South America, Take Me Away!

I wish I could have been in South America today...or anywhere but here. I started a sunny, slightly cooler day with Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes. In honor of Cinco Del Mayo, I pre-empted the Beatles show and ran the "Donald Duck In Latin America" movies, starting with The Three Caballeros. Oh boy, where do I begin with this one? Donald receives several Latin-American-themed presents for his birthday. The film opens normally enough with three shorts, the first about a penguin who wants to find a warmer home, the second on birds of the Amazon (including the nutty Aracuan), and the third about a little gaucho who races a flying donkey.

The movie picks up - and gets seriously strange - when Donald opens the Brazilian gift and his old buddy Jose Carioca appears. They first encounter a (real life) cookie seller who leads them on a wild mixed-media romp, then meet noisy Mexican rooster Panchito when they open his pinata present. Donald's been lusting after women throughout the film, and after the ladies of Acapulco get his libido going (and he and the other two sing the famous title number), he has a lunatic "surreal reverie" that takes in South American floral designs, dancing cacti, and live-action women dancing with three very lusty animated birds.

If you're a big Donald fan like me or are a fan of Jose Carioca (I've heard he's very popular in his native South and Latin America), this one of Disney's wildest and most creative films. Don't come here looking for a standard plot or anything that makes sense, though. This isn't for folks who like a lot of story in their animation.

I quickly called Mom before I headed off to work. Though our short discussion mostly went well, we did disagree over my job. Again. While I'm obviously not leaving the Acme job any time soon (or as quickly as I wish I could), Mom insists that because it's a union job, it'll keep supplying me and providing health insurance in my old age. At this point, I don't think about half the companies in the country right now are going to be around for my old age, whether they're union or not. A union can't stop companies from closing or changing. I'm sick of waiting for the ground to drop out from under me. I'd rather make companies come to me, instead of me going for them. I also don't see why I have to wait until retirement to make decent money or enjoy my life. What's wrong with making decent money and enjoying your life now, instead of in 20 years?

On the other hand, I do understand her concern. Mom and Dad-Bill have never had steady employment, except for the two years Mom worked for Michael's...which she hated. Dad-Bill has always worked as a commercial fishing boat captain, sometimes making a good check if the fish were out, sometimes not. Mom ran her own boat-cleaning business and worked for several small bakeries and restaurants in Cape May on and off through the 80s and 90s. None of these, including Michael's, offered retirement packages or benefits. They don't have any money put aside, and Mom's worried.

I was already in a bad mood when I finally hurried off to work, and work just made things worse. The Acme was almost as crazy as Donald and his buddies all day long. This is a very busy weekend. In addition to the beginning of the month, we had Cinco Del Mayo, local spring festivals and events, a Phillies game (they got run over by the Marlins, 14-2), Kentucky Derby Weekend, and weather that was perfect for impromptu barbecues. People were obnoxious and rude. The lines were long, even with extra help. People wouldn't help bag, despite holding up long lines. Two customers in a row put back a quarter of their order because it came out to far more than they assumed. I was tired and angry and ready to tear out my hair when it finally slowed down enough for me to close with no relief.

I was half-way down Kendall Boulevard when I heard a strange sound...and my bike's pedals suddenly jammed. I managed to get on the sidewalk with only a scratch, but when I checked the bike, I discovered that the chain had come off. I couldn't help it. After my lousy day, this was the very last straw. I cried all the way home. I know I shouldn't have, but I was so angry and frustrated. Why did this have to happen now?

Thankfully, my neighbor Michael was at home when I arrived. I changed into regular clothes and was about to see what I could do when he saw me and came over. He ended up putting the chain back on, fixing the loose tire guard, and pumping the tires.

Spent the rest of the evening quietly watching the other Disney Latin American-themed movie, Saludos Amigos. While still not a traditional linear animated film, this one is a tad less nutty than Three Caballeros. This short film focuses on four shorts. Donald has a visit to "Lake Titicaca" that goes astray when he ends up in a high place with a skittish llama. "Pedro" is the little mail plane whose first flight over the Andes almost turns disastrous when he encounters rough weather. Goofy takes his "How to" series to the Argentine Pampas as he demonstrates how an Argentine gaucho differs from an American cowboy. The film ends with "Aqualia De Brazil," a lush, surreal watercolor tone poem that brings Donald back in and introduces Jose Carioca.

This one is a bit more family-oriented than the lusty Caballeros, and somewhat less weird. In fact, if your younger kids are Donald fans, I'd start them off with this one before moving on to the sequel. (Also note that the Goofy cartoon has been slightly edited to remove smoking content.) Otherwise, same caveats apply here - for fans of Donald, Jose, and adventurous animation.

