Busy at Home

I spent most of the day at home, doing a lot of spring cleaning before Lauren visits next week. Started with two Rick Steves episodes that visit parts of France scarred by the World Wars of the 20th Century. In Alsace, Steves visits Verdun, the site of one of the biggest and most costly battles of World War I. The episode on Normandy and the D-Day beach invasion turned out to be especially timely, as today is the anniversary of that history-making World War II Allied battle.

After I left Rick and France, I started the cleaning. Made the bed first. I don't often make the bed. Besides the mountain of stuffed animals I have on it, who's gonna see it? It's really a habit leftover from when I slept on a mattress and most of the stuffed animals ended up on the floor.

Andrew finally mowed the lawn sometime between yesterday afternoon and this morning. He didn't do that good of a job - I could see places where it was still fairly high - but it does look much better than it did before he mowed. While the mower seemed to have mulched most of the leaves, I did rake the ivy bed in front of the main house and the path leading to my apartment. Got really bitten up by mosquitoes doing so. I felt like one big bite.

Scrubbed the bike and the porch furniture next. While the bike was more dusty and pollen-coated than anything, the porch furniture was a mess. It's old to begin with. I've had the two plastic chairs since Wildwood, and they've seen every kind of weather possible. I'm surprised they aren't cracked and broken yet - I only bought them from Family Dollar! They were coated with dirt, spider webbing, leaves, and dust. I did most of the chairs, but I finally gave up on the blue milk-crate table.

Ran two episodes of Get Smart during a quick peanut-butter lunch. Max and 99 find themselves "Aboard the Orient Express" when they have to get a briefcase filled with pay money for undercover agents behind enemy lines and get around a KAOS assassin. In "Stakeout on Blue Mist Mountain," the trio are joined by the Chief and head invention expert Parker when they discover that a series of KAOS agents have been bringing the parts to an atomic bomb that could destroy the east coast to a cabin on the mountains of the title.

I stuck to goofy law enforcement officials as I scrubbed the refrigerator and cleaned the kitchen. The Naked Gun is a spin-off of the series Police Squad! and the first in a series of three movies about the ongoing adventures of very dedicated LA cop Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielson). In this first movie, he finds himself having to clear the name of his partner Nordberg (O.J Simpson) after he's accused of being involved with narcotics, while proving that the seemingly above suspicion Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban) is really an evil mastermind who wants to assassinate Queen Elizabeth on a trip to the US.

Nonsensical? Oh yeah. Funny as heck? Absolutely. All three films are recommended, but please start here, as Drebin meets the love of his life (Priscilla Prestley) and we see how badly Nordberg can get used for a chew toy.

After Drebin finished, I did a quick vacuuming session. I really need to do around the walls, but it was past 5 at that point. I had neither the time, nor the energy. I'll do it next week. At least I got it done. I really want to get rid of the pollen in particular.

Went straight into a much-needed bath after I finished. Boy, did that feel goooooood. I wish I could have spent more time in there, but I did need to eat. After I got out, I made Pan-Seared Turkey Cutlets, Italian zucchini, and a farm market-fresh salad for dinner while watching Recess: School's Out! T.J Detwiler is ready for a fun-filled summer vacation, until he learns that all of his friends are going to camp. While they're away, he discovers a plot being hatched in the school that involves a laser and their principal disappearing before his eyes. The others think he's crazy when he brings them back, until they see the laser. Now it'll take all their smarts and know-how, and that of the other kids at the Third Street School, to save vacation time for the whole country.

One of my favorite unsung Disney animated films. You don't have to know anything about Recess to enjoy this hilarious ode to how important summer is to kids...and those who remember being kids. Classic rock fans will get a kick out of the 60s soundtrack, including the psychedelic video in the credits to "Green Tambourine."

Oh, and it was cloudy off and on all day here, but never really  humid or warm. In fact, it was probably in the mid-to-lower 70s, pleasantly cool for this time of year here. Thankfully, the deluge we're supposed to get held off until I was long online chatting with Lauren.

Spring Cleaning Days

It was absolutely gorgeous when I headed out around 10 this morning for this week's run to the Haddon Township Library. It was sunny, the sky was blue, and it was a little bit warmer than yesterday but nothing intolerable, probably in the upper 70s-lower 80s. Newton River Park was bustling with bike riders, joggers, couples out for a mid-morning stroll, and kids and their parents darting around the playground. Though the river is looking a bit mucky, the park is green and shady now.

