but that employees could only browse through it on their own time. I put many items back before I finally ended up with four plain red plastic heart containers that'll be great to hold cookies or slices of cake for birthday presents.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Chains of Frustration
This was a fairly quiet day off for me. I spent most of the early morning and afternoon at the library. I organized children's DVDs and helped some kids find what they wanted. A little girl wanted Dora the Explorer and was delighted to find the new Dora Saves the Snow Princess DVD. She also picked a SpongeBob SquarePants DVD for her older brother. I was hoping they'd have the newest Backyardigans DVD (looks like a spoof of Robin Hood legends from Amazon.com), but no dice.
I made brief stops at Super Fresh and Blockbuster after leaving the library, hoping to find the Good Eats DVD set I almost bought at Target. Once again, no luck. The did have the new Backyardigans DVD, but I'd really rather wait for that to come to the library. $15 seems a bit steep of a price to pay for four episodes of a kids' show that runs frequently on Nickelodeon, no matter how much I like it.
My to my annoyance, the chain came off the back of my bike AGAIN on my way home from the library. It did wait until I was a block from home to do it it, but I don't know why it's suddenly doing it so much at all. I don't know if it has to do with falling into the other bike so much, or being outside, or what. I really need to talk to my neighbor, but I haven't seen him lately. I did get the chain back on after much screaming and crying and fuss, but who knows how long it'll last?
I spent the rest of the afternoon very quietly baking a Spicy Rye Bread loaf (just ran out of the Corn Bread I made a while back) and fooling around online. The Acme had tried to call me in, but they did it too late. They wanted me to come in at 3, and I didn't get home and inside until almost quarter after 2. Besides, the hours were 3 to 9, and I had enough of that last night. I figured that if I wanted to be bored, I could do it just as well at home.
This was a fairly quiet day off for me. I spent most of the early morning and afternoon at the library. I organized children's DVDs and helped some kids find what they wanted. A little girl wanted Dora the Explorer and was delighted to find the new Dora Saves the Snow Princess DVD. She also picked a SpongeBob SquarePants DVD for her older brother. I was hoping they'd have the newest Backyardigans DVD (looks like a spoof of Robin Hood legends from Amazon.com), but no dice.
I made brief stops at Super Fresh and Blockbuster after leaving the library, hoping to find the Good Eats DVD set I almost bought at Target. Once again, no luck. The did have the new Backyardigans DVD, but I'd really rather wait for that to come to the library. $15 seems a bit steep of a price to pay for four episodes of a kids' show that runs frequently on Nickelodeon, no matter how much I like it.
My to my annoyance, the chain came off the back of my bike AGAIN on my way home from the library. It did wait until I was a block from home to do it it, but I don't know why it's suddenly doing it so much at all. I don't know if it has to do with falling into the other bike so much, or being outside, or what. I really need to talk to my neighbor, but I haven't seen him lately. I did get the chain back on after much screaming and crying and fuss, but who knows how long it'll last?
I spent the rest of the afternoon very quietly baking a Spicy Rye Bread loaf (just ran out of the Corn Bread I made a while back) and fooling around online. The Acme had tried to call me in, but they did it too late. They wanted me to come in at 3, and I didn't get home and inside until almost quarter after 2. Besides, the hours were 3 to 9, and I had enough of that last night. I figured that if I wanted to be bored, I could do it just as well at home.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sisterly Balance
Rose (finally) met me at Yogawood to join today's class. It went really well, for both of us. The class was fairly small (about 8, including the two of us and teacher Jill), and the moves weren't too difficult today. I surprised myself when I barely bobbled on an Eagle pose, which involves a lot of balancing on one foot. Rose surprised ME when she was able to do a "full wheel" back bend - I can barely get on my elbows and feet for a bridge! Rose not only said she really liked it and would love to come back next week, but Jill announced they're going to add another $7 morning class on Tuesdays, this one a Yoga/Pilates combination that might be more Rose's speed (and easier on both our schedules).