Finished the night with a related episode of Get Smart. In the early third season episode "Viva Smart," Max and 99 dress as fandango dancers in order to rescue the deposed president of a fictional South American nation. When the current dictator who overthrew him figures out what they're up to, he has them both thrown in jail. It's up to Max to get them all out...and out of the reach of the firing squad.

Cinco Del Mayo Girl 

Started a lovely May morning with this week's American Top 40. We stayed in the 80s, but hopped back a few years to 1983. Hits during early May of that year included "What a Feeling!" by Irene Cara from that spring's blockbuster musical Flashdance, "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, "Little Red Corvette" by Prince, "Der Komissar" by After the Fire, "Even Now" by Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band, "Solitare" by Laura Brannigan, "I Won't Hold You Back" by Toto, and two numbers likely inspired by the 80s' obsession with technology, "Mr. Roboto" by Styx and "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby.

That week's number one song also came from the year's biggest album. Eddie Van Halen contributed some hot guitar licks to one of the most popular tunes from Michael Jackson's smash Thriller album, "Beat It."

I was out the door as soon as the show ended. It was a gorgeous day for the first yard sale/farm market run of the year. East Clinton Avenue in Oaklyn was having its annual two-day street-wide yard sale. I was a little disappointed that many people seemed to be waiting for tomorrow for their sales. I did finally turn up four of the most recent Maisie Dobbs books, An Incomplete Revenge, The Mapping of Love and Death, Pardonable Lies, and A Lesson In Secrets for two dollars for the lot. (Lesson In Secrets was a hardback that appeared to have come from a library in Florida.)

I heard what sounded like someone singing "For Once In My Life" coming from somewhere in the distance, behind Oaklawn Avenue. I lead the bike slowly down the steep stone steps to Newton River Park. It looked like some sort of fair or event going on across the river. I rode around to the other side to discover people preparing for some kind of walkathon to benefit cancer research. I made my way through throngs of parents, children, and lots of dog walkers listening to live musicians and putting tickets in for basket raffles.

I made my best yard sale find at a series of sales on Mansion Avenue, across the street from the Westmont Acme. Didn't see anything at the first sale, but the second had some collectible toys...including a beautiful, near-mint American Girl Josefina doll for $25! She was wearing her Party Dress without the black "Spencer" jacket and the light tan fringed boots and tan socks from her Shoes and Socks collection. Her long, silky black hair had been thrown up into a very messy ponytail, and her limbs were a little loose. Otherwise, she was fine, relatively clean and with no markings anywhere. Josefina is AG's hispanic historical character, a shy, sweet girl living with her father and sisters in 1824 New Mexico. I can't say she's my favorite character, but the doll is lovely, and her books are enjoyable. She's my only AG doll with earrings or with her particular face mold.

I placed Josefina in my tote bag and moved on to the first Collingswood Farm Market of the year. Boy, were they busy! The place was literally elbow-to-elbow in some spots. I could barely move around. There's a lot going on this weekend - Cinco Del Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, the beginning of the month, weather that's perfect for birthdays and barbecues. I finally managed to squeeze between customers long enough to pick up Smoked Cheddar Cheese from the dairy booth, as well as asparagus, spinach, radishes, carrots, and mushrooms.

Found one more yard sale in Collingswood on the way home. They were mostly selling children's clothes and toys, but I saw a table spread with pamphlets and magazines from the 70s and 80s filled with craft ideas and a pile of blue, white, and orange yarn. I bought one of the pamphlets with some nice shawl designs for a quarter and the yarn for $1.50.

I didn't have much money left by that point, so I just headed back to Oaklyn. I stopped by Dad's house on the way to say "hi" to whomever was around. Dad is away on a cruise ship job, but Jodie was in. David, my cousin Samantha's husband, was cleaning up Uncle Ken's gorgeous pale-blue vintage 50s car. They'd finally found someone who wanted to look at it. They couldn't afford to keep it after Uncle Ken's death last fall.

When I got in, I spent a quiet hour announcing my find to the AG Playthings Board for adult doll collectors and looking up Josefina's outfits. I don't have the money to buy lots of stuff for her right away, but I'll keep checking eBay and yard sales for her.

For once, I could understand why I was asked to come into work today. We were busy all afternoon long. If people weren't preparing for birthday parties or barbecues, they were having southern Kentucky Derby feasts or Mexican meals for Cinco Del Mayo. There were a few annoying customers later in the afternoon (including two women who held up the Express line with far more than they should have had and ended up returning a quarter of their orders). Otherwise, there were no major problems. My relief was an older woman (one of the few who works late) who was right on time. I grabbed strawberries (they won't be at the farm market for another week or so), bananas, and honey before heading home.