Haddon Township Library was surprisingly busy for having only been open a half-hour when I got there. I organized the DVDs as best I could. The kids' titles and the adult titles on the side of the shelves with the M through Z and foreign movies are still full to capacity. I also shelved some children's picture books.

But the beautiful day beckoned. I headed out after about an hour. My next stop was the Rite Aid across the street from Westmont Plaza. I'm almost out of contact lens solution. They were having a half-price sale on a particular brand of photo albums. I was able to find one with magnetic pages that would work as a replacement for the recipes clippings scrapbook I found at a yard sale in Haddon Heights two months ago.

I had lunch at Capitol Pizza. It was noon by then. There were a couple of people watching the French Open when I came in. I ordered a slice of mushroom and a slice of cheese pizza and a can of Fresca and took them outside. Ok, so the view of parked cars and old buildings on the White Horse Pike isn't exactly scenic. On a beautiful day, it beats sitting inside, watching the French Open (tennis never was my sport).

Since I was back in Oaklyn earlier than I planned, I stopped at the Oaklyn Library on my way home. I just finished organizing the adult DVDs (including pulling the plastic off of a new one) when the first-graders arrived for their story hour. I listened to the head librarian read a story about a kid who kept bringing animals, from frogs to elephants, to the building, and the mess they made. I then helped her demonstrate the different parts of a library and all of the remodeling and updating that's been done in Oaklyn over the last year or so. I didn't want to disrupt the kids, so I headed out after that.

Spent the rest of the day at home. As soon as I got in, I got right into organizing that collection of recipe and food clippings. I added another small pile of recipes I'd gotten from various places over the years, too. Just sorting and cutting down the two piles to fit into the new book took almost two and a half hours. The recipe book had come with a bag of dividers, and there were already dividers in the scrapbook itself. I separated meatless main dishes from ones with meat, pasta and rice from meatless main dishes, and desserts from cakes and cookies. The remaining bits - a spice chart, a chart listing common household stains and how to get rid of them - were included in the back under "miscellaneous."

Spent the rest of the afternoon scrubbing the bathroom. I wanted to get it done last week, but I got called into the Acme. It was gross. I scrubbed everything as hard as I could, including the bathroom floor and the rectangle of linoleum between the living area and the bedroom. I normally do that in April, but I held off on it this year until closer to Lauren's visit (and because I just plain didn't have the time in April). I really need to replace the huge bath mat that's covering the linoleum in the hall with a new bath mat, or better yet, a real rug. It came with the apartment, and it's showing its age. The bottom is flaking away.

Oh, and I took down the spring decorations and put up the very few items I have for summer. I'll wait until after Lauren's visit to put up the decorations for the Fourth of July.

Ran The Muppet Movie while I had leftovers and farm market veggies for dinner and made Wacky Zucchini Cake (a variation on a recipe from the scrapbook dubbed "Wacky Cake," with added egg whites and finely chopped zucchini and no cocoa). The first Muppet film details how the original crew got together and found their way to Hollywood. On the way, they have several close encounters of the goofy kind with the Colonel Sanders-esque Charles Durning, who wants Kermit to be his spokesfrog for his chain of fried frog's legs restaurants. Kermit has a dream, however, and neither amorous pigs nor a multitude of guest stars nor nearly as many running gags are going to deter him from following it.

If you're a fan of the Muppets in general or the original Muppet Show, this is one of the best of their movies. (My personal favorite is The Muppets Take Manhattan, but some of that might be nostalgia talking.) It was huge hit in 1979 for a reason. While several of the guest stars and pop culture jokes may fly under the radar of many audience members today, the script is still fairly witty, and the Muppets themselves are as endearing as always. Highly recommended for fans of the Muppets or anyone looking for well-written family entertainment.

A Week From Vacation

I started the day in front of the computer. I wanted to make goals for finding a job and/or starting a business. I didn't get very far. I just couldn't concentrate. I'm not very good at making goals. I know I want to get out of the Acme badly. I just don't know if I want to move to a smaller office, or start my own business. I haven't a clue of what kind of office I could work for or what type of business to start or how. I'm just feeling frustrated and tired.