I spent the rest of a gorgeous afternoon at home. I swept my porch, then made snickerdoodles, sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, to refill my empty cookie jar. My rides to and from Yogawood and work were great - sunny, chilly but not too much so for this time of year (lower 40s, I think), and windless.
(Incidentally, whatever I did to the handlebars on the mountain bike last night at work seemed to have done the trick. They didn't wobble once going to or from work.)
Work was steady when I came in at 3:30, extremely dead when I left at 8:30. It was so dead, I spent the last half-hour doing returns.
Rose (finally) met me at Yogawood to join today's class. It went really well, for both of us. The class was fairly small (about 8, including the two of us and teacher Jill), and the moves weren't too difficult today. I surprised myself when I barely bobbled on an Eagle pose, which involves a lot of balancing on one foot. Rose surprised ME when she was able to do a "full wheel" back bend - I can barely get on my elbows and feet for a bridge! Rose not only said she really liked it and would love to come back next week, but Jill announced they're going to add another $7 morning class on Tuesdays, this one a Yoga/Pilates combination that might be more Rose's speed (and easier on both our schedules).
I spent the rest of a gorgeous afternoon at home. I swept my porch, then made snickerdoodles, sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, to refill my empty cookie jar. My rides to and from Yogawood and work were great - sunny, chilly but not too much so for this time of year (lower 40s, I think), and windless.
(Incidentally, whatever I did to the handlebars on the mountain bike last night at work seemed to have done the trick. They didn't wobble once going to or from work.)
Work was steady when I came in at 3:30, extremely dead when I left at 8:30. It was so dead, I spent the last half-hour doing returns.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Working Woman
I got up in time to run to WaWa and pick up some milk before running to work. Today was my seven hour shift, 12-7, and it was surprisingly busier and less of a problem than yesterday. The only real trouble was in my first hour there. Some nitwit had a cart loaded up with soda and fruit punch and tried to get away with buying half our inventory. Though Marlene and Sharon finally let him get away with it because he was being such a jerk, Steve, our head manager, later told us I was right for making a fuss - the guy should have been only allowed to buy five - and no more - of each flavor he wanted. We all know what they're doing. They sell that soda and fruit punch to chop shops in Camden. I really wish they'd be more careful with those people at the store and stop letting them get away with something that's really illegal.
Other than that, I had no problems getting on or off or to or from work. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, not as windy, and in the mid-30s, about what it should be this time of year. My handlebars did get a bit loose again on the way to work, but I brought the bike tool with me this time and fixed them before heading out. They seemed ok on the way home - we'll see what happens tomorrow.
I got up in time to run to WaWa and pick up some milk before running to work. Today was my seven hour shift, 12-7, and it was surprisingly busier and less of a problem than yesterday. The only real trouble was in my first hour there. Some nitwit had a cart loaded up with soda and fruit punch and tried to get away with buying half our inventory. Though Marlene and Sharon finally let him get away with it because he was being such a jerk, Steve, our head manager, later told us I was right for making a fuss - the guy should have been only allowed to buy five - and no more - of each flavor he wanted. We all know what they're doing. They sell that soda and fruit punch to chop shops in Camden. I really wish they'd be more careful with those people at the store and stop letting them get away with something that's really illegal.
Other than that, I had no problems getting on or off or to or from work. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, not as windy, and in the mid-30s, about what it should be this time of year. My handlebars did get a bit loose again on the way to work, but I brought the bike tool with me this time and fixed them before heading out. They seemed ok on the way home - we'll see what happens tomorrow.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Ms. Fix-It
After Cheerios for breakfast, I went over to Dad's to put the my laundry in the washer. Dad was home...and so was Uncle Ken, finally home from the hospital. He looked frail, but was up and around eventually. Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her little girl Faith visited later.
While the laundry was in the dryer, I borrowed a can of WD-40 from Dad and set about doing what I could to fix my bikes. I tightened the handlebars on the mountain bike, got the chain back on the blue stationary bike, and lubricated both bikes as well as I could without using up Dad's can. At the very least, the blue bike wasn't making as much noise as it had been before.
