Started the morning with Arthur's Perfect Christmas as I made the chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars for Linda and James Young and some quick chocolate chip muffins for me. In this hour-long special from the long-running PBS Kids cartoon, Arthur Read is looking forward to a holiday filled with just the right food, the perfect glittering tree, and tons of snow. Things don't always go as well as Arthur hoped. His sister D.W decorates the tree with unicorns rather than balls and is driving him crazy with her letters to Santa. His dad wants to make a "real" Christmas dinner of lamb and mashed chick peas. Meanwhile, Muffy, the richest girl in school, is offended when her best friend Francine opts to go to her family's Hanukkah party rather her huge Christmas bash. Inspired by the Brain explaining how Kwanzaa was created in the late 60's, Buster tries to get his mother to relax and enjoy their own kind of holiday.
Went into writing while the baked goods were in the oven. Scott and Betty develop a plan to get Pruitt Barnaby out of the factory and, at least for now, out of their hair. Scott, Lisa, and Alan show Pruitt the new Toy Soldiers to try to distract him while the others continue making toys in secret....but Pruitt gets away...
I got off in time for a very quick lunch of leftovers with Cranberry Flummery (which came out a bit less starchy than last time) while watching the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudy is a cutie-pie of a baby reindeer with a rather colorful problem. His nose glows bright-red. Though this doesn't bother sweet doe Clarice, it sure gets under the skin of everyone else at the North Pole. Tired of the torment, Rudolph runs away. He's eventually accompanied by Hermie, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and energetic prospector Yukon Cornelius. After a visit to the Island of Misfit Toys, they eventually end up back at the North Pole, where Rudolph's courage and their quick-thinking saves them from the Bumble Snow Monster. Meanwhile, there's a snowstorm brewing...one that may give Rudolph a chance to show Santa what his nose is really good for.
Work was quite surprisingly dead as a doornail for almost the entire evening. It wasn't even that busy during rush hour. It's too early for most people to be thinking Christmas food. It'll probably pick up next week, when everyone finishes at the malls. It was so quiet when I finished, they just let me shut down and sent my relief elsewhere.
My schedule this week is actually not that bad. One late day, next Friday. Otherwise, all late morning and afternoon work, Monday and Wednesday off, and slightly more hours than I have been getting. I'm planning on spending most of next week working on the Christmas cookies anyway. I probably won't go much further than the Haddon Township Library.
I had a ton of grocery shopping to do. Grabbed broccoli and mushrooms for the first time since the farm market ended, along with apples, bananas, and grapefruit. Restocked diced tomato, ground chicken, shrimp, tea (went with Stash Chai Spice), peanut butter, and cereal (Acme's generic Multi-Grain Cheerios were the cheapest low-sugar option). Needed whole wheat flour (would have gotten it at Thriftway, but King Arthur's was on sale), cooking oil, parchment paper, and brown sugar for baking this week.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Wrapping Up the Holidays
I began the day with baking Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars for my friend Lauren and her parents' Christmas box after breakfast. Ran The Muppets' Christmas Carol as I worked. Michael Caine is Scrooge in this 1993 version of the Dickens novella. Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy is his wife, Fozzie is Fezziwig, Robin is Tiny Tim, Gonzo is the narrator, and Rizzo's just around for the food. I've always liked this version - the music is fun, Caine's an effective Scrooge, and the Muppets fit the Victorian setting better than you might believe. Recommended for fans of musicals, Muppet lovers, or those just looking for a good family-oriented version of A Christmas Carol.
Charlie showed up while I was working on the cookies. He said he wanted to get into the back room to work on something between 11:30 and 3:30. I didn't plan on being around then, so that was fine by me. They just had to clean up after themselves.
Moved onto Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales while tidying up and getting ready to head out. This "special" is just a series of holiday-themed Peanuts skits intended to fill out an hour spot with A Charlie Brown Christmas. As such, there's some cute material, including Sally writing to "Samantha Claus" and how she gets a tree and Linus and Lucy writing to Santa.
First on the agenda was lunch. I opted for my usual cheese and mushroom pizza slices and a can of the new Mountain Dew flavor Cherry Citrus (one of their Call of Duty-based "Game Fuel" flavors). The college students behind the counter were blasting hard rock music and ESPN. It was so beautiful out, I opted for a quieter meal outside on one of the wooden tables.
The next stop was a quick one at the Oaklyn Library. I concentrated on organizing DVDs. I was going to do the kids' area, but the class arrived for a story, Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblin. I didn't want to disrupt them.
It was too nice of a day to sit inside, anyway. I made my way to Westmont through Newton River Park. Though some trees still have crackly brown leaves, most are bare now. The river sparkles like a green satin ribbon on gold and green wrapping paper. Needless to say, there were quite a few people out strolling, mothers pushing their children in in strollers, dog walkers, joggers. I dodged them, Canadian geese looking for lunch, and men working on the street on the Cuthbert Road side of the park.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't much busier than the Oaklyn Library. It was too lovely for people to be inside! I had plenty of room to shelve DVDs, new releases, and audio books and CDs. This time, I got most of the adult titles on, but those darn S DVDs were still overflowing on the kids' racks. I took out the holiday specials Prep & Landing and Gift of the Night Fury, the Christmas episodes of Shaun the Sheep and the current version of Angelina Ballerina, and the movie Arthur Christmas.
Made a few quick errand runs next. I peeked at Tuesday Morning, but their prices on Christmas boxes and bags still weren't all that great. (And still no new Ever After High dolls.) Dollar Tree had the opposite problem. Their stock of bags and boxes had been heavily depleted. I had a hard time finding a box that would be the right size for cookies. Also bought a card for my nephew Collyn's birthday this weekend and a bucket for the Acme's cookies next week. Went across the street to Rite Aid and bought eggs and a present for Lauren...then remembered that I'd forgotten to get the other things I wanted for her from Game Stop. I had to go back across a busy Cuthbert to grab them.
I finally got home around 3:30. To my annoyance, when I got in the back room to get the presents to wrap, I found a mess. Charlie and his men had put nothing back where it belonged. They hadn't even turned the dolls' clothing rack the right way. I was not a happy camper. I don't know why it was so difficult for them to put everything away where I had it. I wouldn't go into their house and leave it like that.
Went right into wrapping presents. I want to get the packages for Lauren and her parents and Linda and James Young out in the mail by Saturday morning. Anny's and Mom and Dad-Bill's packages (they and Linda and James are getting cookies) will go out the weekend or Monday before Christmas.
Ran the Angelina Ballerina disc The Nutcracker Sweet while I got the presents wrapped. I was rather disappointed that there was very little Christmas-oriented about this series of episodes. The first one had two of Angelina's best girlfriends competing to go with her to see The Nutcracker. She finally gives up her ticket so they can both go. Her dad tries to cheer her up with dancing. (I don't know why she didn't just tell both of them to knock it off and either not take anyone or another friend.) Teamwork was also a problem in another story. Angelina and Vicki are assigned to work with A.J and Gracie to develop a dance for class. A.J wants to do breakdancing; Gracie, tap. They argue over which style to use and end up not speaking to each other. Angelina and Vicki finally come up with another style of dancing that requires no practice and is even more fun - square dancing!
After I got everything cleaned up, I went right into working on my story. I'm still doing more re-writing. Betty now works at the factory as the Christmas card writer and designer. Mr. Barnaby has gotten orders from a grieving Mother Gloria Goose that they are to stop making toys and start making things for adults like adding machines that don't remind her of Christmas or her late husband. Mr. Eldridge reminds him that he still owns part of the factory, too. Lisa gives Betty and Scott the idea to give Pruitt Barnaby what he wants...and still continue to make toy orders for Santa...
I started marinating chicken breasts for Italian Chicken and Tomatoes with Brussels sprouts before I began writing. It was ready for cooking by 6:30. I had it with whole wheat pasta. It's an easy recipe that doesn't require a lot of cooking besides the chicken and tastes good every time.
Watched Gift of the Night Fury while I cooked and ate. In this How To Train Your Dragon holiday tale, the Vikings are ready to share their winter festival Snoggletog with their new dragon friends. They're all disappointed when the dragons fly off, even Toothless. While Hiccup tries to figure out why they've left, the other Viking kids create new traditions (like drinking yak nog) to try to make the remaining townspeople feel better.
Charlie showed up while I was working on the cookies. He said he wanted to get into the back room to work on something between 11:30 and 3:30. I didn't plan on being around then, so that was fine by me. They just had to clean up after themselves.
Moved onto Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales while tidying up and getting ready to head out. This "special" is just a series of holiday-themed Peanuts skits intended to fill out an hour spot with A Charlie Brown Christmas. As such, there's some cute material, including Sally writing to "Samantha Claus" and how she gets a tree and Linus and Lucy writing to Santa.
First on the agenda was lunch. I opted for my usual cheese and mushroom pizza slices and a can of the new Mountain Dew flavor Cherry Citrus (one of their Call of Duty-based "Game Fuel" flavors). The college students behind the counter were blasting hard rock music and ESPN. It was so beautiful out, I opted for a quieter meal outside on one of the wooden tables.
The next stop was a quick one at the Oaklyn Library. I concentrated on organizing DVDs. I was going to do the kids' area, but the class arrived for a story, Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblin. I didn't want to disrupt them.