Calling Mom didn't really help matters. She wasn't in the best mood when I finally got through to her. First of all, she's not happy about having to babysit my sister Anny's son again now that she has a job and he's almost out of school. She and Dad are still broke, too, and Dad in particular has lots of medical bills to pay and no insurance to help them pay it.

Finally gave up on the goal sheet around 10 and went for a walk. It was too nice to be inside all morning, anyway. The scorching heat of the past few days had given way to sunshine, cool breezes, and perfect 70-degree temperatures. I strolled to WaWa to get milk, which I ran out of yesterday. The irises are gone, but the roses are out, and it looks like the tiger lilies are getting ready to make their appearances. Everything is a brilliant shade of green that even Technicolor can't reproduce.

When I got back in, I had a quick leftover lunch while running cartoons, then headed to work. Work was, in the reverse for my usual shift, busy when I got in and dead when I left. I guess everyone went out for their lunch breaks, then went straight home to spend a nice evening with their families. The lunch rush hour was far more congested than the dinner rush hour. It's still the beginning of the month, and there were a lot of annoying people. I wasn't happy that my relief was a bit late, either.

When I finally got out, I hurried home and went straight into a much-needed bath. My knees are sore like heck, and my heel spur has been acting up earlier than usual. The bath didn't do much for my heel, but my knees do feel much better.

I made Rosemary Fish n' Chips with vinegar (a dollar flounder filet cooked in Worcestershire sauce and vinegar with rosemary, salt, and pepper) and a salad of farm market-fresh greens and radishes for dinner while watching the Garfield travel-themed specials. Garfield's not thrilled with Jon's insistence on camping in Garfield In the Rough. The trio go west after they win a pet talent contest in Garfield In Hollywood, but Garfield's desire for a more-polished act may end up cutting Jon out. They go tropical (and sneak in some Jack Benny jokes) in Garfield In Paradise, where they encounter a rather odd tribe of doo-wop worshiping natives.

Garfield wasn't the only cartoon character to encounter trouble in paradise. The Tiny Toons discover that "No Toon Is An Island" when they find a map that leads to buried treasure and learn that jealousy can be uglier than any storm, ghost, or x-creating bird.

Dodging the Rain

It was only cloudy when I got up this morning. It was humid and damp, but not as hot as it has been; it must have rained overnight. At any rate, it wasn't doing anything when I finally made it out to do this week's laundry load. It was busy when I got in, but everyone seemed to have their clothes in the dryer. By the time my clothes were going in the dryer, most everyone was gone. It was just me and The Price Is Right until I finished what little I had, loaded up my laundry bag, and left.

When I got in, I put everything away and did a few quick items on my computer and my desk. I wrote out my rent check. I updated a few inventories and did this month's budget. While I have bought several things at yard sales and for the dolls, I've also been transferring at least 20 to 40 dollars to my savings account every week. I still have far more money than I did at this time last year, when I would barely have been making 20 to 25 hours. 

I had a very quick lunch of leftovers while watching Muppet Show episodes. I honored the late Jean Stapleton with the hilarious episode she appeared in during the first half of season three. She got to duet with Fozzie on the old Irving Berlin favorite "Play a Simple Melody" and with Harry the Mad Bomber on "I'm Just Wild About Harry." Leo Sayer was a popular British singer in the late 70s who is today best known for the smash hit "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Miss Piggy certainly doesn't feel like dancing - or doing anything besides karate chops - when a new, younger female pig named Annie Sue joins the cast.

It was still cloudy when I rode to work (delivering the rent on the way). The rain didn't come until much later...just in time for rush hour, of course. Between the weather and this being the beginning of the month, we were slammed for most of the night. We had the usual assortment of annoying folks we get hit with at this time of the month, including one woman who first fussed over having to split her order of Poweraides to get the buy 10, get 5 free sale, and then because she didn't buy the right size of Life Cereal to get that sale. She said she found those in the displays, but customers who came in later with that sale said they found nothing but the right size. She probably just assumed that they were what she wanted without really looking. Even her teenage son looked annoyed with her. Not to mention she held up a family with a toddler and a huge order; good thing they were cool about it. 

I was so happy that the crowds not only slowed down in time for me to get off with no problems, but so did the weather. Once again, it wasn't raining when I was out. It looked like the clouds on the horizon were trying to break apart. At the very least, I haven't seen any more rain at press time. 

