The Art of the Rebels

Began the morning with breakfast, cleaning, and more Star Wars: Rebels. Ezra learns about the Force in one episode that takes him and Kanan to a ruined Jedi temple. There, he encounters manifestations of his greatest fears, from the Inquisitor attacking to the others abandoning him. He finally realizes how important his friends are...and finds the crystals to make his very own combination blaster-lightsaber.

Worked on dusting the living room while the show was on. I really want to get the dusting done as soon as I can, so I can get the spring decorations up early next week. I also watered the plant, or tried to. The Pur water filtration attachment that's been on the sink since I moved in suddenly came off, putting a lot more water than I originally planned into that poor plant! I tossed the Pur system. It came with the house. Even if it really works anymore, it probably needed to be changed years ago.

The sun was trying hard to duck around some heavy clouds when I arrived at work. I did spend the first half of a very busy day rounding up carts. The second half was passed inside. I alternated between taking customers and actually doing something I'm good at - organizing. I had no idea you could step inside the pegboard-style booth used to hang the gift cards on. Extra card stock is apparently kept in there. Most of the extra cards that aren't in boxes are hung on pegs inside the gift card "mall." When the manager tried to move one of the larger boxes, it broke, sending gift cards everywhere...which meant I had to figure out how to organize the cards and pick up the mess she left. She claimed they'd been organized before, but I sure didn't see it. Half the restaurant cards were in with the cards for department stores, and I had no idea where to put the credit gift cards or the phone cards. It was starting to look a bit better when my relief arrived to take over.

Went straight home and on the computer for some writing. Ben realizes that Vader senses his and Luke's presences and will be arriving at the ballroom any second. He and Luke use their powers to make them disappear and reappear at the Falcon in the stables. Luke manages to rescue his own favorite pony Tauntaun and release the other horses before the Imperials can get them before he, Han, Chewie, Ben, and the servants ride off in the fancier carriage version of the Falcon.

Indeed, Vader does realize someone was there...and he's not happy. He's even less happy when some of his men report that his daughter danced with two mysterious young men at the ball, and was supposed to be delivering messages to an old...acquaintance...of his...

Finished out Star Wars: Rebels while eating sauteed spinach and mushrooms with slices of cheese bread and a leftover chicken leg for dinner. Season One ended with an exciting three-part episode that first had the group sending a message that they're out there to other Rebels, then rescuing Kanan, who was captured by the Inquisitor and the Empire. We also discover the identity of the mysterious "Fulcrum," who gives Hera the orders for the team, and that there's a lot more Rebels out there than anyone suspects.

I really enjoyed this show. It was just so much fun. I loved the continuity - as I mentioned, episodes in the early part of the season that seemed like a one-off (like the one where Zeb and Ezra escape the market in a stolen TIE Fighter) do come up later in the season. (What Sabine did to that stolen TIE Fighter - and the reaction of everyone on Govenor Tarkin's ship and the crew of the Ghost - is absolutely hysterical.) And yes, I will unabashedly admit that I ship "Team Parents" Kanan and Hera, my favorite characters.

If you're a Star Wars fan, especially of the previous cartoons, this is a no-brainer. It's well-written, acted, and animated. I will add that you do need to know a little about the Star Wars universe going in, especially Jedi and what happened to them, to understand a lot of what's going on. For action cartoon lovers (and those who were disappointed by the darker tone in Force Awakens), this is a worthy addition to the expanding universe.

As the Snow Vanishes

It did, indeed, snow overnight...but the snow was wet and fat and fluffy. It was just barely sticking to the ground when I awoke. The streets were wet, but clear.

Since the snow continued through the morning, I ran Frosty's Winter Wonderland while I ate breakfast and got ready for work. The second Rankin Bass Frosty tale has him feeling lonely when the kids aren't around. They make him a snowwoman he names Crystal to cheer him up and become his wife. Jack Frost, who brings the snow and wind, is very jealous of all the attention Frosty's getting and becomes determined to get rid of the snowman for good.

It was still snowing when I went to work, but it didn't last for very long. I was called in early last night, 10 to 2 instead of 12 to 4, and that was fine. In fact, I preferred it that way. The earlier I could get out, the better. I was in the register for most of the day this time (instead of a brief 20 minutes doing returns). I wish I'd been getting carts. It's the beginning of the month, which means we had lots of annoying, grouchy people who won't do much of anything, including help out.