Superman and the Rival Reporters

I was working on my journal this morning when I got a call from the Acme. They wanted me to come in at 12:30. Uh, no. I'd slept in and needed to go grocery shopping. Not to mention, the last couple of times I've come in early, it was dead as a doornail. I stood around doing nothing and wasting the company's and my time. I would go in a little early at 2PM. (Makes more sense than 2:30 to 9 anyway.)

Finally made it to the grocery store by quarter of noon. As it turned out, I was right. It wasn't that busy, no more so than it has been all week. I didn't have that big of an order, anyhow. I ran out of laundry detergent and dryer sheets on Monday; the small bottles of Acme's generic laundry detergent was on a good sale, and they have a box of 40 dryer sheets for a dollar. Chicken breasts were on a really good sale separate from the 4 meats for 19.99 promotion (which I never take part in - all that meat wouldn't fit in my freezer). Many Post and Quaker cereals were $1.88. Alas, not Oatmeal Squares this time; I went with Life instead. Restocked brown sugar and fruit concentrate.

After I got in, I had just enough time to run a Lois & Clark episode while having tortilla-crusted salmon and melon slices from the Acme and the last of the spinach and cherry tomatoes for lunch. In the first season episode "The Rival," Perry White is  hot under the collar because a rival newspaper keeps scooping the Daily Planet. Lois is upset that their top reporter is Linda King, a former friend who is now her main competition, for men and for stories. While Lois fumes over Linda constantly snatching stories from her, Clark tries to figure out how King gets to the stories first...and how to stop Linda's boss from wrecking even more havoc in the name of news.

Once again, I probably could have gone in at the original time and been fine. We were off-and-on steady all night, and only really busy during rush hour. Other than some annoying customers common for this time of the month, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

My schedule for next week isn't bad, and in fact, is much better than what I was getting at this time last year. Two late days (Monday and Wednesday), one rather surprisingly early day on Sunday. Otherwise, nothing too horrible, and Tuesday and Saturday off again. And I picked up extra hours tomorrow, 1-7, which is no big deal either. I'll still get all my errands in.

Balance and Those Two Guys

Started off an absolutely gorgeous spring day with yoga class. It was a little full, but not as much as it was last week. Even so, I have some rather sore joints, including my knees and knuckles, and decided I wasn't up to a lot of pushing. I did what I could with the back bends and balance poses that were being emphasized today.

I made a quick stop at WaWa after class for a bottle of Perrier, then rode home. I worked on budgeting and updating my inventories on the computer for a while, including adding Belle to the collectibles spreadsheet. I finally got off the computer to have lunch and watch Way Out West. This time, Laurel and Hardy take a recalcitrant mule out to a small gold rush town, where they have to give a young woman the deed to a mine she's inherited. The lass' guardian and his girlfriend want that deed for themselves and pass the girlfriend off as the real owner. When the duo discover their mistake, they try to break into the guardian's safe to retrieve it.

Very cute, and generally regarded as one of their better movies from the height of their talkie popularity in the early-mid 30s. I especially like their adorable rendition of "Trail of the Lonesome Pine." (And the end, when they're talking to the girl as they take her back to her hometown, provides some real life trivia. Oliver Hardy really was from the south - Georgia, to be exact - and Stan Laurel was from South London.)

Despite the nice weather, I was asked to stay later at work - there was a call-out. I told them I'd stay until 9, which makes more sense than 3 to 8:30 anyway. As it turned out, I probably could have left at the original 8:30. As with yesterday, we were busy during rush hour, but otherwise on-and-off steady.

April Showers Brings May Day Flowers

I slept in...and awoke to a blue sky and a cool wind. Despite the breeze, it was warm and sunny, just about the most perfect weather you can get in early May. I headed out to the Oaklyn Library after breakfast to return the DVDs and do volunteering.

Despite the nice day, there was plenty to do when I arrived. I walked into the tail end of this week's Storybook Hour with the local day care kids. While they selected books, I organized the adult DVDs and removed more stickers from the tops. (I really wish they'd be more careful about that.) When the kids left, I organized the children's DVDs and shelved kids' books.

I went for a short walk after leaving the library. It was a glorious day for it. I strolled past what's now Rose and Craig's new home. It looks far better than it did on St. Patrick's Day. The exterior has been painted, and the brick steps to the enclosed front porch repaired. I saw their van, but didn't see either of them, and a truck with what were probably workers was just about to pull in. I just kept going.