Working On My Own Terms

I slept in this morning, then spent an hour and a half writing in my journal and finishing Where Have All the Flowers Gone? The most recent-set story of the Dear America series takes us to working-class Boston in tumultuous 1968. Molly Flahery is worried when her beloved brother Patrick volunteers for Army duty and winds up in one of the worst war zones in Vietnam. The confusion stateside, with hippies in Harvard Square and teachers getting upset over her probing questions about the war, is both intriguing and frustrating to Molly, who believes in knowing both sides of a situation. When she volunteers in a Veteran's Hospital, she gets a full-on view of what Vietnam vets went through during that time period and learns a clear lesson in injustice and compassion.

Very interesting, especially if you have any interest at all in the late 60s and everything that went on then. Molly is one of the more fully-realized characters of the series; evidently, her brother had a companion book about his battles in Vietnam as well. I also like that her father is a long-time fireman and her description of her dangerous work. I completely relate there. My stepfather is a commercial fisherman, and I'm also used to him doing dangerous work at odd hours and worrying about him and his men. One of my best guy friends in high school was a volunteer firefighter for many years.

It's rather appropriate that Brunch With the Beatles highlighted Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band today. This was one of the first CDs I ever bought; I still have it, in fact. I know many of these songs well, including favorites like "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "A Day In the Life." "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" were intended for the album, but ultimately released as singles.

I finally made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes around 11:30. Tried calling Mom, but I didn't get her. After the show ended and I cleaned up the breakfast mess, I switched to doing computer work for the rest of the afternoon.

I went over several lists, including what I want to try to do for the next few months and my reading and DVD-watching lists. I also took a look at the list of "goals" I made back in the fall when I was at home due to that fractured ankle. I need to make some real, concrete goals. My only real goals right now are to buy a laptop and get the heck out a corporate environment that I'm hopelessly ill-suited to and desperately unhappy in.

I really wish I knew what'll get me out of the Acme faster. I'm not sure if I still would be better off starting a writing/clerical/curating at-home business of some kind, or if I should just look for a job in a smaller, less busy and traditional office, or maybe a little of both. The very notion of traditional "job hunting" terrifies me and has been of little help when I have done it. I'm too shy for networking and schmoozing and pushing myself here, there, and everywhere. I wish there was a simpler way for people to find a job.

I'm going to continue working on the goal list and the worksheets in The 9-to-5 Cure and Personal Finance For Dummies through tomorrow and Tuesday. After Tuesday, I'll return all three finance books I took out of the library and will put no more thought to anything job-related until after Lauren leaves on the 19th. I'd really like to enjoy my vacation and take some genuine time-out from my troubles.

I had a quick fried-egg lunch before dashing off to work. Work was ok, with more grouchy managers than customers for once in the beginning of the month. In fact, my customers were in surprisingly good moods for this time of the month and year, maybe because the weather held off. It was sunny this morning, but clouds began gathering as I prepared for work. It rained as I was riding down the Black Horse Pike for all of two minutes. One of my co-workers said she heard the rain was supposed to be hitting here by around 7:30. I got out at 7, and at press time, I haven't seen a rain drop yet. I think the worst of it is supposed to come early in the morning.

Ghosts, Grapes, and Grocery Store "Yard" Sales

The weather remained dry and sunny but very hot when I got up this morning. It was just as hot on the American Top 40 re-run as we boogied our way into early June 1976. Hits that sent our feet to the disco in that late spring included "Silly Love Songs" by Wings, the lovely "Misty Blue" by Dorothy Moore, "Boogie Fever" by Sylvers, "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale, "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian, "Shannon" by Henry Gross, the theme from Happy Days by Pratt & McClain, Hall & Oates' first hit "Sara Smile," and "Shop Around" by The Captain & Tenille. Diana Ross continued her successful solo career with that week's number one song, "Love Hangover."

I squeezed in a few music-oriented cartoons before heading for work. One of the most famous episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures is "Toon Music Television" from the first season, which showcased classic videos for the They Might Be Giants songs "Particle Man" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"and the 60s rock songs "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Respect." There was also an updated spoof of the Mickey Mouse Sorcerer's Apprentice featuring Buster and Bugs.

Speaking of Mickey, he had his own encounter with pioneering music broadcasting. One of his more obscure black and white shorts is The Barnyard Broadcast from 1931. Commercial radio was in its infancy, and Mickey, Minnie, Clarabelle, and Horace were jumping onto the musical band wagon with a classical concert over the air waves. They also accidentally broadcast a mother cat and her kittens, which brings a noisy Pluto in...and brings down the house!