My schedule didn't help. I'm absolutely livid. In good news, I have a few more hours next week than I have been getting. Trouble is, I only have one day off, and it's the day I asked off for counseling. And I'm still listed as a bagger. I'm not the only one getting weird hours, either. I complained about my strange, short hours to a fellow employee, who also complained about odd shifts and only getting one day off. (And she has far more seniority than I do!) How am I going to get anything done next week, including cleaning, writing, counseling, and putting up the spring holiday decorations?

Thankfully, it wasn't too busy by the time I did my own grocery shopping. I had a LOT that I needed this week! The Acme was having its "buck a bag" dollar vegetable sale. I picked up celery, mushrooms, and spinach, along with restocking apples, grapefruit, and bananas. The only meat on sale was the 4 for 20 deal; I'm  not spending 20 dollars on just meat. I bought ground chicken and found a pack of tortilla-crusted salmon on manager's clearance. Also restocked yogurt, tuna, cream of mushroom soup, milk (they were out of skim - I grabbed 1%), frozen peas, vanilla, jam, and dish washing liquid. The Acme is still clearing out its original generic brands. I grabbed a 3 pack of generic tape for $1.49.

No wonder it slowed down a bit later. By the time I was heading home, the snow was long gone, and the sun was out. The streets weren't even wet anymore. You'd never know we had any snow last night. It was even kind of warmish for early March, probably in the mid-40's.

After I put everything away, I went into writing. After Princess Leia is knocked out by the stormtroopers, she finds herself in a very awkward position - in the arms of the evil Lord Vader, who happens to be a half-demon and her father. She demands that he put her down and reminds him that he invaded her ball. He points out that she was having the ball to cover her spying activities, not to find a husband. At any rate, he's going to turn her over to his master, King Palapatine, to train as a black sorceress. Not to mention, he wants to find out more about the Rebels In the Woods from her. She refuses to do either, but he hands her off to his men to carry away before she can protest further.

Did a quick vacuuming session next. Goodness knows when I'll get to dusting. I'm hoping to get everything done by the end of next week. The apartment's getting kind of bad again.

I had leftovers and made Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies from a cake mix (since the peanut butter ones came out so well) while continuing Star Wars: Rebels. I absolutely love the dynamics between the characters here, especially my favorites, the strong commander and former Jedi Kanan and the Twi'lek pilot Hera, who act as surrogate dad and mom to the group. Also, this show can surprise you. An episode that seemed like a one-off (Hera and teen bomb expert/artist Sabine bond while escaping cat-like monsters) has repercussions later when Ezra and Kanan use the same monsters to escape the show's Big Bad, the evil Sith Lord the Inquisitor.

Rebels In the Snow

Started off the morning with breakfast and the remaining episodes of Doc McStuffins. Stuffy is excited about his first day with his new pet in "Stuffy and Squibbles." He quickly discovers just how hard it can be to take care of a pet when Squibbles becomes run-down after he opts to keep playing rather than re-charge him. Chilly makes friends with the hamster Doc is taking care of in "Take Your Pet to the Vet." When the hamster gets sick, Doc takes her to a real vet, who helps them find out what's wrong.

"Queen of Thrones" has the Queen figure giving orders to the other toys when they have to rebuild hers and the King's castle. The toys accuse her of being bossy, but they find out just how hard it can be to do good work without a solid leader. Different styles of leadership also come up in "Master and Commander." An alien and a Buzz Lightyear-style space man toy both want to be the captains of Doc's new toy ship. The space man is better with working with a crew...until he falls off a chair, hurts his wings, and scrambles his memory chips a bit.