After I brought the laundry home and put it away, I had lunch, made some "Starbucks" Pumpkin Pound Cake from the Fast Food Fix cookbook, and worked on my Animated Film Inventory. I made a rather annoying discovery when I finally headed to work - while the mountain bike did make somewhat less noise than before, the handlebars refused to remain tight. They just came loose again, worse than before. I barely made it home. I had to tighten them AGAIN. I hope the bolt that holds the handlebars steady isn't stripped or broken.
As for work, it was busy, which isn't unusual for a Monday at rush hour, but we were low on help. (Especially since one teenager who was supposed to have taken someone else's hours must have forgotten about it - she never showed.) It did slow long enough for me to get off work on-time, though.
After Cheerios for breakfast, I went over to Dad's to put the my laundry in the washer. Dad was home...and so was Uncle Ken, finally home from the hospital. He looked frail, but was up and around eventually. Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her little girl Faith visited later.
While the laundry was in the dryer, I borrowed a can of WD-40 from Dad and set about doing what I could to fix my bikes. I tightened the handlebars on the mountain bike, got the chain back on the blue stationary bike, and lubricated both bikes as well as I could without using up Dad's can. At the very least, the blue bike wasn't making as much noise as it had been before.
After I brought the laundry home and put it away, I had lunch, made some "Starbucks" Pumpkin Pound Cake from the Fast Food Fix cookbook, and worked on my Animated Film Inventory. I made a rather annoying discovery when I finally headed to work - while the mountain bike did make somewhat less noise than before, the handlebars refused to remain tight. They just came loose again, worse than before. I barely made it home. I had to tighten them AGAIN. I hope the bolt that holds the handlebars steady isn't stripped or broken.
As for work, it was busy, which isn't unusual for a Monday at rush hour, but we were low on help. (Especially since one teenager who was supposed to have taken someone else's hours must have forgotten about it - she never showed.) It did slow long enough for me to get off work on-time, though.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Unchained
Slept in and spent most of the morning hanging out. I called Mom after I had Buttermilk Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes and an orange for breakfast. Mom herself was fine. She was cleaning up the house and waiting for Dad and Keefe to come home from the dock. I told her about my sinus problems last week, about not getting a hold of Rose, and about my savings account and mall trip. I tried to steer her clear of discussing the economy - she's really worried about it, probably because she and Dad don't have a lot of money and Cape May County's been economically depressed since I was a kid, thanks to its "summer resort" status and the lack of people living there year-round who aren't ancient millionaires.
I can't believe they're gonna demolish the Beach Theater, too! The Beach Theater is Cape May's only movie theater. I saw my first movies there. WHY? WHY? I thought Cape May was supposed to be dedicated to PRESERVING history, not destroying it. Didn't Wildwood just get this bug out of its system? Did they give the disease to Cape May, too? Seriously, does everything HAVE to be a condo...especially now, when no one's buying housing? Can't they just rebuild the theater, or build shops or schools or something that isn't a dumb, stupid, worthless, useless, idiotic CONDO?
I hate condos, and I hate ancient millionaires. X(
I got a hold of Rose, too. We're going to try to get together and do Yogawood on Wednesday. Mom says she's having trouble with her medication - she's forgetting things and not eating. I hope she remembers this time.
Work was boring. It was steady when I came in, dead when I left, and it took FOREVER. On my way home, the chain came loose on my blue stationary bike again, for the second time in less than a week. I don't know why it's suddenly doing this. I haven't had this problem with it before. I hope my neighbor's around tomorrow to check it out. I really wish I knew how to do it myself, though.
Slept in and spent most of the morning hanging out. I called Mom after I had Buttermilk Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes and an orange for breakfast. Mom herself was fine. She was cleaning up the house and waiting for Dad and Keefe to come home from the dock. I told her about my sinus problems last week, about not getting a hold of Rose, and about my savings account and mall trip. I tried to steer her clear of discussing the economy - she's really worried about it, probably because she and Dad don't have a lot of money and Cape May County's been economically depressed since I was a kid, thanks to its "summer resort" status and the lack of people living there year-round who aren't ancient millionaires.