I wasn't the only one out and about. I saw kids playing during what I assumed to be their recess time on the front lawn of the Oaklyn School. People took younger kids for walks or bike rides. Lots of people worked in their lawns, mowing grass that had grown almost overnight, thanks to the storms. The "fuzzies" are out now, which means so is the pollen. I saw quite a few folks attempting to wash their cars.

Did my own cleaning when I got in. I scrubbed the bathroom while dubbing the first of three Laurel and Hardy videos I picked up a few weeks ago, Blockheads. This is probably the simplest and the shortest of the three "feature-length" movies I found. Ollie is planning on a nice anniversary dinner for his wife...until he finds out that his buddy Stan was brought home from Europe, after thinking World War I was still on. Ollie decides to bring his best friend home to his best girl, which leads to a series of complications ranging from them destroying Ollie's wife's car to their neighbor's (Billy Gilbert) wife ending up in Ollie's pajamas.

Two of the three tapes include classic Laurel and Hardy shorts as bonuses...and they don't get any more famous than The Music Box, the first short subject to win the Oscar in 1932. The boys have to deliver a piano up a steep flight of stairs, and then get it into a house. And yes, Gilbert is here, too, this time as a stuffy music professor.

Headed to work as soon as The Music Box ended. Between the nice day and this being the middle of the week, we weren't that busy. A lot of beginning-of-the-month people may be waiting for the weekend to shop. Busy during rush hour, steady-to-quiet the rest of the night.

I also just realized that today marks the 10-year anniversary of this blog. I technically started it on May 1st, 2003, though I didn't start writing regularly until 2007. Here's the first year's worth of entries, including the one that launched the blog. 

When the Sun Comes Out

It was still cloudy out this morning when I got up, but even as I headed out the door, the clouds were starting to break apart. By the time I arrived in Westmont, the sky was blue, the breeze was soft, and the temperature was climbing. My first stop was Dollar Tree. I mainly needed sponges and more orange marmalade. Bought a "welcome home" card for Rose and her family, too.

Next up was the Haddon Township Library. Not a whole lot going on there. The kids' DVDs are still overflowing, to the point where I didn't bother putting away the ones that came in after I did. Only had slightly more luck with adult titles. They really, really need to start weeding out their DVD collection. Either that, or they're going to have to buy more shelves or reorganize them. I did shelve some children's books, and I took out a few non-fiction titles. The library has the newest Garfield comic book, Garfield In a Pickle (literally on the cover) in. I also found the latest book by Sarah Ban Breathnach, the author of Simple Abundance, this one on money and thriftiness titled Peace and Plenty. There was a new job book called The 9-5 Cure that looked interesting.

I went down the hill to Crystal Lake Diner for lunch after I finished signing out the books. Despite it being lunch time, only the counter was really busy. I easily got a seat. Ordered a "Caribbean Shrimp Salad," which turned out to be a few small, bland shrimps on a bed of mango, carrots, and mixed salad greens. It wasn't nearly as good as the salads I've had the last few weeks were. From now on, I order sandwiches or meals at diners.

Doubled back to the library quickly to use their public bathroom (the women's bathroom at the diner was being remodeled), then rode out to Haddonfield. Got there just in time for counseling. I explained about my busy couple of weeks, the disappointing trip to Deptford, and Rose and her family finally buying that house. While I'm thrilled with that, I'm still frustrated about being chained to the Acme. What else can I do? I don't want to take any more online college classes for a while after the last ones I did wasted my time and money. I just can't figure out what else I can do.

So many of my ideas haven't worked out. I tried Weight Watchers to lose pounds. It worked...for most of 2008 and into 2009. By 2010, I'd dropped it. I got bored with figuring out the numbers and having to put them on their site every night. I tried Lucile Roberts. Dropped that when I couldn't afford it and got tired of having to do the whole "change into gym clothes/go to gym and use machines" routine. My job ideas keep going the same route. Barnes & Noble and Borders kept putting me off. The Library job I signed for last fall wanted more experience. I never heard from Staples. And if the writing market is overcrowded...what else is there for me? I feel like I've done nothing for a decade.

She said pretty much the same thing - try to stay positive. It's just so hard, especially at work, when I'm being fussed at by all sides. She also said to read the books I took out today - the two self-help titles might have some ideas. I hope so. I just feel so frustrated.

Made a few fast stops after leaving counseling. I quickly took money out of the ATM machine at the Haddonfield PNC. (And will have to remember to be careful when using their ATM - it's not only somewhat out in the open, but it's on the wall alongside the main building and next to the drive-in deposit stops. I held up a car getting my money.)