Switched to Star Wars: Rebels as I gave the kitchen a quick scrub. This Disney animated show takes us to the early years of the Rebellion and the Empire several years before the original trilogy. Ezra Bridger is a kid thief living on the streets...until he encounters a group of diverse aliens and humans who are essentially terrorists, helping people whom the Empire has displaced while occasionally doing small-scale attacks against the Imperial guards. He's surprised at how close these folks are to each other...and is downright shocked when they rescue him from an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Headed off to work almost the moment I finished cleaning up the kitchen. Work was very busy today, partially due to the beginning of the month, but mostly because of the inch of snow they're calling on for tomorrow. I did pretty much everything you can think of. I shelved items. I went in for at least one cashier who needed a break. I took customers. I put carts away. I even got to drive two of the big mobile carts disabled and elderly customers use to get around back into the store, which was really fun. Thankfully, there were no really major problems, not even with customers, and I was in and out.

It was such a nice day, I rode home down Nicholson Road, ignoring the beginnings of the rush hour traffic. Though it was chilly, probably in the lower 40's, it was also still fairly sunny at that point. The wind that made such a mess early in the week and last weekend had dissipated, making for a nice, easy ride.

Got on the computer the moment I arrived home. Luke's still fighting off stormtroopers in the ballroom. Han, Chewie, Cecil, and Arthur all appear, Arthur insisting he has a message from the Princess to Sir Kenobi. Ben rescues them from several stormtroopers who got the drop on them. Arthur able to give Ben the parchment. Luke insists that he wants to rescue the royal family from Vader's stronghold in the Parched Mountains, but Han's not so keen on the idea...

When I got off, I made myself a simple but wonderfully filling dinner of baked chicken legs, roasted Brussels sprouts, and brown rice. Continued Star Wars: Rebels while I ate. I'm really enjoying this, probably more than I have any Star Wars movie or TV programming since I was a child. (Including The Force Awakens, though I'll really have to catch that one on DVD before I can assess it properly.) I love how this disparate group - a teenage girl bomb expert with Boba Fett-style armor, Ezra, a huge, hulking gray creature with a British accent and a grouchy attitude, a green-skinned Twi'lek woman who drives their ship, a former Imperial Navy soldier - are all so close. Even Ezra becomes family after only a few episodes. I can't wait to see where this all goes. They've already rescued Wookies from the Spice Mines of Kessel and farmers on Lothal. They tried to rescue a Jedi master, but that turned out to be a trap by the evil Inquisitor. This looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, and I can't wait to watch the rest.

Oh, and it only just started snowing a few minutes ago. It's not coming down hard, really more of a shower than anything. The snow looks light and fluffy. It'll probably be the dry type of snow that'll be blown to Canada with the first good wind.

The Doc and the Space Opera

Began a sunny, very windy day with more Jason of Star Command. The most interesting thing about the second half of the first season episodes is the introduction of an evil queen, played by Julie Newmayr, who is working with Dragos. We also get to see the nifty monster from the first half of the season again. I also thought the second-to-last episode, with Jason and Natalie having to figure out which is the real Dragos from a group of them, was at least somewhat creative.

Cleaned the bathroom while I watched. It needed to be done. I probably should have done it last week. It doesn't take me that long - the bathroom isn't that big - but I do have to drag out all the cleaning supplies and actually sit down and do it.

When I finished, I had a quick lunch and got ready for work while beginning Doc McStuffins. Doc has added "veterinary medicine" to her list of achievements in caring for stuffed animals. She's opened a secondary clinic that caters to toy animals who can't talk like other playthings. Among her first clients are an electronic dog whose nose has lost its power to find its bone and three plastic goats whose yarn coats have gotten tangled.

Headed to work with plenty of time to get there, for once. I could have been infinitely late. It wasn't a busy day, especially early on. I spent most of the afternoon doing what few returns could be found. I also cleaned up a jar of baby food someone dropped, put baskets away, and wiped down a basket someone dropped macaroni salad in. They didn't even need me to do carts. There were so few, one of the college boys was fine handling it on his own. By the time it started getting busier, I was just about done.

As soon as I got home, I returned to writing. Luke and Leia are separated when Luke saves Leia from being hauled off by a stormtrooper. She finds Arthur and Cecil (Artoo and Threepio), who have been trying to avoid the carnage in the ballroom, and, worried about being followed, gives Arthur her message for Ben Kenobi. Cecil wants to go back to the kitchen and fret over the dishes and linens the Imperial Army destroyed, but Arthur insists (with his hands - he's a mute who speaks in sign language) that he's now on a mission. Cecil thinks he's crazy, but he follows his friend back to the ballroom anyway.