I can't believe they're gonna demolish the Beach Theater, too! The Beach Theater is Cape May's only movie theater. I saw my first movies there. WHY? WHY? I thought Cape May was supposed to be dedicated to PRESERVING history, not destroying it. Didn't Wildwood just get this bug out of its system? Did they give the disease to Cape May, too? Seriously, does everything HAVE to be a condo...especially now, when no one's buying housing? Can't they just rebuild the theater, or build shops or schools or something that isn't a dumb, stupid, worthless, useless, idiotic CONDO?
I hate condos, and I hate ancient millionaires. X(
I got a hold of Rose, too. We're going to try to get together and do Yogawood on Wednesday. Mom says she's having trouble with her medication - she's forgetting things and not eating. I hope she remembers this time.
Work was boring. It was steady when I came in, dead when I left, and it took FOREVER. On my way home, the chain came loose on my blue stationary bike again, for the second time in less than a week. I don't know why it's suddenly doing this. I haven't had this problem with it before. I hope my neighbor's around tomorrow to check it out. I really wish I knew how to do it myself, though.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A Penny A Day
I slept in a little bit this morning, waking up just in time for Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry was a repeat, the episode about Peppermint Fizz not liking Rainbow Sherbet because she's so different, but I hadn't see this week's Care Bears installment before. In the first one, Grizzle the evil (but not that bright) Mechanical Bear hits the bears with a machine that makes them forget everything...including what he wants them to remember. The second one was a bit more sentimental. MacKenzie, a human child friend of the Care Bears, visits them in an attempt to cheer herself up after her best friend moves away. She comes just in time for the arrival of another set of friends who don't stick around - the Thunder Whales. She befriends a baby Thunder Whale when she gets him unstuck from a tree, but learns a lesson about friends moving on when he has to leave.
It was a gorgeous, sunny late February day. The pale blue sky was cloudless, it was cold but not bitterly so, and while it was still a little windy, it was nothing like the past few days. I walked to the PNC Bank branch on the White Horse Pike quite easily and without getting blown over.
I did get a savings account. Turns out the lady who does their savings accounts used to live in North Cape May and says her parents still do. She even went to Lower Cape May Regional High School, where Keefe goes now, ten years before me. I got the most basic savings account I could. Apparently, I can keep it open for a year. If I don't have $400 in the account by this time next year, I can close it. We'll see what happens.
After lunch and a few more Garfield and Friends episodes, I headed out again, this time in the direction of the Acme and the Audubon Commons Shopping Center. My first stop was Wal Mart, where I braved the crowds and discovered that, not only is their bike selection actually better than Target's (despite being a smaller store), they had the bike tools I was looking for on Thursday! I'll fix the handlebars on my mountain bike tomorrow. (Still no baskets, though...)
Ended up at FYE next. I was a good girl and limited my spending to the WebKinz Emperor Dragon, which I'd wanted, and the 1969 Barbara Streisand Hello Dolly!, which was on sale for $6.99. Last year, I spent more than $100 at FYE on two WebKinz, five DVDs, and the Membership Card after I got my tax return.
I had a fairly long grocery shopping list for me today, anyway. I wanted to stock up on some pantry items - barbecue sauce, mustard, salad dressing - along with restocking my fruit, vegetables, and yogurt, and taking advantage of a half-price sale on chicken and ground turkey.
Oh, and meet Bruce Lee, my Emperor Dragon! The regal co-owner of the Kinzville Asian Cuisine House (with Marza the Panda) is named for the famous 70s martial arts star. His money will finish off the new Movie Theater and at least get a little in for the Asian Cuisine House.
I slept in a little bit this morning, waking up just in time for Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry was a repeat, the episode about Peppermint Fizz not liking Rainbow Sherbet because she's so different, but I hadn't see this week's Care Bears installment before. In the first one, Grizzle the evil (but not that bright) Mechanical Bear hits the bears with a machine that makes them forget everything...including what he wants them to remember. The second one was a bit more sentimental. MacKenzie, a human child friend of the Care Bears, visits them in an attempt to cheer herself up after her best friend moves away. She comes just in time for the arrival of another set of friends who don't stick around - the Thunder Whales. She befriends a baby Thunder Whale when she gets him unstuck from a tree, but learns a lesson about friends moving on when he has to leave.