I worked unusually early today, but given how hot it was, maybe it was just as well. I wasn't happy about having to miss Collingswood's Town-Wide Yard Sale...but the Acme inadvertently made it up to me. The store had a "yard" sale on our front patio area to raise funds for a local family who lost relatives. I bought a widescreen DVD copy of Catch Me If You Can and a really cute stuffed purple grape. I named the grape "Fanta," after Coke's fruit soda brand. Hey, it sounds better than "Welch!"

Otherwise, work wasn't a huge problem today. It was really crazy-busy during the noon rush hour. Otherwise, it was on and off. It slowed down enough for me to leave a little bit early with no relief. I forgot cheese and fruit concentrate yesterday.

Stopped at Rose's first to see if anyone was around, then went down to Leo's Yum Yums. Yes, they were finally open. I could buy my first small cherry-vanilla Yum Yum (a grittier, creamier-tasting water ice) of the year. I even gave my change to a little boy who didn't have enough for a water ice.

When I got home, I went straight in the bath tub. Ahh, I so very needed that. My legs were sore, and my right knee hurt badly. I soaked for over an hour while listening to jazz interpretations of George Gershwin songs and reading books on being positive about making money.

After I finally climbed out of the tub, I threw together leftovers for dinner while watching Scooby Doo and the Boo Brothers. Shaggy has inherited a huge, spooky old plantation from his Uncle Beauregard. He, Scooby, and Scrappy head down south to check it out. They begin to wish they hadn't when they're spooked by a screwy sheriff, a goofy gorilla on the run from the zoo, and a pair of hillbillies who don't take kindly to strangers related to Beauregards. Shaggy hires the "Boo Brothers" to get rid of his uncle's ghost...but the Boo Brothers turn out to be not only ghosts themselves, but less than helpful. Shaggy's on his own if he wants to find out where his uncle hid a fortune in jewels and come out of the mystery alive!

Hanna-Barbara did three made-for-TV movies featuring Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy in 1988. Other than marking Scrappy's final appearances in animation, none of them were really all that popular. The irony is, for all the playing up of the Boo Brothers in the opening credits, they really don't do a whole lot besides occasional slapstick. (I have no idea why the hillbillies were there, either, other than as filler. In fact, they disappear completely by the end of the movie.)

This is Shaggy and the dogs' show, and they handle a decent mystery surprisingly well. Even Scrappy isn't nearly as annoying as usual. If you like Shaggy and Scooby or the late 70s and 80s incarnation of the show, this isn't great, but isn't as horrible as it could be, either.

Too Hot For Spring

Given it got into the lower 90s today, it was probably just as well that I slept in for a lot of the morning. I spent breakfast and part of the early afternoon watching more Sailor Moon. It was past 1PM when I finally made my way to the Acme to do this week's grocery shopping.

I wasn't the only one who thought it was too warm for a lot of running around. Much to my surprise, given we're at the beginning of the weekend and the beginning of the month, the Acme was quiet when I arrived. I mainly needed fruit. Strawberries and raspberries are on sale. Picked up bananas and the inexpensive packs of cantaloupe and watermelon slices. Found chicken drumsticks for a decent price, and a pack of Purdue ground chicken that was on sale and had a manager's coupon. Needed to restock chick peas, peanut butter, canned peach slices, and sugar. Crisco oil was $2.99 - I got my usual canola.

When I got home, I put everything away, then took a look at my bank accounts. Moved some money into savings, then paid a few bills. Even with the bills and a few things for Josefina and Samantha, I'm doing much better financially than I was at this time last year. Of course, I've had twice as many hours and haven't bought any large furniture or classes.

Finished out the Sailor Moon 4th season as I had scrambled eggs with farm market asparagus and spinach for lunch. A wicked, vain queen named Nehelania who had once been in charge of the Dark Moon in the past blames Serena's mother for destroying her chance to be forever beautiful. She was the one who captured Helios the Pegasus and turned the Amazon Quartet against them. She and her henchman Zirconium lures the Sailor Soldiers into a trap, then snare Rini and her golden dream mirror. It'll take Serena and Rini learning a lesson in teamwork and mother-daughter bonding to defeat Nehelania and prove that anyone can have a dream...whether they're young or old, beautiful or not so much.