Did more Doc while eating leftovers for dinner. A strange, adorable little dog-like toy on a rolling ball becomes attached to Stuffy the Dragon in "A Dragon's Best Friend." Stuffy's annoyed by him at first, until he, Doc, and the others realize that the toy is lost. They first try to find its owner, then, to Stuffy's delight, adopt it when no kid comes forward to claim it.

March Goes In Like a Lamb

I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was when I finally dragged myself out of bed this morning. It was so nice, I opened the windows for the first time in ages. The breeze felt fresh and inviting.

Had breakfast while watching the next Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode. Music is at the heart of "Mickey's Pirate Adventure," another hour-long story. The crew receives a message from Goofy's grandpa Captain Goofbeard. His home, Harmony Island, is sinking into the ocean! Harmony Island is made up entirely of instruments, and they need to be tuned for the island to remain above the water. Captain Goofbeard and the Clubhouse gang search for the treasure that'll keep the island afloat...but Peg-Leg Pete has other plans for it.

Headed out as soon as the episode ended. It was too nice of a day to sit inside! It was so nice, I was perfectly fine in a light-weight cardigan, short-sleeved blouse, and capris. My first stop was the Oaklyn Library. I returned Space Academy, organized DVD's, and ignored CNN going on about politics and politicians in the background.

The Oaklyn Library is only about two or three blocks from Capitol Pizza, so I headed up to the White Horse Pike for lunch. It was about 1:30 when I arrived. Except for CNN still going, they were empty. I ordered my slice of cheese, slice of mushroom, and can of Diet Pepsi, worked on story ideas, and once again ignored the politicians on the TV.

I needed a walk. I hadn't had a really nice, long walk in ages. I strolled down the White Horse Pike to Newton Lake Park. It was a glorious day for a stroll. The sun was shining. The sun was warm, but the increasingly brisk wind was cool. The sunlight danced and frolicked over the rippling green water. Ducks and Canadian geese chased each other, looked for lunch, and swam in the lake.

It was so nice to be able to just get out and enjoy the day, after spending so much of the winter indoors! I played at the playground across from the condos and watched a dad help his toddler daughter up the steps and across the chain bridge. I passed dog walkers, joggers, bikers, parents pushing babies in strollers, and college kids shooting the breeze on the small bridge. I stopped at a concrete patio to think and take in the amazing view. I took in the lake curving towards Westmont as I hiked up one of stone stairways to Oaklyn.

Stopped at WaWa for a treat. I considered a milkshake, but I ended up with a Chocolate Banana Smoothie. To my delight, they used a real banana crushed with the chocolate syrup, rather than flavoring. Oooh, it was so good! The real banana made all the difference. It was just sweet and decadent enough.

Spent the next few hours writing after I finally got home. Luke dances with Leia,his mind unable to believe she chose him. Leia's more worried about getting her message to Sir Kenobi than her dancing partner. They finally decide to go look for him when suddenly, a chilling presence arrives in the room. The music cuts off. Dancers part; fearful, terrified whispers rocket around the room. He is here, they murmur. The evil Lord Vader, said to be half-man, half-demon, and his loyal army has arrived.

Luke can understand their fear. Vader is a frightening visage in black and red crystal armor. Nothing can be seen of his human body, not even his eyes. Leia's more angry than frightened. How dare he interrupt her ball? She finally pulls Luke away to find Ben.

I decided to try something different for dinner. I've long given up using "Helper" mixes that substitute fake, freeze-dried cheese and vegetables for the real thing. What's in those mixes that can't be recreated with whatever is in your pantry? I put my theory to the test with Tuna-Noodle Casserole, cooked in a pan instead of baked. I cooked fresh onions and carrots in the pan for a few minutes, then added chicken stock, tuna, cooked frozen peas, cooked whole-wheat rotini noodles, and low-fat-and-sodium cream of mushroom soup. Yum. It didn't look pretty after simmering it for about 20 minutes, but it tasted good, a wonderful, simple blend of flavors. Maybe next time, I'll cook the veggies in olive oil, or add bread crumbs.