It was a gorgeous, sunny late February day. The pale blue sky was cloudless, it was cold but not bitterly so, and while it was still a little windy, it was nothing like the past few days. I walked to the PNC Bank branch on the White Horse Pike quite easily and without getting blown over.
I did get a savings account. Turns out the lady who does their savings accounts used to live in North Cape May and says her parents still do. She even went to Lower Cape May Regional High School, where Keefe goes now, ten years before me. I got the most basic savings account I could. Apparently, I can keep it open for a year. If I don't have $400 in the account by this time next year, I can close it. We'll see what happens.
After lunch and a few more Garfield and Friends episodes, I headed out again, this time in the direction of the Acme and the Audubon Commons Shopping Center. My first stop was Wal Mart, where I braved the crowds and discovered that, not only is their bike selection actually better than Target's (despite being a smaller store), they had the bike tools I was looking for on Thursday! I'll fix the handlebars on my mountain bike tomorrow. (Still no baskets, though...)
Ended up at FYE next. I was a good girl and limited my spending to the WebKinz Emperor Dragon, which I'd wanted, and the 1969 Barbara Streisand Hello Dolly!, which was on sale for $6.99. Last year, I spent more than $100 at FYE on two WebKinz, five DVDs, and the Membership Card after I got my tax return.
I had a fairly long grocery shopping list for me today, anyway. I wanted to stock up on some pantry items - barbecue sauce, mustard, salad dressing - along with restocking my fruit, vegetables, and yogurt, and taking advantage of a half-price sale on chicken and ground turkey.
Oh, and meet Bruce Lee, my Emperor Dragon! The regal co-owner of the Kinzville Asian Cuisine House (with Marza the Panda) is named for the famous 70s martial arts star. His money will finish off the new Movie Theater and at least get a little in for the Asian Cuisine House.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Blown Off-Balance
Despite the cold day, the continuing wind, and the fact that I still haven't heard from Rose, I finally decided to stop putting off Yogawood and just do it. Some difficult moves today, including ones that involve a lot of leaning on my hands. My shoulders are just so much less developed than my legs. You don't use your arms for bike riding and walking! I'm wondering if I should look into buying inexpensive hand weights.
I went over to the thrift shop after class. Erica wasn't there, but I did find some nifty stuff - a pair of pretty spring-themed place mats (colorful flowers on a green background), a vintage 1971 Bednobs and Broomsticks Golden Book, and a cookbook by Alton Brown, the hilarious star of Food Network's Good Eats. The cookbook cost me $5, almost all the money I had on me and fairly pricey for a hardback from a thrift shop, but it was worth it. I haven't gone through all of it, but like Good Eats, it's funny and filled with good tips.
Since I was now broke (and cold), I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon editing our newest Monkees role-play stories. I'll try to see if I can get them up sometime this weekend.
It was a cold, windy ride to work, but I wasn't going to even attempt to call Dad for a lift - he's probably at the hospital with Uncle Ken (as he should be) and anyway, I really hate getting a ride when it's sunny out. Work was mostly steady until rush hour, when it picked up considerably. I had no relief and was a little late getting off, but there were otherwise no problems.
Despite the cold day, the continuing wind, and the fact that I still haven't heard from Rose, I finally decided to stop putting off Yogawood and just do it. Some difficult moves today, including ones that involve a lot of leaning on my hands. My shoulders are just so much less developed than my legs. You don't use your arms for bike riding and walking! I'm wondering if I should look into buying inexpensive hand weights.
I went over to the thrift shop after class. Erica wasn't there, but I did find some nifty stuff - a pair of pretty spring-themed place mats (colorful flowers on a green background), a vintage 1971 Bednobs and Broomsticks Golden Book, and a cookbook by Alton Brown, the hilarious star of Food Network's Good Eats. The cookbook cost me $5, almost all the money I had on me and fairly pricey for a hardback from a thrift shop, but it was worth it. I haven't gone through all of it, but like Good Eats, it's funny and filled with good tips.