I had an easier time at Primo's Water Ice in Westmont. They were busy with a gaggle of pre-teen girls on their way home from school. I squeezed into the line and got a small Black Cherry Cheesecake cup. Not bad at all. The cheesecake pieces weren't all that big...but the cherries were huge, and the water ice itself was refreshing. I ate outside, letting the girls chatter indoors, then rode home via a busy, bustling Newton River Park.

When I got in, I went right into the bath. It was much-needed. I read Peace and Plenty while my Wynton Marsalis Joe Cool's Blues CD played brassily in the background. While I've never been in debt nearly to the extent that Ms. Breathnach was, I've never had much money, either.

After I got out of the shower, I put on the animated Wonder Woman while I made tilapia and asparagus in orange sauce for dinner, and then baked chocolate chip oatmeal bar cookies. One of the long series of direct-to-DVD animated films Warners made for DC characters puts their most famous superheroine front and center for the first (and to date, only) time as she travels from her native all-woman island home to bring cocky pilot Steve Trevor back to New York and retrieve Ares, the God of War who wants to rule all of humanity.

I haven't seen any of the other DC animated movies, so I can't tell you how it compares to the others, or how it fits with Wonder Woman's regular "canon." I do know this is pretty well-made for a direct-to-DVD animated film. There's a lot of violence, including two decapitations, so this is really more for Wonder Woman's older fans. If you love the character or other DC projects, you'll probably enjoy this one.

A Little Fall of Rain

It was damp and gloomy and showering when I got up this morning, and it continued to shower off and on all day. I slept in, then watched cartoons while having cereal for breakfast. After that, I did some things on the computer, mainly paying bills and going through old stories.

It was nearly 1:30 when I arrived at the laundromat. The rain still hadn't subsided, nor did it look like it would anytime soon. It was humid and warmer than I thought it would be, probably in the lower 60s. The weather must have scared everyone off. The laundromat was quiet all afternoon except for Steve Harvey's new show and one other guy who kept asking me to watch his clothes. Thankfully, I had a small load that didn't require much drying time. I was home within an hour.

Finished out the Disney shorts while I folded my laundry and made a quick lunch, then switched to some Wonder Woman. In the first episode of the third season, Diana Prince searches for a kidnapped rock star right before his big concert. In the second, she and Steve go after a Rolls Royce with a government secret in the hood ornament.

The Disney shorts had their own fun with traveling and adventure. Goofy, Donald, and Mickey are on the open road in "Mickey's Trailer." It's all smooth riding until Goofy accidentally kicks the trailer's hook off and Donald and Mickey and up taking a wild ride downhill. Goofy has his own problems when he takes a "Two Week Vacation" that turns into a disaster, and when he leaves his job to move to a tropical paradise in "Hello Aloha."

It was still showering when I headed to work, and it continued all night. We were busy during rush hour despite the weather; it is the beginning of the month. Things slowed down after rush hour ended, and it was pin-drop quiet by the time I left around 9:30. It was raining when I came home; I think it's supposed to continue through tomorrow morning at press time.

You Say You Want a French Revolution

It was cloudy and a bit cooler when I awoke this morning. I spent a cozy hour reading The Philadelphia Adventure and writing in my journal. It was past 11 when I finally started Mixed Fruit Pancakes for breakfast to use up the canned mixed fruit from the other night.

Ran Brunch With the Beatles while I had my pancakes and clementines. The final US-only Capitol album, Hey Jude, was in the spotlight today. It was mainly a way to collect songs that had only been released as singles at that point onto one record, including "Revolution," "Old Brown Shoe," "The Ballad of John and Yoko," "Paperback Writer," and the title song. I tried to call Mom at this point too, but she wasn't there. I figured I'd try again later.

Spent the rest of the afternoon watching Les Miserables. The only thing this sprawling, intensely emotional film has in common with 2012's other movie musical, Rock of Ages, is an all-star cast that knows how to handle the material and a genesis in the 80s (Les Miserables came out in 1986; Rock of Ages is set in 1987 and uses music from the 80s and early 90s). The story follows the travails of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), who was sent to jail for stealing bread in early 1800s France. He escapes parole and buys a factory, where he encounters Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a fired worker who is selling everything she can, including herself, to earn money for her daughter Cosette (Isabelle Allen as a child; Amanda Seyfreid as a young adult). Valjean rescues her from the greedy Thenadiers (Sascha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), then raises her as his own daughter. Now grown, Cosette falls for Marius (Eddie Redmayne), but he's involved with a student uprising in Paris and may not live to court her. Meanwhile, Valjean is still being hunted by Javert (Russell Crowe), a determined police man.