It was too nice of a day to sit inside, anyway. I made my way to Westmont through Newton River Park. Though some trees still have crackly brown leaves, most are bare now. The river sparkles like a green satin ribbon on gold and green wrapping paper. Needless to say, there were quite a few people out strolling, mothers pushing their children in in strollers, dog walkers, joggers. I dodged them, Canadian geese looking for lunch, and men working on the street on the Cuthbert Road side of the park.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't much busier than the Oaklyn Library. It was too lovely for people to be inside! I had plenty of room to shelve DVDs, new releases, and audio books and CDs. This time, I got most of the adult titles on, but those darn S DVDs were still overflowing on the kids' racks. I took out the holiday specials Prep & Landing and Gift of the Night Fury, the Christmas episodes of Shaun the Sheep and the current version of Angelina Ballerina, and the movie Arthur Christmas.
Made a few quick errand runs next. I peeked at Tuesday Morning, but their prices on Christmas boxes and bags still weren't all that great. (And still no new Ever After High dolls.) Dollar Tree had the opposite problem. Their stock of bags and boxes had been heavily depleted. I had a hard time finding a box that would be the right size for cookies. Also bought a card for my nephew Collyn's birthday this weekend and a bucket for the Acme's cookies next week. Went across the street to Rite Aid and bought eggs and a present for Lauren...then remembered that I'd forgotten to get the other things I wanted for her from Game Stop. I had to go back across a busy Cuthbert to grab them.
I finally got home around 3:30. To my annoyance, when I got in the back room to get the presents to wrap, I found a mess. Charlie and his men had put nothing back where it belonged. They hadn't even turned the dolls' clothing rack the right way. I was not a happy camper. I don't know why it was so difficult for them to put everything away where I had it. I wouldn't go into their house and leave it like that.
Went right into wrapping presents. I want to get the packages for Lauren and her parents and Linda and James Young out in the mail by Saturday morning. Anny's and Mom and Dad-Bill's packages (they and Linda and James are getting cookies) will go out the weekend or Monday before Christmas.
Ran the Angelina Ballerina disc The Nutcracker Sweet while I got the presents wrapped. I was rather disappointed that there was very little Christmas-oriented about this series of episodes. The first one had two of Angelina's best girlfriends competing to go with her to see The Nutcracker. She finally gives up her ticket so they can both go. Her dad tries to cheer her up with dancing. (I don't know why she didn't just tell both of them to knock it off and either not take anyone or another friend.) Teamwork was also a problem in another story. Angelina and Vicki are assigned to work with A.J and Gracie to develop a dance for class. A.J wants to do breakdancing; Gracie, tap. They argue over which style to use and end up not speaking to each other. Angelina and Vicki finally come up with another style of dancing that requires no practice and is even more fun - square dancing!
After I got everything cleaned up, I went right into working on my story. I'm still doing more re-writing. Betty now works at the factory as the Christmas card writer and designer. Mr. Barnaby has gotten orders from a grieving Mother Gloria Goose that they are to stop making toys and start making things for adults like adding machines that don't remind her of Christmas or her late husband. Mr. Eldridge reminds him that he still owns part of the factory, too. Lisa gives Betty and Scott the idea to give Pruitt Barnaby what he wants...and still continue to make toy orders for Santa...
I started marinating chicken breasts for Italian Chicken and Tomatoes with Brussels sprouts before I began writing. It was ready for cooking by 6:30. I had it with whole wheat pasta. It's an easy recipe that doesn't require a lot of cooking besides the chicken and tastes good every time.
Watched Gift of the Night Fury while I cooked and ate. In this How To Train Your Dragon holiday tale, the Vikings are ready to share their winter festival Snoggletog with their new dragon friends. They're all disappointed when the dragons fly off, even Toothless. While Hiccup tries to figure out why they've left, the other Viking kids create new traditions (like drinking yak nog) to try to make the remaining townspeople feel better.
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Christmas at the Malls
I got up earlier than usual today. I wanted to get to the mall before it got really busy. Ran It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown while eating a quick breakfast. I have a soft spot for this later Peanuts holiday special from the late 80's. Unlike Charlie Brown Christmas, this is pretty much just a series of skits revolving around the kids and their Christmas adventures. My favorite moments belong to Peppermint Patty and Marcie as they avoid schoolwork and attend Handel's Messiah, and Sally's attempts to memorize her lines for the school pageant.
Headed out around 9:30 to catch the 9:47 to Cherry Hill. It was a beautiful day for shopping. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was breezy and a bit chilly, but nothing abnormal for this time of year. I stopped at WaWa for a coffee drink really quick and to make change, then rode down to the former Camden Restaurant Supply Store, parked my bike, and went across the White Horse Pike to pick up the bus. It arrived around ten minutes late, not too bad for the tail end of the morning rush hour. There was no traffic and no problems once I got on. I got into the mall around 10:30.
Spent the first hour walking around the mall. I explored A Christmas To Remember, a temporary seasonal store specializing in ornaments. They had tons of many different ornaments and Christmas decorations (though I kind of wish their sports selection was a little more varied). I did end up getting presents for Lauren and her parents and Dad and Jodie. Browsed in Build-A-Bear, Bath and Body Works, the Lego Store, and the Disney Store. Ultimately decided the toy and soap prices would be better at Target. (And the crowd at the Disney Store was a pain. The place was mobbed, despite the relatively early hour. I did get to admire their new Disney Animator's Collection dolls, though, including the second boy in the line, an adorably cheeky little Aladdin.)
Made my way to Nordstrom's next, then out the door and over the pedestrian bridge to the shopping center across the street. I took a look at Kohl's, hoping to find some nice novelty socks or winter accessories for my stepsister Jessa. They were in even worse shape than the Disney Store! There was only one register open, and the line was half-way across the store. I finally decided the sales weren't worth the wait and went to lunch early instead.
The Silver Diner was far less busy, surprising for 11:30. It was so quiet, I actually got to hear my jukebox selection this time. They didn't have any Christmas music on the jukebox, so I went with the Four Seasons hit "December '63 (Oh What a Night)." (Hey, it mentions December in the title, right?) I had the salad and sandwich lunch again, an enormous Turkey Club on white bread and a side salad. That Turkey Club was HUGE, falling over with slices of real turkey and crispy bacon and tomatoes and lettuce. It was perfectly yummy and filling.
Went right to Target after lunch. They were also very busy for the lunch hour. I roamed around for a while, checking out the prices and the sales. The toy section was almost as bad as the Disney Store. I did manage to get around people long enough to pick up Lego sets for my nephews Skylar and Collyn, a cute Fisher Price princess doll that jingles for my baby niece Lilah, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles playing cards for my youngest nephew Khai. Grabbed two sets of striped socks on sale for Jessa to wear to work.
Target always has the best seasonal sections. They have everything from unusual cake mixes to candies exclusive to them. Candy was the last thing on my mind, but they did have my favorite Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix, which I hadn't seen anywhere else. Also grabbed Betty Crocker triple chocolate fudge cake mix for a dollar, a dollar bin magnetic list pad (I ran out a while ago), a cheap bottle of generic milk and honey hand soap, and two small gift bags for the ornaments.
The only really big thing I bought myself was the Warner Bros 50th Anniversary DVD of A Charlie Brown Christmas. My original Paramount DVD is almost a decade old and has gotten pretty scratched up over the years. I thought it was time for an upgrade.
The crowds were so heavy at Target, it was past 2 PM when I finally got back over the pedestrian bridge and to the main mall. I needed something to drink and to cool off. Had a quick fancy Chai at Teavana, then strolled down to the food court. Since I enjoyed the last Blizzard I had at Cherry Hill's Dairy Queen, I thought I'd try their flavor of the month, Peppermint Oreo. It was crushed candy canes and Oreo cookies in vanilla ice cream. Yuuumm. Creamy and crunchy, with loads of mint and chocolate flavor. It really hit the spot after all the hiking around.
Since I had an hour before the 3:45 bus arrived, I took a look at a few more stores. I had peeked at GameStop and Jay Street Video Games when I arrived, hoping to find the Amiibos (figures used with the Nintendo Wii U) Lauren wanted. GameStop had one, but not the other. Jay Street just had older games. They didn't have anything she didn't already have at Target. I'll get what she wants at the big GameStop in Westmont tomorrow.
Only had slightly better luck finishing out Jessa's package. JC Penney's sock sales weren't that great. I saw things I might get next month or in February, but nothing for Jess. The line at Old Navy was even more ridiculous than the one at Kohl's! I finally found her some cute socks and a novelty pen at the Payless Shoes across from Old Navy.
The 3:45 to Camden was on time. Though there was a little traffic on Cuthbert Road in Westmont and Cherry Hill, there were otherwise no major problems on the road. I was even able to help a woman and her toddler daughter who didn't know the area well get to WaWa after we got off.
As soon as I got home, I took out the trash. When I got back upstairs, I organized all the presents into a box for Anny and her kids, a box for Lauren and her parents, and a bag for Jessa, Khai, and any presents going to people living in this area. Opened the DVD and put away the remaining items.
Went into writing after I finished. I totally re-did the next sequence. Instead of taking them to Betty, I thought it made more sense for Mr. Eldridge to take his grandchildren to the Toyland Toy Factory, which he partially owns and runs. He's currently the only living owner. The other two original owners were lost at sea. Cheerful former pig thief Scott Piper is Mr. Eldridge's assistant and the second-in-command.