Since I was now broke (and cold), I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon editing our newest Monkees role-play stories. I'll try to see if I can get them up sometime this weekend.
It was a cold, windy ride to work, but I wasn't going to even attempt to call Dad for a lift - he's probably at the hospital with Uncle Ken (as he should be) and anyway, I really hate getting a ride when it's sunny out. Work was mostly steady until rush hour, when it picked up considerably. I had no relief and was a little late getting off, but there were otherwise no problems.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
"The Winter Winds Came Blowin' In..."
It was cloudy and chilly but not that cold or really that windy when I headed out this morning for today's errands. My first stop was the library to do this week's volunteering and finally return the Strawberry Shortcake and Broadway DVDs. I spent an hour putting DVDs away and organizing children's books. I spent about an hour there, but I had other things I wanted to do today.
It had rained a little while I was in the library, but the clouds were starting to break up as I headed over to the Collingswood PATCO. I hopped a train to Haddonfield, but though I saw the bus as I headed into the station, I didn't have the money for it. The ticket machines always give you dollar coins, which the buses don't take, and I didn't have any other small bills. I went to a bank around the corner from the bus station instead, then browsed in Haddonfield for an hour and had lunch at the little pizzeria a few blocks down King's Highway from the PATCO before finally catching a bus to the Deptford Target.
While I didn't find everything I needed today, I did manage to get some things. I bought a new pair of sunglasses (I can't find the ones I bought while on vacation last fall anywhere), underwear, and three of those fancy new incandescent light bulbs at Target. I also found Seasons 4 and 5 of Garfield and Friends for $7.99, far cheaper than I've seen it anywhere else. I grabbed Season 4. I don't think I've ever seen the last two years of Garfield before. These would have debuted after Mom had the cable turned off in March 1992.
I had less luck in the Deptford Mall. Much to my dismay, their FYE was gone. I KNOW it was there when I went to the Deptford Mall with Jessa in July! I ogled WebKinz in various card stores instead, finally settling on a Black Cat for $8 in a half-price sale at Hallmark. I also grabbed much-needed socks at JC Penny and a new pair of cheap sneakers to run errands in at Payless Shoes.
Getting home was a pain. For one thing, the bus that was supposed to be picking us up at the Deptford Mall broke down and had to wait for another one to come. The weather had worsened by then, too. It was still sunny (with lots of big, fat clouds), but the wind was howling and it had dropped at least ten degrees since I'd started out for the library this morning. Riding home from Collingswood was hard. I could barely push against the wind.
When I did finally get in the door, I discovered that the bulb in my kitchen celing light blew out. Perfect! I was going to put the 60 watt incandescent bulb in my porch light, which keeps dying, but I used it in the kitchen light instead. I love it! It is a little less bright than the regular bulb, but it's also less harsh, with a warm, sunny glow. I put the 75 watts in my bedroom ceiling lamp, which also keeps blowing out. I hope these last a bit longer than the regular ones! I'll eventually replace all of my lamps with the incandescent bulbs, but for now, I'll just buy one for the porch light tomorrow or Saturday.
Oh, and meet Luna, my Black Cat! Named for Sailor Moon's Guardian Cat, the virtual Luna will live with Boo the Bat in their Halloween Bed and Breakfast. Her Witch's Brew Tub will be the perfect item to finish my Halloween Bathroom! The plush Luna will stay with the Sailor Moon dolls until (and if) I can find a real Luna on eBay. She doesn't really look like the Luna on the show (her eyes are green instead of yellow and she doesn't have that crescent moon on her forehead)...but close enough.
It was cloudy and chilly but not that cold or really that windy when I headed out this morning for today's errands. My first stop was the library to do this week's volunteering and finally return the Strawberry Shortcake and Broadway DVDs. I spent an hour putting DVDs away and organizing children's books. I spent about an hour there, but I had other things I wanted to do today.