Wow. This was the most incredible musical I've seen in years. No wonder Hathaway and Jackson were both Oscar-nominated, and Hathaway won - they were amazing. "I Dreamed a Dream" is a killer moment. The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent as well, especially Crowe as justice-obsessed Javert and Redmayne as love-struck Marius. The director Tom Hooper also did the wonderful The King's Speech, interestingly another historical story in which sound, music, and speech play a major role. He insisted that the vocals be recorded live on-set, instead of in the studio. While the practice hasn't been used often since the early talkies, it helps to give a feeling of intimacy and immediacy to a sweeping story.

This show does have its detractors. While most people label it as a musical, it's really a full-blown opera, with very little speaking or dance. This isn't music breaking into the story; the music TELLS the story. If you can't handle that or don't do musicals in general, this is absolutely not for you. It's also not for people looking for a more typically light-hearted, glamorous romp. This movie is grungy and, for all of the singing, a fairly realistic representation of its time period. They didn't win a makeup and hair design award at the Oscars for making everyone look pretty.

If you're a fan of the show, you've probably already seen this. If you haven't, or are a fan of any of the stars or like your musicals meatier and more dramatic, this is an absolute must-see.

I ran a few Disney shorts before heading off to work. Work was very busy early on; they actually did ask me to stay later, but then said I could leave at the original time. It was just as well. Two of the new teenage bagger/cashiers came in around the same time the crowds started slowing down. By the time I left at 7, we didn't really need the extra help anyway.

The Perfect Spring

The weather continued to be utterly amazing. Sunshine poured through my window as I switched on this week's American Top 40 and finished out The Jedera Adventure. Late April 1985 brought in pop, power ballads, dance tunes, and charity albums to the fore, with hits like "Rhythm of the Night" by Debarge, "One More Night" by Phil Collins, "Night Shift" by a Lionel Richie-less Commodores, "One Night In Bangkok" by Murray Head (from the smash London musical Chess), "Some Like It Hot" by Power Station, "(Don't You) Forget About Me" by Simple Minds, and "Smooth Operator" by Sade. The #1 song that spring was one I remember well. "We are the World" was made by some of the most famous musicians in the business for a good cause, in this case providing food and medical aid for starving citizens of Africa. It ran constantly on the radio that spring, and I remember seeing the video on MTV.

I finished breakfast and got organized for an hour while watching Popeye cartoons, then headed out to run errands. My first stop was the Logan Presbyterian Church's thrift shop, which was open today. I wanted to bring one last small bag of donations, including that mini sewing machine I could never really get to work. Someone else might have more luck with it. I don't really have the room for huge sewing projects, anyway. For now, I'm better off with crafts that require less equipment and space, like crocheting. It was far quieter there than usual. I didn't see anything I really needed and headed out quickly.

My next stop was the Acme for this week's grocery shopping trip. I didn't need much there, either. I was mainly restocking fruits and vegetables, including asparagus, strawberries on sale, and those sweet little clementines. Found ground turkey with a manager's coupon; I'll make spaghetti and meatballs or meatloaf later in the week. Stocked up on canned fruit, including mixed fruit and peaches.

Also picked up my schedule while I was at the Acme. Pretty par for the course for late April-early May. There's one slightly long day and a few too many late days, but other than that, I have two days off (Tuesday a request for counseling), and nothing major to complain about.

When I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. The sun was shining. The breeze was blowing gently through the brand-new, lime-green leaves. The gardens were bursting with irises, lilacs, tulips, and pansies. People were trying to start lawn mowers in order to shear grass that had shot to Amazonian proportions in some places, thanks to all the rain we've had lately.

It was a lovely day to run errands. I made a short stop at the Oaklyn Library first. Mainly concentrated on organizing a messy kids' DVD section and the board books. I actually took DVDs out from there. They have last year's musical version of Les Miserables (which the Haddon Township Library hasn't gotten in yet). I also grabbed two cartoon sets, a collection of Disney action-themed shorts and two two-part episodes from the superhero-based cartoon Justice League.

My next two stops were short. I treated myself to a frozen chai latte from WaWa, as the Icee machine was being repaired. It was nicely spicy, but way too sweet for my taste. I didn't finish the whole thing before I went across the street to Family Dollar. I wanted to find a beach chair to lounge in on my porch. All they had were those "camp chairs" with the polyester bottoms. I don't think they'd be sturdy enough to hold me, not to mention not all that comfortable for reading. I went home empty-handed.