They go right to a meeting with nasty Mr. Barnaby, who turns out to be Mr. Pruitt. He wants to buy the factory from Mr. Eldridge. Nothing doing. Not only does the old man have too many memories connected to it, but it's Toyland's lifeblood. The whole community would be thrown into chaos if it shut down. Both Alan and Scott angrily defend the importance of Toyland and of toys in general to the unimpressed Barnaby.
Had leftovers for dinner, then made those Gingerbread Cookies while watching A Flinstone Christmas Carol. This is a surprisingly accurate version of the beloved Charles Dickens story. Fred Flinstone is appearing as Scrooge in a local play, but he's taking the role way too much to heart. He's so wrapped up in the role, he forgets to buy presents and pick Pebbles up at daycare and is driving an already-busy Wilma up the wall. It takes the usual ghosts - and a scare in a closed department store - to remind Fred of what really means the most to him.
Headed out around 9:30 to catch the 9:47 to Cherry Hill. It was a beautiful day for shopping. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was breezy and a bit chilly, but nothing abnormal for this time of year. I stopped at WaWa for a coffee drink really quick and to make change, then rode down to the former Camden Restaurant Supply Store, parked my bike, and went across the White Horse Pike to pick up the bus. It arrived around ten minutes late, not too bad for the tail end of the morning rush hour. There was no traffic and no problems once I got on. I got into the mall around 10:30.
Spent the first hour walking around the mall. I explored A Christmas To Remember, a temporary seasonal store specializing in ornaments. They had tons of many different ornaments and Christmas decorations (though I kind of wish their sports selection was a little more varied). I did end up getting presents for Lauren and her parents and Dad and Jodie. Browsed in Build-A-Bear, Bath and Body Works, the Lego Store, and the Disney Store. Ultimately decided the toy and soap prices would be better at Target. (And the crowd at the Disney Store was a pain. The place was mobbed, despite the relatively early hour. I did get to admire their new Disney Animator's Collection dolls, though, including the second boy in the line, an adorably cheeky little Aladdin.)
Made my way to Nordstrom's next, then out the door and over the pedestrian bridge to the shopping center across the street. I took a look at Kohl's, hoping to find some nice novelty socks or winter accessories for my stepsister Jessa. They were in even worse shape than the Disney Store! There was only one register open, and the line was half-way across the store. I finally decided the sales weren't worth the wait and went to lunch early instead.
The Silver Diner was far less busy, surprising for 11:30. It was so quiet, I actually got to hear my jukebox selection this time. They didn't have any Christmas music on the jukebox, so I went with the Four Seasons hit "December '63 (Oh What a Night)." (Hey, it mentions December in the title, right?) I had the salad and sandwich lunch again, an enormous Turkey Club on white bread and a side salad. That Turkey Club was HUGE, falling over with slices of real turkey and crispy bacon and tomatoes and lettuce. It was perfectly yummy and filling.
Went right to Target after lunch. They were also very busy for the lunch hour. I roamed around for a while, checking out the prices and the sales. The toy section was almost as bad as the Disney Store. I did manage to get around people long enough to pick up Lego sets for my nephews Skylar and Collyn, a cute Fisher Price princess doll that jingles for my baby niece Lilah, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles playing cards for my youngest nephew Khai. Grabbed two sets of striped socks on sale for Jessa to wear to work.
Target always has the best seasonal sections. They have everything from unusual cake mixes to candies exclusive to them. Candy was the last thing on my mind, but they did have my favorite Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix, which I hadn't seen anywhere else. Also grabbed Betty Crocker triple chocolate fudge cake mix for a dollar, a dollar bin magnetic list pad (I ran out a while ago), a cheap bottle of generic milk and honey hand soap, and two small gift bags for the ornaments.
The only really big thing I bought myself was the Warner Bros 50th Anniversary DVD of A Charlie Brown Christmas. My original Paramount DVD is almost a decade old and has gotten pretty scratched up over the years. I thought it was time for an upgrade.
The crowds were so heavy at Target, it was past 2 PM when I finally got back over the pedestrian bridge and to the main mall. I needed something to drink and to cool off. Had a quick fancy Chai at Teavana, then strolled down to the food court. Since I enjoyed the last Blizzard I had at Cherry Hill's Dairy Queen, I thought I'd try their flavor of the month, Peppermint Oreo. It was crushed candy canes and Oreo cookies in vanilla ice cream. Yuuumm. Creamy and crunchy, with loads of mint and chocolate flavor. It really hit the spot after all the hiking around.
Since I had an hour before the 3:45 bus arrived, I took a look at a few more stores. I had peeked at GameStop and Jay Street Video Games when I arrived, hoping to find the Amiibos (figures used with the Nintendo Wii U) Lauren wanted. GameStop had one, but not the other. Jay Street just had older games. They didn't have anything she didn't already have at Target. I'll get what she wants at the big GameStop in Westmont tomorrow.
Only had slightly better luck finishing out Jessa's package. JC Penney's sock sales weren't that great. I saw things I might get next month or in February, but nothing for Jess. The line at Old Navy was even more ridiculous than the one at Kohl's! I finally found her some cute socks and a novelty pen at the Payless Shoes across from Old Navy.
The 3:45 to Camden was on time. Though there was a little traffic on Cuthbert Road in Westmont and Cherry Hill, there were otherwise no major problems on the road. I was even able to help a woman and her toddler daughter who didn't know the area well get to WaWa after we got off.
As soon as I got home, I took out the trash. When I got back upstairs, I organized all the presents into a box for Anny and her kids, a box for Lauren and her parents, and a bag for Jessa, Khai, and any presents going to people living in this area. Opened the DVD and put away the remaining items.
Went into writing after I finished. I totally re-did the next sequence. Instead of taking them to Betty, I thought it made more sense for Mr. Eldridge to take his grandchildren to the Toyland Toy Factory, which he partially owns and runs. He's currently the only living owner. The other two original owners were lost at sea. Cheerful former pig thief Scott Piper is Mr. Eldridge's assistant and the second-in-command.
They go right to a meeting with nasty Mr. Barnaby, who turns out to be Mr. Pruitt. He wants to buy the factory from Mr. Eldridge. Nothing doing. Not only does the old man have too many memories connected to it, but it's Toyland's lifeblood. The whole community would be thrown into chaos if it shut down. Both Alan and Scott angrily defend the importance of Toyland and of toys in general to the unimpressed Barnaby.
Had leftovers for dinner, then made those Gingerbread Cookies while watching A Flinstone Christmas Carol. This is a surprisingly accurate version of the beloved Charles Dickens story. Fred Flinstone is appearing as Scrooge in a local play, but he's taking the role way too much to heart. He's so wrapped up in the role, he forgets to buy presents and pick Pebbles up at daycare and is driving an already-busy Wilma up the wall. It takes the usual ghosts - and a scare in a closed department store - to remind Fred of what really means the most to him.
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Quiet Day at Work and Home
I forgot to set the alarm this morning and got up later than I planned. I barely had enough time for breakfast and to watch Little Drummer Boy, Book II. This late-70's follow-up to the original has Aaron and his animals aiding a bell-maker who created silver bells to herald the arrival of the newborn baby Jesus. This may not happen when a group of greedy Roman tax collectors (Zero Mostel voices their captain) steal the bells for taxes. Aaron helps retrieve them, but at a very high cost for him...
Work was exactly the same as yesterday - quiet when I came in and when I left, busy during rush hour. It's still a little early for most people to start thinking of Christmas baking and party food, and we're getting past the beginning of the month. There were a few cranky or just plain rude customers. Otherwise, there were no major problems, and my relief was on time. In fact, I spent a lot of the first hour doing returns.
It was such a nice day, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. I got off at 3, a lot earlier than I have been lately. It was a little busy down there, but not nearly as bad as usual. The weather was wonderful. The sky was blue, there was barely any wind, and it was chilly but not freezing, perfect weather for early December in Southern New Jersey.
There was a package waiting for me when I got home. Linda and James Young sent their annual box of Christmas gifts. Most were listed as "do not open until Christmas" (including one intriguing flat package), but there was one I could open now. It was a Christmas-themed cookbook by Susan Branch. I looked over it a little later in the evening and will go over it more thoroughly later this week and next week when I go into the holiday baking.
Went into writing next. Re-wrote the previous sequence so that Betty says she can't go out with Scott now, but might be willing to attend the Christmas Festival with him. Scott is walking on air, until a jealous Pruitt Barnaby reminds him that he should be working at the Toyland Toy Factory. He asks him how he got his job when he's a former pig thief and scoundrel. Scott explains he was given the job by his friend Victor Be Nimble before he was lost at sea.
I tried to watch Descendants as I made meatloaf, a baked sweet potato, and leftover green beans and almonds for dinner. I got half-way through the tale of the offspring of Disney villains who are supposed to wreck havoc on a school for Disney heroes when they're invited to attend when the DVD started skipping so badly, it wouldn't play. Turns out the library's copy was already scratched rather badly, despite the movie not having been out that long!
I finally gave up and put on A Charlie Brown Christmas instead. That also skipped, though not as much as Descendants. In the first and most popular of the Peanuts holiday specials, Charlie Brown is tired of the grab, grab around him. He finally agrees to help Lucy direct their Christmas pageant, but even that doesn't help. He finally brings back a tree...but this is the mid-60's, and tiny, real holiday tress are not fashionable. When Chuck wails that he just wants to know what Christmas means, his best friend Linus' heart-felt answer finally proves, to him and the others, that there's a lot more to the holiday season than jazz, real estate, and pink aluminum Christmas trees.