Ran the last Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode in the set during dinner. "Mickey's Fun Farm Fair" is a take on state fairs, with games and bake-offs and vegetable-judging booths. Chip and Dale just want to be good at something, but they can never seem to win one of those prize blue ribbons...until Donald gets stuck and needs their help.

Disney tossed in a random Minnie's Bow-Toons for good measure. It's Halloween, but Minnie and Daisy have lost the treats they were going to give out. The kids are disappointed when they attempt tricks instead, until Mickey reminds the girls that the holiday is about more than candy.

Switched back to Jason of Star Command while making Apple-Cinnamon Torte for dessert. The stories mainly involve Jason's and Star Command's ongoing war with the evil Dragos. Despite some interesting stories (like Jason and his crew meeting Blackbeard the Pirate and rescuing a child princess), I'm not enjoying this one quite as much as I did Space Academy. You'd think a serial-type story would be right up my alley. The big problem is, I just don't care much about the hero or the villain. Jason's a bland hunk of rock; Dragos is a sneering, cackling Ming the Merciless imitation. It's too bad, because the special effects are major improvement over Space Academy, including a genuinely well-done Ray Harryhausen-style stop motion monster.

The episodes I'm watching now involve the return of Peepo from the previous show, who seems to have been manipulated by Drago into betraying Star Command. Hopefully, things will start to pick up from here.

Mouse Monster Mash

I was a bit surprised to see rain outside when I awoke this morning. I hadn't seen rain in the forecast. Thankfully, by the time I got moving, it was long gone, and the world was just wet. I ran Jason of Star Command while eating breakfast. Though technically listed as a spin-off of Space Academy, this is really a whole different show. The school for kids with magical abilities and the typical-but-cute edutainment stories have been replaced by an ongoing plot involving Jason (a supposed "soldier of fortune," though he seems to have more in common with James Bond than Han Solo) and his fellow members of Star Command and their war against the evil Dragos. It feels more like a sci-fi serial from the 30's and 40's - there's even two fifteen-minute stories per episode.

Did the laundry around 10:30-quarter of 11. They were pretty quiet for a Monday morning. I saw a few people when I came in and maybe one person when I left. Otherwise, I worked on story ideas and half-listened to Rachael Ray and The View in peace. I really didn't have a very big load, anyway. I was out in less than an hour.

As soon as I put everything away, I went right back out. By this point, the sun had come out, and it was in the 50's and sunny as could be. It was a great day to eat out and run errands. Started with lunch at the Westmont Bagel Shop. I hadn't eaten there in a while. Surprisingly, given it was the tail end of the lunch hour when I arrived, they were quiet. I had a spinach and provolone grilled chicken sandwich on a whole-wheat bagel with macaroni salad and pickle chips. It was tasty, with a ton of cheese, even if the bagel was probably too thick to eat it on.

Headed to the Haddon Township Library next. There wasn't much going on there. The librarians still wanted me to leave the piles of adult DVD titles for the kids to return. I organized the children's titles and shelved the few new releases that were in. I did find a couple of new kids' titles I wanted to see, including brand-new collections for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins, last fall's Barbie movie Rock n' Royals, and the first season of Star Wars: Rebels.

Made a very quick stop at Thriftway on the way home. I forgot to buy an onion on Friday. Sugar was on a good sale, and I was just about out. They have far better prices on individual toilet paper than the Acme does (69 cents, as opposed to a dollar). They were a little steady, but nothing really bad.

Spent the rest of the afternoon writing at home. Han deals with Jabba, telling the fat, ugly ogre he has the money he owes him to buy his way out of indentured servitude. Jabba pretty much says "you'd better, or I'm sending more of my hunters after you." (I know this scene isn't really necessary, but I love Han stepping on Jabba's tail and the "You're a wonderful human being" line.)

Meanwhile, Luke is back at the ball, wondering what became of Ben and Han. Leia storms in, still mad as heck at being abandoned by and kissed by Han. She agrees to dance with him, and Luke is in seventh heaven...but they both quickly realize that something's wrong...