I had leftovers for lunch while finishing out the Popeye cartoons, then spent a blissful hour reading Simple Abundance on a felt blanket on my porch. It was a little uncomfortable on the thin blanket, but I couldn't find anything else that would work. It felt absolutely amazing. The sun was warm, but not too hot, and the breeze kept me from feeling sweaty. Since I was out there, I also swept the porch, which needed it badly, thanks to all the recent storms.

Went back inside when it felt like the back of my legs were getting burnt. I crocheted and baked an Orange Butter Cake (a variation on the Simple Cake from Clara's Kitchen, with the additions of orange juice, marmalade, and orange extract) while watching the Justice League DVD. What a difference two decades makes! This had almost nothing in common with the slightly goofy cartoon of my childhood. In the first two-parter, the current Green Lantern finds himself in a galactic trial for destroying a planet with billions of people. The Flash distracts the courtroom, while the others find out what really happened to the planet. Aquaman debuted in the second story, which had most of the League helping him rescue Atlantis and his family from his battle-crazed brother. I saw a little of this show during my years in Wildwood when I'd visit my folks, but never a full episode until now. Very interesting; I may have to seek out more, including the Superman show most of the same team did before this one.

Switched to dubbing the original The Land Before Time after the League ended. Little Foot is a baby brontosaurus who has been separated from his grandparents by an earthquake and lost his beloved mother to a "sharp tooth" (tyrannosaurus rex). He's joined by four other dinosaurs who were separated by the quake as well to lead them to the lush Great Valley, where there will finally be enough food for all.

If you have grade-school age and older kids who love dinosaurs, they should see this at least once. It was a huge hit in the late 80s for a good reason. The characters are well-drawn and the animation is incredibly lush, drawing you into this primeval world. This isn't for younger dino-lovers, though. The death of Little Foot's mother is every bit as traumatic as the death of Bambi's, especially as it comes after a huge confrontation between her and the T-Rex. My sisters and I cried over that scene when we first saw it; even my big macho stepfather wept openly.

This is a touching tale for kids who can handle the death and separation, and one of Don Bluth's best movies. If your children are younger, you may want to try them on one of the numerous sequels first.

Moved to something entirely less traumatic as I made Beans and Rice with carrots and corn for dinner. Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is the last of the 70s and 80s Looney Tunes movies based around bits and pieces of older shorts. Here, however, we have two entire new shorts woven in along with the original material and far more plot than usual. After peddling gag items to no avail, Daffy finally earns his fortune by making a famously grumpy financier laugh. When his provider kicks the bucket, Daffy gets the dough...provided he can start an honest business. If Daffy doesn't stay honest in his dealings, the financier's ghost proves that he can take his earthy goods with him. Determined to get rid of the ghost, Daffy hires Porky and Bugs to help him ferret out all manner of paranormal parasites, from a monstrous Tweety to a female duck who has been possessed by spirits.

Along with The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, this is probably my favorite of the Looney Tunes "movies." For one thing, the mix of new and old animation is far more seamless than it is in earlier entries. Having an actual plot helps, too. Daffy's "commercials" sprinkled throughout most of the movie are especially funny. It's still no substitution for the real shorts (and I think most of these are on DVD), but if you're a fan of the Looney Tunes, Daffy, horror comedy, or the previous Tunes films, there's a lot to like.

(The copy of Land Before Time that I found at a yard sale last week was apparently taped off the Disney Channel, probably sometime in the early 90s, from the look of the logos. Since the movie is barely more than an hour, it came with two extra Disney shorts, the Goofy hunting tale "Tiger Trouble" and a favorite of mine, the sweet one-shot from the 50s "Lambert the Sheepish Lion.")

The Road to Deptford

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today, sunny, breezy, and in the mid-60s. Couldn't have been nicer weather for late April and for my first road trip in ages. I first stopped in at Dad's to say "hi" and see how he was coming with the pool. The empty dirt plots have now been filled in with grass; Dad will add more flowers and plants as the weeks go on.

Rode up to Barrington after leaving Dad's. I was just in time to pick up the bus to Deptford. I've been wanting to make a trip to Target and the Deptford Mall for weeks now, but I've been constantly interrupted or have had other things to do. The major item I needed at Target was underthings. I picked up some groceries that were cheaper there than at Acme or that the Acme doesn't carry, including Smuckers' Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (the Acme only has Creamy, and it's more expensive), cooking spray, batteries, and a limited-edition Pillsbury Pink Lemonade Cake Mix. (They also had cookie mix.) Found Daffy Duck's Quackbusters, one of the few Looney Tunes movies I don't own and have never seen, for $5.