Did this year's Christmas cards while Descendants and Charlie Brown were on. Any cards that need to go out in the mail and aren't being sent in packages will go out tomorrow. Cards that go out in packages that are going out of state will hopefully be out by Saturday or Monday at the latest. Cards that will be included with in-state packages probably won't go out until the weekend before Christmas or that Monday. Cards for people who live within biking distance or whom I will probably see during the holiday season will mostly be delivered the week of Christmas.
Work was exactly the same as yesterday - quiet when I came in and when I left, busy during rush hour. It's still a little early for most people to start thinking of Christmas baking and party food, and we're getting past the beginning of the month. There were a few cranky or just plain rude customers. Otherwise, there were no major problems, and my relief was on time. In fact, I spent a lot of the first hour doing returns.
It was such a nice day, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. I got off at 3, a lot earlier than I have been lately. It was a little busy down there, but not nearly as bad as usual. The weather was wonderful. The sky was blue, there was barely any wind, and it was chilly but not freezing, perfect weather for early December in Southern New Jersey.
There was a package waiting for me when I got home. Linda and James Young sent their annual box of Christmas gifts. Most were listed as "do not open until Christmas" (including one intriguing flat package), but there was one I could open now. It was a Christmas-themed cookbook by Susan Branch. I looked over it a little later in the evening and will go over it more thoroughly later this week and next week when I go into the holiday baking.
Went into writing next. Re-wrote the previous sequence so that Betty says she can't go out with Scott now, but might be willing to attend the Christmas Festival with him. Scott is walking on air, until a jealous Pruitt Barnaby reminds him that he should be working at the Toyland Toy Factory. He asks him how he got his job when he's a former pig thief and scoundrel. Scott explains he was given the job by his friend Victor Be Nimble before he was lost at sea.
I tried to watch Descendants as I made meatloaf, a baked sweet potato, and leftover green beans and almonds for dinner. I got half-way through the tale of the offspring of Disney villains who are supposed to wreck havoc on a school for Disney heroes when they're invited to attend when the DVD started skipping so badly, it wouldn't play. Turns out the library's copy was already scratched rather badly, despite the movie not having been out that long!
I finally gave up and put on A Charlie Brown Christmas instead. That also skipped, though not as much as Descendants. In the first and most popular of the Peanuts holiday specials, Charlie Brown is tired of the grab, grab around him. He finally agrees to help Lucy direct their Christmas pageant, but even that doesn't help. He finally brings back a tree...but this is the mid-60's, and tiny, real holiday tress are not fashionable. When Chuck wails that he just wants to know what Christmas means, his best friend Linus' heart-felt answer finally proves, to him and the others, that there's a lot more to the holiday season than jazz, real estate, and pink aluminum Christmas trees.
Did this year's Christmas cards while Descendants and Charlie Brown were on. Any cards that need to go out in the mail and aren't being sent in packages will go out tomorrow. Cards that go out in packages that are going out of state will hopefully be out by Saturday or Monday at the latest. Cards that will be included with in-state packages probably won't go out until the weekend before Christmas or that Monday. Cards for people who live within biking distance or whom I will probably see during the holiday season will mostly be delivered the week of Christmas.
Monday, December 07, 2015
Let There Be Lights
The weather remained beautiful as I awoke to, much to my surprise, a quiet morning. There was no banging or cursing downstairs. The guys must have taken advantage of the beautiful morning to go fishing. I was able to read short stories and essays about Hanukkah, which started yesterday, in peace. I did a few poems, an essay on how the Jews chased their enemies out of Israel and the oil that lasted for eight days, an excerpt from one of the All-Of-A-Kind Family books about their Hanukkah celebrations in the early 20th century, and a touching story of a boy in the early 50's who is taken in by American relatives and feels overwhelmed by their big celebrations after his spare ones in the devastated Europe.
(And by the way, Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it! While I'm not Jewish, there were several Jewish families in Cape May when I was growing up in the 80's and early 90's. There were so many Jewish kids in my class, when my elementary school did a program that had each class learning about the holiday customs of different countries around the world, we got Israel. Some of the mothers made us potato pancakes, and we each got our own little plastic dreidel. We had that dreidel for years, and I still love potato pancakes to this day. There was a light-up wooden menorah on the Washington Street Mall in Cape May along with all the Christmas lights.)
Finished out the 1954 Christmas Carol as I ate cereal and half of a grapefruit for breakfast. Went into The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas as I did the dishes and rounded up the laundry. Ted E. Bear is more curious than most bears, who are content to hibernate all winter. He wants to know about Christmas. The other bears all think he's crazy, but he's determined to find just where this "Christmas" is. He wanders into the city, where he encounters a strange old man in a red suit who explains that Christmas isn't a place. It's a feeling...and he'll lend Ted a hand in finding that feeling.
I didn't make it to the laundromat until quarter of 12. And then, I had to go across the street to Amato Bros to cash one of the bills. The machine just wouldn't take it, no matter how hard I tried to straighten it. Otherwise, it was quiet when I came in. By the time it got busy, my small load was almost out of the drier. I listened to The View and Action News on Channel 6 and worked on notes for Babes In WENNland.
When I got in, I ran Santa Claus Is Coming to Town while putting my laundry away and having a quick lunch of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and dried mushrooms. Rankin-Bass did this take on the Santa legends in 1970. This unique take on the Santa legends presents the famous toymaker as Kris Kringle, a foundling who eventually brings toys to the children of Somber Town. The nasty Burgermeister Meister Burger hates toys and wants to destroy them. Meanwhile, Kris does what he can to befriend the Winter Warlock, an old grouch who lives on the mountain near Somber Town
Work was...actually pretty quiet. It did get busy during rush hour, and we did have to call people up to deal with it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as last week or over the weekend. There were no major problems, and my relief was actually early.
When I got in, I put on another classic Rankin-Bass special while defrosting frozen green beans and almonds and the last leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken leg for dinner. The Little Drummer Boy is Aaron, a bitter orphan who became angry with humankind after bandits killed his parents. It takes an encounter with three wise men and a tiny baby who restores his injured lamb to make him understand the importance of loving your fellow man.
Worked on a little writing after I got out of the shower, mainly re-writing to make Alan and Lisa Mr. Eldridge's grandchildren. Betty turns Scott down for a date that night...but she agrees to go with him to the Christmas Festival. Maybe. That's enough for Scott. Pruitt Barnaby isn't as happy and reminds him that he should be at work in the Toyland Toy Factory.
(And by the way, Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it! While I'm not Jewish, there were several Jewish families in Cape May when I was growing up in the 80's and early 90's. There were so many Jewish kids in my class, when my elementary school did a program that had each class learning about the holiday customs of different countries around the world, we got Israel. Some of the mothers made us potato pancakes, and we each got our own little plastic dreidel. We had that dreidel for years, and I still love potato pancakes to this day. There was a light-up wooden menorah on the Washington Street Mall in Cape May along with all the Christmas lights.)
Finished out the 1954 Christmas Carol as I ate cereal and half of a grapefruit for breakfast. Went into The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas as I did the dishes and rounded up the laundry. Ted E. Bear is more curious than most bears, who are content to hibernate all winter. He wants to know about Christmas. The other bears all think he's crazy, but he's determined to find just where this "Christmas" is. He wanders into the city, where he encounters a strange old man in a red suit who explains that Christmas isn't a place. It's a feeling...and he'll lend Ted a hand in finding that feeling.
I didn't make it to the laundromat until quarter of 12. And then, I had to go across the street to Amato Bros to cash one of the bills. The machine just wouldn't take it, no matter how hard I tried to straighten it. Otherwise, it was quiet when I came in. By the time it got busy, my small load was almost out of the drier. I listened to The View and Action News on Channel 6 and worked on notes for Babes In WENNland.
When I got in, I ran Santa Claus Is Coming to Town while putting my laundry away and having a quick lunch of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and dried mushrooms. Rankin-Bass did this take on the Santa legends in 1970. This unique take on the Santa legends presents the famous toymaker as Kris Kringle, a foundling who eventually brings toys to the children of Somber Town. The nasty Burgermeister Meister Burger hates toys and wants to destroy them. Meanwhile, Kris does what he can to befriend the Winter Warlock, an old grouch who lives on the mountain near Somber Town
Work was...actually pretty quiet. It did get busy during rush hour, and we did have to call people up to deal with it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as last week or over the weekend. There were no major problems, and my relief was actually early.
When I got in, I put on another classic Rankin-Bass special while defrosting frozen green beans and almonds and the last leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken leg for dinner. The Little Drummer Boy is Aaron, a bitter orphan who became angry with humankind after bandits killed his parents. It takes an encounter with three wise men and a tiny baby who restores his injured lamb to make him understand the importance of loving your fellow man.
Worked on a little writing after I got out of the shower, mainly re-writing to make Alan and Lisa Mr. Eldridge's grandchildren. Betty turns Scott down for a date that night...but she agrees to go with him to the Christmas Festival. Maybe. That's enough for Scott. Pruitt Barnaby isn't as happy and reminds him that he should be at work in the Toyland Toy Factory.
Sunday, December 06, 2015
The Eagles Turn the Patriots Over
It was a beautiful, sunny, perfectly lower 50's morning when I awoke. I had Cranberry Pancakes (made with the over-starched Cranberry Flummery) with the usual half of a grapefruit as I listened to the soundtrack from the 1969 version of Scrooge. Albert Finney is an unlikely choice for the title character in this musical A Christmas Carol, but he's not really that bad. The score by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse is a lot of fun. "Thank You Very Much" was the sole hit, but I especially like the rollicking "December the 25th" at the Fezziwigs' party.