Ran Barbie: Rock N' Royals while making my favorite Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies. This is the Barbie series' third variation on The Prince and the Pauper, and their second to make it royalty vs pop singers. In this case, Princess Courtney and rock star Erika are looking forward to two weeks at cultured Camp Royal and vibrant Camp Pop. There's a mix-up with their boats, and Courtney finds herself among the up-and-coming pop stars, while Erika is hob-nobbing with the royal kids. The two heads of the camps don't really get along. One bets the other that their group can't beat them in a sing-off - loser closes down their camp. Though Courtney and Erika don't feel like they fit in at first, when they discover what's going on with the talent show, they bring their new friends together. In the end, they discover the importance of teamwork and how stepping out of the box can help us discover new talents.

Another musical episode, this one was kind of fun. It did have the same problem as the previous Barbie royal life vs pop life story The Princess and the Pop Star - the mild magical angle with the royals feels forced and necessary. Otherwise, this was, while not great, better than the rather dull Princess and the Pop Star. Fun for girls who love Barbie or pop music.

Did the first Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode while making a jelly omelet for dinner. Mickey is also involved in an unusual musical, in this case the tale of how Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto broke down outside an old mansion and find themselves among monster versions of the usual gang. Mickey is Dracula, Goofy is the Frankenstein monster, Professor Ludvig Von Drake is his creator, Clarabelle is the Phantom of the Opera, and Donald and Daisy are ghosts. They keep hearing a strange clanking noise throughout the episode and search every room, talking to the "monsters" on the way.

Finished out the night with a bath. Ahhh. That felt absolutely wonderful, especially after yesterday. I read the Star Wars FAQ and listened to Ann Murray's greatest hits.

Oh, and I hope you enjoyed your extra Leap Year day! Hope you got a lot done, too!

Queen of the Parking Lot

It was another lovely, sunny day when I finally pulled out of bed this morning. I thought I'd try something a little different and made Cornmeal Pancakes for breakfast. They frankly turned out a bit dry, even though I added whole wheat flour in there, too. Hadn't listened to any of my rock records in a while. I did Foreigner's 4, along with the soundtrack from Streets of Fire.

Good thing it was such a lovely day, if still windy when I arrived at work. I spent most of it outside. I thought the hours I got this week were kind of strange. Turns out at least three baggers went on vacation this week, leaving us short-handed in that department. I hadn't even noticed on the schedule that I was among the regular cashiers recruited to fill the gap. While I wish they could have given me more warning, it was nice to push carts and return items instead of listening to people fuss all night. I actually got a whole, full cart of returns done. I also haven't returned carts in months. I was so sore when I finished and headed home.

Went straight into writing when I got home. Where Boba Fett the huntsman is, the greedy King Jabba the Ogre can't be far behind. Han confronts Jabba, who had gone to the stables to see if he was there. Jabba can see through Han's magic-induced disguise; Force powers don't effect him. Han, a servant to Jabba, has been smuggling spices and drugs for him in order to buy his way out of debt. He swears he'll have the money as soon as the old knight pays him.

I relaxed with the last of the leftover bean-escarole soup for dinner and more music. I picked up the original cast album for the Broadway version of Newsies last year, after I bought the soundtrack and remembered how much I enjoyed it. The stage Newsies was a surprise hit in New York a few years ago, and I like it, too. Though the outline of the plot - a group of newsboys in 1899 go on strike when the newspaper barons raise the prices they pay for papers - remains the same, some characters and most of the second half has changed. The male journalist whose article brought attention to the boys' crusade is now a female journalist looking to prove herself in hard news; she also eliminates the bland love interest sister. There's some ok new songs in with the originals, and Jack's relationship with Crutchie, the disabled Newsie, and his desire to get out west, are made even more dramatic here.

The Ends of Space

Began a beautiful, sunny day with more Space Academy. In "The Cheat," Cadet Matt Prentiss is under fire for ignoring several safety warnings. He gets another chance when they send him on a mission to help Paul, but when he plunges the kids into danger, everyone's questioning his competence again. "My Favorite Marcia" was hilarious. Marcia is an Indiana Jones-esque former lover of Professor Gampu whom he and the kids run into on an asteroid that's inhabited by a killer robot. This episode was worth it just to watch Gampu and Marcia go at each other - even the kids thought it was cute.

Work was a pain today. We're getting pretty close to the beginning of the month, with all the fun people who give you trouble, won't help bag, and are just plain rude. Didn't help that my register decided to slow down and die twenty minutes before I left, holding up a long line. Thank goodness my relief was on time.