I didn't have nearly as much luck at Deptford. I did finally buy Belle, the last Animator's Collection Toddler doll I wanted, from the Disney Store, and bought two pairs of cotton Gold Toe socks from Boscov's (they seem to be the only ones who carry the good cotton ones). I couldn't find anything else I wanted. No one seemed to have good plus-sized sportswear on sale, and Boscov's had no women's sportswear at all in my size. They don't have a Lane Bryant, either (I swear they did a while back; maybe I was thinking of Cherry Hill), nor any book or media stores.

(And...sigh. From now on, I hit Cherry Hill on the rare occasion I need a mall trip. It's not as pedestrian-friendly, but it's easier to catch a bus there, and it has far more stores and more useful stores. I'll only go up to Deptford when I need to use the Target.)

I picked up the 3:18 bus at the mall. Finally got in an hour later, making a quick stop at WaWa for a drink on the way. When I got home, I put everything away, then went straight in the bath. I needed a bath badly. I haven't had the time to take one all week. Today was my first day off since LAST TUESDAY. I ran my Bing Crosby: The Essential Collection CD and read Simple Abundance for a blissful hour under soap bubbles.

Listening to that CD put me in the mood for the Road To... series; I opted for Road to Morocco. Bing and Bob are shipwrecked and wash ashore in North Africa. Desperate for money, Bing sells Bob into slavery...but Bob protests a lot less when his buyer turns out to be the local Princess (Dorothy Lamour). She's dropped her original intended, a wily desert sheik (Anthony Quinn), to marry Hope thanks to a prophecy. When the prophacy isn't exactly what the boys think, they find themselves on the run from the chief and his men and having to rescue Lamour and her handmaiden.

Road to Morocco is my favorite of the Road movies, and possibly the most famous of the series. In fact, if you want to get an idea of what this series is about, this is an excellent starting point. If nothing else, it has some of the series' best music, including the hit ballad "Moonlight Becomes You."

Oh, and I love my new Belle. She's such a sweetie. She has the nicest hair of any of my Animator's Collection dolls, long, soft, and brushable. She's the only one who doesn't have curls, and subsequently will probably have the most done to her hair.

Balance On the High Seas

I just made it to yoga today. Slid into a fairly large class, including at least one child. We all mainly worked on strengthening our core (stomach) muscles. I did what I could. I really didn't feel like trying to force things, like I did last week. I did a little better, though I'm still not all that fast.

Made a few quick stops afterwards. I didn't find what I was looking for at Rite Aid, but I did pick up Entertainment Weekly's Summer Movie Preview. I've stayed away from those for the last few years, but they had the new Superman movie on the front cover. I so want to see that. There's supposed to be another Wolverine movie out later in the summer as well.

When I finally got in, I made a spinach-asparagus omelet for lunch and baked brownies while watching Romance On the High Seas. Doris Day made a smashing debut as singer Georgia Garrett, who desperately wants to go on a vacation despite being broke. Enter Elvira Pratt (Janis Page), who has tickets for a cruise but is willing to forgo it to keep an eye on her flirtatious husband (Don DeFore) and his secretary. She'll turn the tickets over to Georgia...provided she travel under Elvira's name and stay away from men to protect her reputation. Meanwhile, Elvira's husband has his own suspicions and hires a detective (Jack Carson) to follow his wife onboard. Carson falls head-over-heels with what he thinks is his boss' lady. Georgia would love to fall for him, if she didn't have someone else's name. Meanwhile, Georgia's guy friend (Oscar Levant) meets the cruise at Cuba in the hopes of wooing her, too.

If you love Doris Day, especially her early musicals, you'll probably enjoy this. The farcical plot is nonsense, and really kind of annoying. DeFore and Paige have so little chemistry, you wonder why their characters got married in the first place. Carson and Day have far more fun as the pair stuck in the middle, and even Oscar Levant is shown a little more sympathetically than usual. Day is surprisingly laid-back, especially given her later, sweeter reputation; some of her lines are a bit spicier than you'd expect for her, and it's refreshing.

The music is by far the main reason to catch this, besides a luminous Day. The score was a hit in it's own right, and no wonder. In addition to the blockbuster "It's Magic," we also have Day's frustrated "Put 'Em In a Box" when her relationships are driving her crazy, Carson's "Run, Run, Run" in Rio, and "The Tourist Trade" for a specialty performer.

Mainly for fans of Day. Musical lovers might want to check this out on TCM before they add it to their collection.

Work was quiet when I got in, and never got more than mildly busy during rush  hour. No wonder. It was gorgeous today, sunny and in the lower 60s, and is supposed to stay nice all weekend. I was in and out.