Work was surprisingly on-and-off steady. I thought it would be much busier, given the Eagles were playing the Patriots at 4:25 and we're still getting beginning-of-the-month people. This time, there was plenty of help and no major problems. They did need to send in the self-checkout person to relieve me and finish out a very long WIC check order, since I originally had no relief. I was almost out of skim milk. I grabbed some and hurried home.
As soon as I got home, I went into working on my story. After they help Maple Bo Peep get her sheep into their pen, Mr. Eldridge takes his grandchildren (they're being re-written as his grandchildren to give them more of a reason for being there) to Toyland's school. They see pretty teacher Little Betty Blue lead her students through their "I Can't Do the Sum" math lessons. Nasty Mr. Pruitt Barnaby disrupts the class to ask Betty on a date. When she refuses him, he reminds her that he owns the mortgage on her mother the Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe's home. Mr. Eldridge and the kids tell him to leave her alone; he points out his love life is none of their business.
Fortunately, handsome Scott Piper, the head of the Toyland Toy Factory, also turns up at this point. He lacks Pruitt's riches and expensive clothing, but he's more charming and kinder to the kids. Betty still turns him down...but she's obviously more interested in him than in the oily Barnaby.
I listened to the Eagles game on and off through the evening. I had it on while I ate the leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken leg and the last of the mashed cauliflower for dinner with honey-glazed carrots. The Eagles trailed the Patriots during the first half, but by the third quarter, they were leading. I picked the right time to tune in. I heard two amazing touchdowns, including an 80-yard turnaround by Darren Sproles. They didn't play quite as well in the fourth quarter, letting Tom Brady throw two touchdowns. It was still enough to beat the faltering Patriots 35-28.
Work was surprisingly on-and-off steady. I thought it would be much busier, given the Eagles were playing the Patriots at 4:25 and we're still getting beginning-of-the-month people. This time, there was plenty of help and no major problems. They did need to send in the self-checkout person to relieve me and finish out a very long WIC check order, since I originally had no relief. I was almost out of skim milk. I grabbed some and hurried home.
As soon as I got home, I went into working on my story. After they help Maple Bo Peep get her sheep into their pen, Mr. Eldridge takes his grandchildren (they're being re-written as his grandchildren to give them more of a reason for being there) to Toyland's school. They see pretty teacher Little Betty Blue lead her students through their "I Can't Do the Sum" math lessons. Nasty Mr. Pruitt Barnaby disrupts the class to ask Betty on a date. When she refuses him, he reminds her that he owns the mortgage on her mother the Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe's home. Mr. Eldridge and the kids tell him to leave her alone; he points out his love life is none of their business.
Fortunately, handsome Scott Piper, the head of the Toyland Toy Factory, also turns up at this point. He lacks Pruitt's riches and expensive clothing, but he's more charming and kinder to the kids. Betty still turns him down...but she's obviously more interested in him than in the oily Barnaby.
I listened to the Eagles game on and off through the evening. I had it on while I ate the leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken leg and the last of the mashed cauliflower for dinner with honey-glazed carrots. The Eagles trailed the Patriots during the first half, but by the third quarter, they were leading. I picked the right time to tune in. I heard two amazing touchdowns, including an 80-yard turnaround by Darren Sproles. They didn't play quite as well in the fourth quarter, letting Tom Brady throw two touchdowns. It was still enough to beat the faltering Patriots 35-28.
Saturday, December 05, 2015
We'll Have the Brightest Christmas
Started a beautiful, sunny late fall morning with breakfast and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. The first non-Disney animated holiday special featured the popular myopic curmudgeon as another famous old man, Ebeneezer Scrooge. Actually, the selling point besides this being a fairly accurate adaptation of the story (don't know why they flip-flopped the past and present sequences, though) is the gorgeous music by real-life Broadway tunesmiths Bob Merrill and Jules Styne. They did a nice score for this, including the fun opening "Back On Broadway," the lovely ballad for Scrooge's former fiancee "Winter Was Warm," and the Cratchits' number "We'll Have the Brightest Christmas."
Went into the sweet Santa Bear's First Christmas as I threw together some chewy Chocolate Fudge Chip Cookies from the Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix I had in the pantry. (I didn't have the time to make cookies from scratch, but I was craving chocolate and cookies.) I dubbed this adaptation of the 80's picture book last year. A polar bear cub becomes lost in the woods and is befriended by a little girl and her grandfather. When the grandfather gets sick, the bear tries to find wood to warm him. He's about to give up hope, when he encounters a friendly man in a red suit in the forest who not only gives him what he needs, but helps him find a way home.
Work was actually the opposite of the last few days. It was busy when I came in, but the heavy crowds started to die around 1:30. It was steady the rest of the evening, but not really overwhelming. I stayed an extra hour anyway. Ironically, the grandfather of one of the college kids had gotten sick, and her family was visiting him.
When I finally got home, I had the last of the Italian Wedding Soup for dinner while watching the 1954 Christmas Carol I dubbed last year. Fredrick March was Scrooge in this TV adaptation for Chrysler. It's a semi-musical, though most of the numbers besides one love song for the young Scrooge and his fiancee are chorus songs. Not the best version out there, but it is a chance to see TV history as one of the earliest small-screen Christmas Carols (complete with the original commercials for Chrystler!).
Did a little bit of writing after I got out of the shower. The kids follow their new friends into Toyland. They're amazed to find a world of gingerbread homes and towering factories and rock candy roads. Jack and Jill tell the kids they're trying to earn enough money from Pruitt Barnaby to buy a crumbling gingerbread theater and restore it for their own productions.
Went into the sweet Santa Bear's First Christmas as I threw together some chewy Chocolate Fudge Chip Cookies from the Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix I had in the pantry. (I didn't have the time to make cookies from scratch, but I was craving chocolate and cookies.) I dubbed this adaptation of the 80's picture book last year. A polar bear cub becomes lost in the woods and is befriended by a little girl and her grandfather. When the grandfather gets sick, the bear tries to find wood to warm him. He's about to give up hope, when he encounters a friendly man in a red suit in the forest who not only gives him what he needs, but helps him find a way home.
Work was actually the opposite of the last few days. It was busy when I came in, but the heavy crowds started to die around 1:30. It was steady the rest of the evening, but not really overwhelming. I stayed an extra hour anyway. Ironically, the grandfather of one of the college kids had gotten sick, and her family was visiting him.
When I finally got home, I had the last of the Italian Wedding Soup for dinner while watching the 1954 Christmas Carol I dubbed last year. Fredrick March was Scrooge in this TV adaptation for Chrysler. It's a semi-musical, though most of the numbers besides one love song for the young Scrooge and his fiancee are chorus songs. Not the best version out there, but it is a chance to see TV history as one of the earliest small-screen Christmas Carols (complete with the original commercials for Chrystler!).
Did a little bit of writing after I got out of the shower. The kids follow their new friends into Toyland. They're amazed to find a world of gingerbread homes and towering factories and rock candy roads. Jack and Jill tell the kids they're trying to earn enough money from Pruitt Barnaby to buy a crumbling gingerbread theater and restore it for their own productions.
Friday, December 04, 2015
Care For the Holidays
Began a bright, sunny, chilly-but-seasonable day with more Backyardigans. Pirate Captain Austin teaches Pablo and Uniqua to have "pirate-it-tude" when they attend "Pirate Camp." Eager Uniqua and nervous Pablo don't prove too adept at swashbuckling and the heave-ho. They have to learn fast when Austin accidentally ends up in the boot of ghost pirate Captain Red Boots (Tasha). If she catches you, she'll tickle you until you turn into a ghost, too!
Spent most of the morning writing again. Maple, Mr. Eldridge, and the kids finally find the sheep on the edge of the meadow, along with laid-back Brit Little Gil Tucker. He normally travels around, singing for his supper, but he's currently in Toyland for their big Christmas Festival to welcome Santa. As they're about to enter the gates, they hear someone falling down a hill. Jack (Jeff) and Jill (Hilary) were collecting a pail of water...but they started arguing, tripped over each other, and fell. Now Jill is soaked and Jack has a splitting headache, and they're both worried about being in trouble with their boss Barnaby.
I had a quick lunch of Campbell's Italian Wedding Soup while watching Garfield's Christmas Special. Jon's looking forward to taking Garfield and Odie to his parents' farm for the holidays. While Jon tries to help his dad and brother with chores, Garfield bonds with smart, sensible Grandma. She's missing her late husband, but Garfield finds a way to bring her some holiday memories.
Work was even more of a pain than yesterday. Same problems - we still didn't have enough help to hand the beginning of the month crowds. I ended up staying a half-hour. It would slow down, then everyone would suddenly swarm to the front registers. I regret only staying a half-hour. Just five minutes after I shut down, it got busy again.
At any rate, I had shopping to do and needed to get my schedule. Other than I still don't have enough hours, it's not too bad. Only one late day, next Friday, and a couple of early days. I'm back to Wednesday and Thursday off; Wednesday will probably be my Christmas mall shopping trip. I'll do volunteering on Thursday.