I also got the lovely outfit I won for Josefina on eBay in the mail. I like for all of my American Girls to have something nice to wear for the Christmas holidays. Josefina crosses Regency elegance with Mexican flair in her very pretty yellow dress and lace mantilla comb and those cute pantalettes. If the white box with the burgundy band the outfit came in is any indication, this is an older version from before Mattel bought Pleasant Company, though it doesn't look that different from the current one offered on AG's site. I like that her dress is yellow. She's the only American Girl historical doll with a yellow Christmas/holiday gown, and it makes her stand out.

Work was slightly busier than earlier in the day or yesterday, but still not overwhelming. It was steady during rush hour, on-and-off quiet the rest of the night. We'll see if things stay that way when the beginning of the month people really start coming in tomorrow.

Oh, and my schedule is much better than it was last week. No very late or early days this time! The latest I work is 8PM; the earliest is noon. I have Wednesday and Thursday off again, like I did two weeks ago. Good. I have a lot of preparation to do for Lauren's visit on June 11th, including a ton of cleaning.

A Late Spring to Remember

I spent the morning finishing out the last book I have in the Donna Parker series. There's three more I haven't encountered, including the next one on Donna's trip to California. I may have to look them up at used book stores and yard sales. I genuinely enjoyed the four books I have. I'm also glad Donna made up with Ricky, even if she had to be embarrassed to do it. I like how much growing up both girls and all their friends do in the course of these four books. As Linda said at a chat, they're "refreshingly normal," and it was all a lot of fun.

I originally planned to spend the remaining morning and early afternoon doing things online. I mainly looked up job support groups. Mom's been suggesting that I join a support group for years. I didn't have much luck. Most of them seemed to be religion-based or too far away. I need to talk to people about how to get started and what to do now. I still want to do something with writing...but if not actual writing, then what? I have a list of jobs I made last year, but I haven't gotten around to doing much with it. I'm not even sure I could do anything in the writing or publishing business if it really is that difficult of a job market to break into.

And of course, when I was at my most frustrated, the phone rang. It was the Acme. Could I come in at 4? A stock person called out, and they had to pull cashiers to take over from them. No, I didn't want to go in, but I'd do it anyway. I have vacation coming up, and I still want to replace my laptop. I need to make money.

I went for a walk to cheer myself up and just to get out of the apartment. Ever since Matt at Dinosaur Dracula discussed Chipwitches in his blog article a few days ago, I've been craving them. I bought something similar at WaWa from Good Humor. It was a bit cheaper than Klondike's version. I haven't had a Chipwitch in years. The cookies weren't all that great, but the ice cream and chocolate chips tasted pretty good. I do wish the cookies had been softer. Oh, well. It felt nice on a hot day.

I got an idea on my walk. Instead of going straight home, I headed down Newton Avenue to the Center, a group of art-based counselors and psychologists in Oaklyn. I tried one of their therapists when I was looking for one, but she never returned my calls. I didn't have much more luck today. Once again, there was no one around, and no secretary or anyone in the waiting room to tell me who was there or if anyone dealt with career counseling. One of the male counselors seemed to deal with career counseling...but if the specialties on everyone else were any indication, the Center mostly seems to help teenagers and families. I took his card anyway and may still try calling him.

Ran more Sailor Moon when I got home as I looked up The Center and had a very quick lunch of leftovers. Hurried off to work as soon as I ate, ignoring the blistering heat and the upper 80 degree temperatures we'd been having all day. I wasn't the only one - there were several people outside, doing their lawns, even during the heat wave.

Once again, I probably could have stayed home. It was on-and-off steady, busier than Wednesday but not overwhelming. It's the beginning of the month, and we had several annoying customers. Not to mention, we also had some managers from other Acme offices who were there, doing inventory and checking out the store. Some were in a rush to leave; others weren't all that pleasant. I just did four hours and hurried out as quickly as I could myself.

Summer On the Horizon

The day started fairly sunny, certainly nicer than yesterday. It was warm, but a pleasant breeze kept things from getting too bad. I began the morning with breakfast and an episode of Sailor Moon from its third season. Mina and Lita both fall for the handsome principal of an elementary school. Lita loves kids, crafts, and cooking, things the slightly ditzy Mina isn't good at. When she tries to show off her singing skills, the kids tease her. The girls' arguments over the difficultly of realizing dreams comes to a head when CereCere of the Amazon Quartet wrecks havoc on the school fair.