It had rained a little while I was in the library, but the clouds were starting to break up as I headed over to the Collingswood PATCO. I hopped a train to Haddonfield, but though I saw the bus as I headed into the station, I didn't have the money for it. The ticket machines always give you dollar coins, which the buses don't take, and I didn't have any other small bills. I went to a bank around the corner from the bus station instead, then browsed in Haddonfield for an hour and had lunch at the little pizzeria a few blocks down King's Highway from the PATCO before finally catching a bus to the Deptford Target.
While I didn't find everything I needed today, I did manage to get some things. I bought a new pair of sunglasses (I can't find the ones I bought while on vacation last fall anywhere), underwear, and three of those fancy new incandescent light bulbs at Target. I also found Seasons 4 and 5 of Garfield and Friends for $7.99, far cheaper than I've seen it anywhere else. I grabbed Season 4. I don't think I've ever seen the last two years of Garfield before. These would have debuted after Mom had the cable turned off in March 1992.
I had less luck in the Deptford Mall. Much to my dismay, their FYE was gone. I KNOW it was there when I went to the Deptford Mall with Jessa in July! I ogled WebKinz in various card stores instead, finally settling on a Black Cat for $8 in a half-price sale at Hallmark. I also grabbed much-needed socks at JC Penny and a new pair of cheap sneakers to run errands in at Payless Shoes.
Getting home was a pain. For one thing, the bus that was supposed to be picking us up at the Deptford Mall broke down and had to wait for another one to come. The weather had worsened by then, too. It was still sunny (with lots of big, fat clouds), but the wind was howling and it had dropped at least ten degrees since I'd started out for the library this morning. Riding home from Collingswood was hard. I could barely push against the wind.
When I did finally get in the door, I discovered that the bulb in my kitchen celing light blew out. Perfect! I was going to put the 60 watt incandescent bulb in my porch light, which keeps dying, but I used it in the kitchen light instead. I love it! It is a little less bright than the regular bulb, but it's also less harsh, with a warm, sunny glow. I put the 75 watts in my bedroom ceiling lamp, which also keeps blowing out. I hope these last a bit longer than the regular ones! I'll eventually replace all of my lamps with the incandescent bulbs, but for now, I'll just buy one for the porch light tomorrow or Saturday.
Oh, and meet Luna, my Black Cat! Named for Sailor Moon's Guardian Cat, the virtual Luna will live with Boo the Bat in their Halloween Bed and Breakfast. Her Witch's Brew Tub will be the perfect item to finish my Halloween Bathroom! The plush Luna will stay with the Sailor Moon dolls until (and if) I can find a real Luna on eBay. She doesn't really look like the Luna on the show (her eyes are green instead of yellow and she doesn't have that crescent moon on her forehead)...but close enough.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Rainy Day Bored
Not a very exciting day. I spent the morning finally doing the dusting and watching Broadway - The American Musical one last time before I take it back tomorrow. It started to rain steadily around noon...and wasn't letting up at 2, an hour before work. I called Dad, but no one was home. I guess he was visiting Uncle Ken in the hospital again. I just rode my bike to work and got wet.
It was hardly worth the effort. Work was steady when I came in, stone-cold dead when I left. Other than one annoying woman who didn't read the sign on the bags of shredded cheese right (the sale signs are OVER them, not UNDER them), there were no problems. It was so quiet, I spent part of my last hour at work doing returns and the rest of it putting candy away and listening to the teenagers blab.
Not a very exciting day. I spent the morning finally doing the dusting and watching Broadway - The American Musical one last time before I take it back tomorrow. It started to rain steadily around noon...and wasn't letting up at 2, an hour before work. I called Dad, but no one was home. I guess he was visiting Uncle Ken in the hospital again. I just rode my bike to work and got wet.
It was hardly worth the effort. Work was steady when I came in, stone-cold dead when I left. Other than one annoying woman who didn't read the sign on the bags of shredded cheese right (the sale signs are OVER them, not UNDER them), there were no problems. It was so quiet, I spent part of my last hour at work doing returns and the rest of it putting candy away and listening to the teenagers blab.
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