The crowds were still pretty heavy when I was doing my own shopping. This was not a good thing. I had a ton of shopping to do, including my first real fruit and vegetable restock since the last day of the Collingswood Farm Market. Along with grapefruit, I picked up apples, Brussels sprouts, and cranberries. They were having big sales on baking items. Bought two lobster cakes on a manager's sale for dinner. I grabbed sugar, unbleached flour, chocolate chips, and two containers of Greek yogurt. Needed to refill the oatmeal container and replace the soup I had for lunch. Been meaning to pick up plain old envelopes for months; the Acme has theirs on clearance. I've seen these really cute Disney holiday-themed bags around for at least two weeks. I bought my favorite, the classic Disney characters dashing through the snow on a sled.
When I got home, I put everything away, then made lobster cake and pan-fried Brussels sprouts for dinner. Ran The Great Giving Holiday as I ate. This is the two-part tale of the winter holiday in Welcome to Care-a-Lot. The first story centers around Tenderheart, who is supposed to help the Great Giving Bear give out presents to Care-a-Lot residents who really care. When Beastly, who thinks he won't get any presents, gives him honey, he keeps hiccuping all over Care-a-Lot! The others do what they can to cure his hiccups. The second one takes place the day of the Great Giving Holiday. Every year, the Bears have a huge pageant to celebrate the arrival of the Great Giving Bear. Harmony has such a hard time getting the other bears to leave their new gifts, she asks Tenderheart to send help. Help comes in the form of a little boy who wants the show to be all about him. He and Harmony eventually learn a lesson in listening to others and working as a team.
Spent most of the morning writing again. Maple, Mr. Eldridge, and the kids finally find the sheep on the edge of the meadow, along with laid-back Brit Little Gil Tucker. He normally travels around, singing for his supper, but he's currently in Toyland for their big Christmas Festival to welcome Santa. As they're about to enter the gates, they hear someone falling down a hill. Jack (Jeff) and Jill (Hilary) were collecting a pail of water...but they started arguing, tripped over each other, and fell. Now Jill is soaked and Jack has a splitting headache, and they're both worried about being in trouble with their boss Barnaby.
I had a quick lunch of Campbell's Italian Wedding Soup while watching Garfield's Christmas Special. Jon's looking forward to taking Garfield and Odie to his parents' farm for the holidays. While Jon tries to help his dad and brother with chores, Garfield bonds with smart, sensible Grandma. She's missing her late husband, but Garfield finds a way to bring her some holiday memories.
Work was even more of a pain than yesterday. Same problems - we still didn't have enough help to hand the beginning of the month crowds. I ended up staying a half-hour. It would slow down, then everyone would suddenly swarm to the front registers. I regret only staying a half-hour. Just five minutes after I shut down, it got busy again.
At any rate, I had shopping to do and needed to get my schedule. Other than I still don't have enough hours, it's not too bad. Only one late day, next Friday, and a couple of early days. I'm back to Wednesday and Thursday off; Wednesday will probably be my Christmas mall shopping trip. I'll do volunteering on Thursday.
The crowds were still pretty heavy when I was doing my own shopping. This was not a good thing. I had a ton of shopping to do, including my first real fruit and vegetable restock since the last day of the Collingswood Farm Market. Along with grapefruit, I picked up apples, Brussels sprouts, and cranberries. They were having big sales on baking items. Bought two lobster cakes on a manager's sale for dinner. I grabbed sugar, unbleached flour, chocolate chips, and two containers of Greek yogurt. Needed to refill the oatmeal container and replace the soup I had for lunch. Been meaning to pick up plain old envelopes for months; the Acme has theirs on clearance. I've seen these really cute Disney holiday-themed bags around for at least two weeks. I bought my favorite, the classic Disney characters dashing through the snow on a sled.
When I got home, I put everything away, then made lobster cake and pan-fried Brussels sprouts for dinner. Ran The Great Giving Holiday as I ate. This is the two-part tale of the winter holiday in Welcome to Care-a-Lot. The first story centers around Tenderheart, who is supposed to help the Great Giving Bear give out presents to Care-a-Lot residents who really care. When Beastly, who thinks he won't get any presents, gives him honey, he keeps hiccuping all over Care-a-Lot! The others do what they can to cure his hiccups. The second one takes place the day of the Great Giving Holiday. Every year, the Bears have a huge pageant to celebrate the arrival of the Great Giving Bear. Harmony has such a hard time getting the other bears to leave their new gifts, she asks Tenderheart to send help. Help comes in the form of a little boy who wants the show to be all about him. He and Harmony eventually learn a lesson in listening to others and working as a team.
Thursday, December 03, 2015
Writing On a Sunny Day
I started out the day by drowning out the noise downstairs and outside with Sofia the First's holiday episode, "Holiday In Enchantria." Sofia's looking forward to spending her first Wassaila, Enchantria's winter holiday, with the royal family. However, when King Roland gets lost in a snowstorm, Sofia insists she, her siblings, and her mother go out looking for them. Things look pretty bad as the snow gets worse and they become stranded in the woods. It takes help from a certain Sleeping Beauty to remind Sofia that she does have a way to get out - her animal friends.
Spent most of the morning working on Babes In WENNLand. The kids are about to take a rest in the dark Studio B when Mr. Eldridge appears. He says he's going to take the kids to Toyland. The wicked Barnaby is trying to shut down the toy factory, and they need all they help they can get. They finally step out of the dark studio and into a bright, Technicolor meadow. As the kids are gawking, they meet their first Toyland resident. Little Maple Bo Peep has lost her sheep. If she doesn't find them, Pruitt Barnaby will throw her out into the streets! The kids and Mr. Eldridge agree to help look for them.
Had a quick but hearty lunch of Cranberry Flummery, honey-glazed carrots, and a leftover chicken leg while watching episodes of The Backyardigans. Lisa and Alan aren't the only ones who find themselves in a land full of potentially dangerous fairy tales. "Escape From Fairy Tale Village" has Tyrone as a newspaper boy in a street full of famous fairy tale villains, including a wolf (Austin), a witch (Uniqua), and a giant (Pablo). But are these villains really as bad as Tyrone assumes? And Tasha makes some "Front Page News" when she plays a photographer who is also the new super hero Super Snap. She's so busy saving the day that she never seems to have the time to get the shot of the robot rampaging the city!
Work was pretty quiet when I arrived. One of the other cashiers said it had been dead all morning. It remained quiet until rush hour...when it got insane. Not only were we incredibly busy, but we had several call-outs and not enough help to deal with them all. Self-checkout just had to go down for about 20 minutes, too. We were so busy, they were almost an hour late with my break. Thankfully, they got the girl in self-checkout to go in for me so I could get home. My original relief was one of the people who called out.
Spent most of the morning working on Babes In WENNLand. The kids are about to take a rest in the dark Studio B when Mr. Eldridge appears. He says he's going to take the kids to Toyland. The wicked Barnaby is trying to shut down the toy factory, and they need all they help they can get. They finally step out of the dark studio and into a bright, Technicolor meadow. As the kids are gawking, they meet their first Toyland resident. Little Maple Bo Peep has lost her sheep. If she doesn't find them, Pruitt Barnaby will throw her out into the streets! The kids and Mr. Eldridge agree to help look for them.
Had a quick but hearty lunch of Cranberry Flummery, honey-glazed carrots, and a leftover chicken leg while watching episodes of The Backyardigans. Lisa and Alan aren't the only ones who find themselves in a land full of potentially dangerous fairy tales. "Escape From Fairy Tale Village" has Tyrone as a newspaper boy in a street full of famous fairy tale villains, including a wolf (Austin), a witch (Uniqua), and a giant (Pablo). But are these villains really as bad as Tyrone assumes? And Tasha makes some "Front Page News" when she plays a photographer who is also the new super hero Super Snap. She's so busy saving the day that she never seems to have the time to get the shot of the robot rampaging the city!
Work was pretty quiet when I arrived. One of the other cashiers said it had been dead all morning. It remained quiet until rush hour...when it got insane. Not only were we incredibly busy, but we had several call-outs and not enough help to deal with them all. Self-checkout just had to go down for about 20 minutes, too. We were so busy, they were almost an hour late with my break. Thankfully, they got the girl in self-checkout to go in for me so I could get home. My original relief was one of the people who called out.
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Getting Ready for Christmas
It was showering hard when I awoke to cursing and blasting 80's music this morning. Ran Barbie In A Christmas Carol as I ate. The second Barbie holiday special is another adaptation of a beloved Christmas novel, in this case Charles Dickens' most famous novel. Barbie's telling a frustrated Kelly stories again, this time on Christmas Eve when the little girl would rather stay home and do what they always do than attend a fancy charity ball. Her older sister narrates the tale of Eden Starling, a singing star in Victorian England who is the toast of the town...but is also a bratty diva who makes Hilary Booth look like a kitten. She treats her best friend like a maid and refuses to let the rest of the performers in her variety show go home for Christmas. It takes visits from three ghosts and an encounter with a group of orphans to change Eden's mind about charity and the holidays...and Kelly's mind, too.
Spent the rest of the wet, gloomy morning putting up the remaining Christmas decorations. I have all kinds of things I've picked up all over for as far back as childhood in some cases. Mom gave me a bunch of things when she, Dad, and Keefe moved, and later when she went through her old decorations. She sewed the adorable little bear made from poinsettia-print fabric with the embroidered black eyes, the stuffed printed elves, and the little gingerbread man and women and the stuffed star garland in the 80's and 90's.