I had early work today, 11 to 5. To be honest, it was dead and fairly boring for almost my entire shift. It wasn't even all that busy during the lunch and dinner rush hours. It's the middle of the week, the end of the month, the week after a major holiday, and it was much hotter than it has been. No one's really up for a lot of running around anywhere. I was in and out without too much trouble. In fact, I had lunch on the store. There were a lot of extra people doing inventory today. They had soda and deli sandwiches in the back for them...and the regular employees got to share the feast, too.

I went straight home after work. I did a little online research, trying to come up with the number of Camden County College's career counseling offices without going to their main site. No such luck. I gave up around quarter after 6 and had the hummus and lettuce wrap I'd intended for lunch instead, then swept the remaining debris from yesterday's weather and the wind this week off the porch.

Ran more third-season Sailor Moon during dinner. JunJun of the Amazon Quartet helps Rini's friend Kelly with his fear of the vaulting horse in one episode. In another, the Soldiers want to help a starving artist who paints only the truth...but CereCere throwing money at him isn't the kind of aid he's looking for. And Rini, Kelly, and Rini's best friend Melody want to help a classmate who is trying to invent a flying machine...if VesVes doesn't get there first!

Rainy Days and Tuesdays

It was just cloudy when I got up this morning. I ran the remaining "Donald Duck in the Army" cartoons while having oatmeal and the last blood orange for breakfast. "Fall Out-Fall In" has poor Donald on the march with his unit. All he wants is sleep and a hot meal, but first he can't get his tent up, then his fellow soldiers' creative snoring keeps him awake! "The Old Army Game" is a little more disturbing today. Donald goes AWOL for a night on the town. He has to play keep-away with Pete when he's found out...but the game gets ugly when Donald thinks permanent damage has been done.

It started to rain as I ran more cartoons. I thought I'd just wait it out. I went in the back to gather up donations, mainly videos and CDs, for the Acme's rummage sale on Saturday. I also went through the dolls' things to see if there was anything there I could get rid of. The rain, however, didn't end. I just rode to the Haddon Township Library and got wet.

The Library was actually pretty busy, probably because of the weather. I had plenty of DVDs to shelve. Maybe too many. The kids' DVDs in particular are still overflowing. I did take some out this week, since I had no huge plans and it's supposed to get really hot starting tomorrow. Grabbed Mister Roberts, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Scooby Doo and the Boo Brothers, and Moonrise Kingdom (which I didn't get to a few weeks ago).

By this point, the rain was coming down a bit harder. I didn't really have much money anyway, and I wasn't planning on making a lot of stops today. I just had lunch at Wendy's on the cliff under the Library. Good thing it wasn't busy, despite it being ten of 1 at that point. Wendy's has a new flatbread chicken sandwich. I tried the variation with honey mustard and no bacon. It was actually quite good, a little slippery but not too greasy, and there was plenty of meat, for once.

The rain finally let up as I left for Haddonfield, and I arrived at counseling relatively dry. I told Ms. Stahl about Rose's move and my babysitting Khai and about Anny's new job. I then went into the stress with my job, and how badly I wanted out of it. I just want to be a normal single 30-year-old with a normal job. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere, and never will.

She basically said that if I'm not going to be able to find a writing job (her son apparently started as a musician, couldn't find jobs, and ended up studying nursing), I need to find something else. The trouble is...I have nothing else. I read, I write, I edit, and I organize things. That's all. Those are my skills. I was really hoping to avoid returning to school and spending more money on expensive classes after the last ones I took were no help whatsoever.

She suggested looking into trades and talking to the Camden County College career counselors, which I haven't gotten around to because of work. The trouble with trades is, I don't think I'd be much of a plumber, electrician, or engineer. I do want to learn to do woodworking, but I'm not sure what kind of a carpenter I'd make. I don't know what I'd be good at.

I went straight home after that. It was raining again, and harder. I just got wet again. When I came home, I got online to look up trades and see if I could make an appointment with Camden County College's career counselors. I didn't have any luck with either. Like I mentioned, trades seemed to be too hands-on for me and require too much training. And Camden County College's page won't load. AVG keeps coming up with a virus, and did for Lauren later when she tried it, too.