Gretel, an adorable Beanie Baby gingerbread girl, was a present from Amanda a few years ago. The trio of Eckard's holiday beanies, the little nutcracker, foot-long vintage Santa with his present list cardboard hanging, 60's-era Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers, and the tiny baskets of greenery and miniature wooden candy canes and holly berries were salvaged from Mom's decoration collection. Mom's sister Terri gave me the American Girls Christmas tin when I was in high school. Mom sent me the mini-tree in college; I bought the tiny string of fake "lights" and tiny silver snowflake garland from JoAnn's in Westmont before they moved.
Holly the doll, the copper bell with the candy-cane cut outs, and the heavy resin Santa figure were Christmas presents from Mom. The three miniature and two larger porcelain bears in Santa and Christmas outfits, Disney Winter Cinderella in her huge cream and gold gown, poinsettia garland around the resin Santa, the slender stuffed gingerbread girl I hang on the wall in the kitchen, and the four Beanie Baby holiday bears were yard sale finds. My Aunt Jayne gave me the little light-up snow globe. The rolly-polly bear and reindeer toys that (used to) light up and play "Jingle Bells" were after-Christmas finds. I named them Clarence (the bear) and Rudy (the reindeer).
Switched to some Max & Ruby while I cleaned up and got ready to head out. "Ruby's Puppet Show" will be a great success, if Max would just sit in the audience instead of trying to join the show! Ruby and Louise are practicing their "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" in "Sugar Plum Max," but they can't get the pirouettes right. Max just want the sugar plums Ruby intends for after their performance. Ruby's having her first fancy party, but things get hairy when the ants from "Max's Ant Farm" get loose!
It was just damp and gray when I went out to run errands. I was originally going to start at the Oaklyn Library, but a sign in the door said they were closed until 1. It was 12:30. I really didn't feel like waiting around. I dodged the traffic on Cuthbert and ended up at Dollar Tree instead. I needed sponges and tissues. Also took a peek at the big Game Stop to get ideas for one of Lauren's Christmas presents.
Went to lunch at Wendy's. I saw a commercial on YouTube for their new Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger and wanted to try it. While the cheese and meat tasted more fake than like meat and Gouda, the bacon wasn't bad, and I liked the fresh vegetables they used, including real green lettuce (not iceberg). I enjoyed the burger, fries, and Diet Coke while watching a mother and her 2-year-old boy play inside and the cars pass outside.
The rain had just started again when I rode up the hill to the Haddon Township Library. Needless to say on day with such nasty weather, they were quite busy. I had a lot to do. I got most of the kids' DVDs in (though this time, it was the B and D titles that were overflowing). Had a harder time with the adult titles; there were two A and a whole pile of N and O discs I couldn't fit. Had more luck with the CD's, new releases, and huge stacks of books on hold.
For the first time in a few weeks, I took some items out. Grabbed the Christmas specials for The Cat In the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Sofia the First, and the current Care Bears show Welcome to Care-a-Lot. They finally got the much-ballyhooed Disney Channel movie Descendants in. Having enjoyed the somewhat similar Ever After High, I thought I'd give this story of the offspring of Disney villains who learn that being good isn't so bad a chance. Also took out two CDs, a Christmas album for jazz artist Dave Koz and the Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga duet album.
Went across the street to Thriftway to make one last quick stop and get out of the heavy shower. I wanted to pick up their cheaper eggs ($2.79 - the Acme's have gone up to $3.39!). Was delighted to discover that they also had great prices on toilet paper, 69 cents for their 1,000-sheet generic rolls. I bought two, plus some more Gingerbread Peeps for a treat. (I still haven't seen those at the Acme.)
The rain finally started to slow down as I dodged the early rush-hour traffic. I went straight home. By the time I got in, the rain had finally stopped. I arrived damp, but not as wet as I did when I got to work yesterday.
After I put everything away, I spent the rest of the evening working on Babes In WENNland. Betty shoos Hilary and Jeff out, still fussing over the spilled water. Scott gives the kids candy canes and tells them he'll take them to watch "Amazon Andy," but has to take a phone call from a sponsor. Betty talks Mr. Eldridge into reading them a story, but he falls asleep before he's barely gotten started.
The kids take this opportunity to explore the station and see if their mother has arrived yet. She hasn't...but they see something else important in the hall outside WENN. Pruitt is paying off two vaguely sleazy private eyes to find out what Scott's doing and where the station's money is going. The kids try to warn a none-too-happy Scott after he's told Betty and Mackie about how angry Broomes Brothers is over the holiday shows not going on, but he doesn't listen. He does take them to meet C.J and watch the "Amazon Andy" broadcast. Alan is dismayed that his hero is the same man who played Santa Claus. Lisa scolds him that it's all kid's stuff anyway.
Lisa convinces Scott to let them explore on their own while the others take down the Christmas decorations. They overhear something in Studio B and decide to investigate. They get stuck in the dark room and, after Alan teases his sister, decide to nap for a few minutes...before Lisa sees Mr. Eldridge walking by, towards the back of the room...or is it?
I got so into my writing, it was quarter after 7 before I had leftovers for dinner and started Cranberry-Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins. Watched The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas as I ate and baked. The Cat, Nick, and Sally have to take frisky baby reindeer Ralph home to Freeze-Your-Knees-Snowland after he gets lost in the Thing-a-Ma-Jig. This isn't as easy as it sounds. The Thing-a-Ma-Jig keeps breaking down, landing them in tropical climates, and even in the ocean! Along the way, they learn about the winter migration patterns of elephants, red crabs, dolphins, and reindeer, and how each type of animal has a way to keep their group together as they travel.
Spent the rest of the wet, gloomy morning putting up the remaining Christmas decorations. I have all kinds of things I've picked up all over for as far back as childhood in some cases. Mom gave me a bunch of things when she, Dad, and Keefe moved, and later when she went through her old decorations. She sewed the adorable little bear made from poinsettia-print fabric with the embroidered black eyes, the stuffed printed elves, and the little gingerbread man and women and the stuffed star garland in the 80's and 90's.
Gretel, an adorable Beanie Baby gingerbread girl, was a present from Amanda a few years ago. The trio of Eckard's holiday beanies, the little nutcracker, foot-long vintage Santa with his present list cardboard hanging, 60's-era Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers, and the tiny baskets of greenery and miniature wooden candy canes and holly berries were salvaged from Mom's decoration collection. Mom's sister Terri gave me the American Girls Christmas tin when I was in high school. Mom sent me the mini-tree in college; I bought the tiny string of fake "lights" and tiny silver snowflake garland from JoAnn's in Westmont before they moved.
Holly the doll, the copper bell with the candy-cane cut outs, and the heavy resin Santa figure were Christmas presents from Mom. The three miniature and two larger porcelain bears in Santa and Christmas outfits, Disney Winter Cinderella in her huge cream and gold gown, poinsettia garland around the resin Santa, the slender stuffed gingerbread girl I hang on the wall in the kitchen, and the four Beanie Baby holiday bears were yard sale finds. My Aunt Jayne gave me the little light-up snow globe. The rolly-polly bear and reindeer toys that (used to) light up and play "Jingle Bells" were after-Christmas finds. I named them Clarence (the bear) and Rudy (the reindeer).
Switched to some Max & Ruby while I cleaned up and got ready to head out. "Ruby's Puppet Show" will be a great success, if Max would just sit in the audience instead of trying to join the show! Ruby and Louise are practicing their "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" in "Sugar Plum Max," but they can't get the pirouettes right. Max just want the sugar plums Ruby intends for after their performance. Ruby's having her first fancy party, but things get hairy when the ants from "Max's Ant Farm" get loose!
It was just damp and gray when I went out to run errands. I was originally going to start at the Oaklyn Library, but a sign in the door said they were closed until 1. It was 12:30. I really didn't feel like waiting around. I dodged the traffic on Cuthbert and ended up at Dollar Tree instead. I needed sponges and tissues. Also took a peek at the big Game Stop to get ideas for one of Lauren's Christmas presents.
Went to lunch at Wendy's. I saw a commercial on YouTube for their new Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger and wanted to try it. While the cheese and meat tasted more fake than like meat and Gouda, the bacon wasn't bad, and I liked the fresh vegetables they used, including real green lettuce (not iceberg). I enjoyed the burger, fries, and Diet Coke while watching a mother and her 2-year-old boy play inside and the cars pass outside.
The rain had just started again when I rode up the hill to the Haddon Township Library. Needless to say on day with such nasty weather, they were quite busy. I had a lot to do. I got most of the kids' DVDs in (though this time, it was the B and D titles that were overflowing). Had a harder time with the adult titles; there were two A and a whole pile of N and O discs I couldn't fit. Had more luck with the CD's, new releases, and huge stacks of books on hold.
For the first time in a few weeks, I took some items out. Grabbed the Christmas specials for The Cat In the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Sofia the First, and the current Care Bears show Welcome to Care-a-Lot. They finally got the much-ballyhooed Disney Channel movie Descendants in. Having enjoyed the somewhat similar Ever After High, I thought I'd give this story of the offspring of Disney villains who learn that being good isn't so bad a chance. Also took out two CDs, a Christmas album for jazz artist Dave Koz and the Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga duet album.
Went across the street to Thriftway to make one last quick stop and get out of the heavy shower. I wanted to pick up their cheaper eggs ($2.79 - the Acme's have gone up to $3.39!). Was delighted to discover that they also had great prices on toilet paper, 69 cents for their 1,000-sheet generic rolls. I bought two, plus some more Gingerbread Peeps for a treat. (I still haven't seen those at the Acme.)
The rain finally started to slow down as I dodged the early rush-hour traffic. I went straight home. By the time I got in, the rain had finally stopped. I arrived damp, but not as wet as I did when I got to work yesterday.
After I put everything away, I spent the rest of the evening working on Babes In WENNland. Betty shoos Hilary and Jeff out, still fussing over the spilled water. Scott gives the kids candy canes and tells them he'll take them to watch "Amazon Andy," but has to take a phone call from a sponsor. Betty talks Mr. Eldridge into reading them a story, but he falls asleep before he's barely gotten started.
The kids take this opportunity to explore the station and see if their mother has arrived yet. She hasn't...but they see something else important in the hall outside WENN. Pruitt is paying off two vaguely sleazy private eyes to find out what Scott's doing and where the station's money is going. The kids try to warn a none-too-happy Scott after he's told Betty and Mackie about how angry Broomes Brothers is over the holiday shows not going on, but he doesn't listen. He does take them to meet C.J and watch the "Amazon Andy" broadcast. Alan is dismayed that his hero is the same man who played Santa Claus. Lisa scolds him that it's all kid's stuff anyway.
Lisa convinces Scott to let them explore on their own while the others take down the Christmas decorations. They overhear something in Studio B and decide to investigate. They get stuck in the dark room and, after Alan teases his sister, decide to nap for a few minutes...before Lisa sees Mr. Eldridge walking by, towards the back of the room...or is it?
I got so into my writing, it was quarter after 7 before I had leftovers for dinner and started Cranberry-Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins. Watched The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas as I ate and baked. The Cat, Nick, and Sally have to take frisky baby reindeer Ralph home to Freeze-Your-Knees-Snowland after he gets lost in the Thing-a-Ma-Jig. This isn't as easy as it sounds. The Thing-a-Ma-Jig keeps breaking down, landing them in tropical climates, and even in the ocean! Along the way, they learn about the winter migration patterns of elephants, red crabs, dolphins, and reindeer, and how each type of animal has a way to keep their group together as they travel.
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
Rainy Christmas
It was showering heavily when I got up this morning. It made a cozy backdrop for oatmeal, a half of a grapefruit, and Rick Steves' European Christmas. It's a merry holiday all across the continent that gave the US some of its most cherished Christmas traditions, from children's choirs in England to beautiful angels who give gifts and elaborate gingerbread in Germany to skating on top of the Eiffel Tower to the quiet beauty of a living nativity in Italy.
After breakfast, I put the bears under the tree. This tradition started with my mom. She used to borrow some of our stuffed bears (and keep a few just for this display), dress them in old baby clothes and winter accessories, and keep them on her hope chest all through December. It was an interactive display. My siblings and I would play with the bears and rearrange them, even swapping the knit hats for tiaras and party hats on New Year's. When my brother got too old for it and Mom got tired of putting them out, she turned the remaining Christmas-only bears over to me. I've added many stuffed animals to it over the years - Starlight the Peppermint Puppy, Clarence the Reindeer (in a Santa suit), the three McDonald's Muppet Babies I found in their bags at a thrift shop, the four egg-shaped Disney characters Jessa gave me a few years ago, my Miss AG bear Abigail Griddle in a lovely Build-A-Bear angel dress that was a yard sale find, the tiny angel bear, the Build-a-Bear Clarice (also a yard sale find).
Ran a holiday episode of Max & Ruby as I got ready for work. Ruby wants "Grandma's Present" to be extra-special. Ruby thinks she knows what she wants, but Max is the one who finds out her interests. "Max and Ruby's Christmas Tree" will be beautiful...but the two bunnies have very different ideas of what "beautiful" means to them. Ruby wants her brother to shovel a path to Grandma's in "Max's Snow Plow," but he knows an easier way.
It was still showering fairly hard when I rode to work. I wasn't going to drag anyone out in that. I just rode to work and got wet. The weather mostly kept the customers at bay. We were on-and-off steady for most of the afternoon. The people we did get were mostly beginning-of-the-month people (who are pretty much the only ones who are going to be grocery shopping the week after Thanksgiving). By the time it was picking up again, my relief was coming in for me. I grabbed a box of Oatmeal Squares (once again on a good sale) and headed out. Thankfully, the rain had stopped all together by then, though it would pick up again later.
When I got home, I went right on the computer to work on some writing. Scott and Betty try to argue with Pruitt over there being no Christmas at the station. He refuses to listen to either Scott's reminders that the sponsors won't be happy or Betty's frustration that she can no longer go home for the holidays. Scott's about ready to punch something, but he does try to calm Betty when she's upset over not being able to go home. They're about to kiss (to Lisa's delight and Alan's disgust) when Hilary and Jeff come in, arguing because Jeff just accidentally spilled water on his wife's blue silk blouse.
After I got off the computer, I made myself a tasty meal of mashed cauliflower, Merlin's Magic (Baked) Chicken Legs, broccoli sauteed in olive oil, and Cranberry Flummery. Other than I put way too much cornstarch in the Flummery and it got gluey, it came out really well. The chicken was so amazingly moist and juicy!'
Watched Babes In Toyland as I cooked and ate. The 1986 TV version of the beloved operetta sets the whole story in the imagination of precocious 11-year-old Cincinnati resident Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore). She has an accident on a sled and awakens in Toyland, just in time to stop the marriage of the evil Barnaby and sweet Mary Quite Contrary. She really loves Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves), but his uncle Barnaby has no desire to let his nephew have such a lovely lass. While Lisa helps the lovers evade Barnaby, she learns the importance of childhood and being young at heart. Not a great musical by all means - it's cheap and poorly-cast. Barrymore does do fairly well as the child who keeps insisting she's an adult, and there's some nice touches, like Barnaby living in a bowling ball and his one-eyed thing that keeps tabs on the heroes. The shorter version is on video; both the shorter and original two-part version can, at this writing, be found on YouTube.
After breakfast, I put the bears under the tree. This tradition started with my mom. She used to borrow some of our stuffed bears (and keep a few just for this display), dress them in old baby clothes and winter accessories, and keep them on her hope chest all through December. It was an interactive display. My siblings and I would play with the bears and rearrange them, even swapping the knit hats for tiaras and party hats on New Year's. When my brother got too old for it and Mom got tired of putting them out, she turned the remaining Christmas-only bears over to me. I've added many stuffed animals to it over the years - Starlight the Peppermint Puppy, Clarence the Reindeer (in a Santa suit), the three McDonald's Muppet Babies I found in their bags at a thrift shop, the four egg-shaped Disney characters Jessa gave me a few years ago, my Miss AG bear Abigail Griddle in a lovely Build-A-Bear angel dress that was a yard sale find, the tiny angel bear, the Build-a-Bear Clarice (also a yard sale find).
Ran a holiday episode of Max & Ruby as I got ready for work. Ruby wants "Grandma's Present" to be extra-special. Ruby thinks she knows what she wants, but Max is the one who finds out her interests. "Max and Ruby's Christmas Tree" will be beautiful...but the two bunnies have very different ideas of what "beautiful" means to them. Ruby wants her brother to shovel a path to Grandma's in "Max's Snow Plow," but he knows an easier way.
It was still showering fairly hard when I rode to work. I wasn't going to drag anyone out in that. I just rode to work and got wet. The weather mostly kept the customers at bay. We were on-and-off steady for most of the afternoon. The people we did get were mostly beginning-of-the-month people (who are pretty much the only ones who are going to be grocery shopping the week after Thanksgiving). By the time it was picking up again, my relief was coming in for me. I grabbed a box of Oatmeal Squares (once again on a good sale) and headed out. Thankfully, the rain had stopped all together by then, though it would pick up again later.
When I got home, I went right on the computer to work on some writing. Scott and Betty try to argue with Pruitt over there being no Christmas at the station. He refuses to listen to either Scott's reminders that the sponsors won't be happy or Betty's frustration that she can no longer go home for the holidays. Scott's about ready to punch something, but he does try to calm Betty when she's upset over not being able to go home. They're about to kiss (to Lisa's delight and Alan's disgust) when Hilary and Jeff come in, arguing because Jeff just accidentally spilled water on his wife's blue silk blouse.
After I got off the computer, I made myself a tasty meal of mashed cauliflower, Merlin's Magic (Baked) Chicken Legs, broccoli sauteed in olive oil, and Cranberry Flummery. Other than I put way too much cornstarch in the Flummery and it got gluey, it came out really well. The chicken was so amazingly moist and juicy!'
Watched Babes In Toyland as I cooked and ate. The 1986 TV version of the beloved operetta sets the whole story in the imagination of precocious 11-year-old Cincinnati resident Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore). She has an accident on a sled and awakens in Toyland, just in time to stop the marriage of the evil Barnaby and sweet Mary Quite Contrary. She really loves Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves), but his uncle Barnaby has no desire to let his nephew have such a lovely lass. While Lisa helps the lovers evade Barnaby, she learns the importance of childhood and being young at heart. Not a great musical by all means - it's cheap and poorly-cast. Barrymore does do fairly well as the child who keeps insisting she's an adult, and there's some nice touches, like Barnaby living in a bowling ball and his one-eyed thing that keeps tabs on the heroes. The shorter version is on video; both the shorter and original two-part version can, at this writing, be found on YouTube.
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