Went in the bath after I gave up on that. I wasn't feeling very relaxed. Ms. Stahl says I set my standards too high, and that I'm always going to be disappointed because I do. Well, of course I do! When everyone says you're so smart and brilliant, wouldn't you expect more of yourself? Wouldn't you expect yourself to have a decent job, and a life around other 30-something singles you can talk to? Nobody ever told me I should be a plumber, or a carpenter. They said "you should be a writer." I just wish I knew what I could do with those skills, or in addition to those skills.

I made a very simple, fast dinner of a "tea quesadilla" - a burrito-sized tortilla cut in half, then spread with home-made hummus and farm-market lettuce and radishes. Ran the animated The Three Musketeers while I ate dinner and made slow-cooker rice pudding for dessert. This is one of the last direct-to-home-media movies Disney did, and it's by far one of the best. Here, the usual animated shorts gang spoofs swashbucklers and operettas. Mickey, Don, and Goofy want to join the fabled Musketeers after a childhood encounter with the original ones from the books. Trouble is, Don is a coward, Goofy's not the brightest character in Disney's stable, and Mickey's courage is a lot bigger than he is. Captain Pete, the dastardly head of the Musketeers, promotes them to bodyguards of Princess Minnie and Lady Daisy in the hopes of having an easier chance to off the royal mouse. While Mickey falls for Minnie and Donald annoys Daisy, Lady Clarabelle Cow gets in on the act to help Pete divide and conquer the would-be Musketeers for good.

While this doesn't have much to do with the original story, it's pretty cute on its own. I got a big kick out of it the last time I rented it, and I still enjoyed it tonight. Fans of the "famous five" or the classical music used will have a lot of fun here.

Animated American Patrol

First of all, I'd like to salute our troops on this Memorial Day, including my biological father Bruce (Vietnam), my late uncle Ken (World War II), and two who are currently in the Navy, my friend Jen Waters and my brother Keefe.

Second, I ran my annual Memorial Day marathon of wartime cartoons all day, starting during my late breakfast. Woody Woodpecker debuted in 1940 and quickly became by far the biggest star at Walter Lantz' studio. The war years were perfect for his wacky, noisy personality. "Ace In the Hole" has him desperate to become a pilot, but he ends up shaving horses. He doesn't exactly make himself popular with his sergeant when he finally does get up in the air! Lanz also made several one-shot wartime shorts. Despite its rather heavy African-American stereotypes, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" features a really swinging version of the title tune and is one of the few wartime shorts to depict minorities in the military. "Pigeon Patrol," the tale of a country bumpkin bird who becomes a hero, is a bit more typical of the era.

I got to the laundromat around 11:30. I assumed a lot of people would want to get their laundry done on their day off, but the place was quiet for almost the entire hour I was there. I had no problem getting my small load done as I listened to President Obama make a speech on the radio, then the French Open.

When I got back in, I put my laundry away, had a quick lunch of leftovers, and ran the "Donald Duck in the Army" shorts. Woody wasn't the only cartoon bird who became a star in the brash early 40s. Donald's popularity had begun in the mid-30s, but the war years made him Disney's number-one animated shorts star. Like Woody, he was desperate to fly - "Donald Gets Drafted" and "Sky Trooper" shows why he wants to get in the air, and what happens when he finally does. My personal favorite, "The Vanishing Private," has Don as a camouflage painter who finds a way to make a gun - and himself - really hard to see! The surreal Oscar-winning "Der Fuherer's Face" puts Donald inside Germany as the Nazis' demands nearly drive him loonier than he already is.

"Commando Duck," the eighth and final Donald army short, takes him into Japan, where he proceeds to "wash out" the enemy. Like the Popeye wartime shorts, the nasty Japanese stereotypes makes this a tough watch today, and it goes without saying that it doesn't turn up that often outside of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets. Audiences weren't all that amused, either. By 1944, many folks on the home front were tiring of the constant reminders of war and just wanted to get away from it all. Walt saw that, too.  Evidently, Disney planned far more wartime shorts than actually made it out, including several more on Donald's Army exploits and "How to be a Commando" for Goofy.

Work was very busy when I got in, quiet as a mouse when I finished. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm-but-not-hot day and a major holiday. Once the traffic on the Black Horse Pike settled down and people got home from the Shore, that was that. I was in and out with no problems other than spending the last two hours or so very bored.