It was such a nice day, I took the long way home down Nicholson. The traffic was a bit heavy, but I really wanted to get a little time outside. Besides, it was a great way to relax after all the trouble at work, too. I really hate the beginning of the month.

When I got in, I went straight on the computer. Leia's about to ask Han more questions when he sees a man in green armor - huntsman Boba Fett - show up at the door. He makes a run for it, pulling her outside with him. To avoid Fett following them, he kisses her on a bench, trying to look normal. While it does get them past Fett, Leia is less than amused...and shows it with a fist to his face.

Finished out Space Academy while making leftovers for dinner and putting together Chocolate Chip "Old School" Muffins from Alton Brown's baking cookbook. "Star Legend" takes the entire gang to a mysterious abandoned ship in the Alderan Triangle (cough, not the one from Star Wars that blew up). Someone - or something - is trying to frighten them off the ship, but what? "Johnny Sunseed" is the older brother of Professor Gampu, who wishes humans would "get back to their roots" and hates technology. He learns a lesson in how computers and plants can co-exist when Peepo is the only one who can help him after he eats some genetically altered food that's been making everyone sick.

And that was that. Too bad this show didn't run longer. Despite the cheesy special effects, some stiff dialogue, and the need to conform this to "kids show" standards, I thought this was a lot of fun. Johnathan Harris in particular made a great and very intense 200-year-old Professor. This might even be fun for some younger kids today who don't mind the dated effects and occasional stilted acting from the child actors.

Sunshine At Last

It was still a bit cloudy when I headed out around 11 for a nice, long bike ride. I didn't care that it was still windy. The clouds were breaking up, it wasn't that cold (probably in the lower 40's), and the sun was starting to emerge. This was the first really nice day we'd had since Monday, and I wanted to take advantage of it. Besides, I really didn't have any other plans, and I'm tired of sitting in my apartment. I feel like I've been hanging around in my apartment all winter. I had to get out.

After a quick stop at the Oaklyn WaWa to use the ATM machine, I headed down Atlantic Avenue all the way to Barrington. I hadn't been to the Barrington Antique Center in ages. They were just as filled with wonderful things as ever. I saw two vintage 1980 People magazines with articles on The Empire Strikes Back (I just wish they'd been longer). I saw what I believe was a Kirsten American Girl doll with a hair cut and floppy limbs - they still wanted $75 for her. (Um, if she was wearing at least her original dress, had her braids, and had tighter limbs, yes. As she was, she was barely worth 25.) Two Bitty Twins were in somewhat better shape, but they were still $30 each. I ended up buying a copy of Meet Rebecca, one of the few original American Girl historical books I don't have, and the revised and updated version of Saucepans and the Single Girl, which I've taken out of the Haddon Township Library a couple of times. (I don't care so much about catching a man as I do finding simple recipes to feed one or two people.)

Went next-door to the Barrington Diner for lunch. They're about as basic a restaurant as you can get. The mustard-yellow vinyl and dark wood booths, old chrome counter, and junk on shelves in the back look like they date back to at least the 50's...and the clientele dates from about then, too. It was mostly elderly regulars when I came in. I ordered the deluxe hamburger, with fries and a tiny cup of coleslaw. At least I got the fries and coleslaw. There was no patty on my bun when the waitress brought it out. It took five minutes for me to point this out to her, and another five for them to retrieve my patty. The old people kept making jokes. I'm sure they didn't mean to be annoying, but they just got on my nerves. The burger tasted pretty decent once it actually made it on the bun, but I still wasn't too happy.

I felt better when I was back on the road. I made my way down Atlantic to Market Street in Audubon after lunch. I hadn't had a treat at Desserts By Design in ages. I tried a Chocolate Brownie Cupcake. While the chocolate cupcake itself was perfectly normal, there were brownie bits mixed into the cocoa icing and a thick piece of chocolate fudge brownie on top. Yummy as always.

Made my way over to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center next. I had a couple of short stops to make. I'm out of the pencils I use to write in my daily journal. Staples is the best place to get them in bulk. Ducked around traffic and over to Game Stop. They had a used copy of LEGO: The Star Wars Complete Saga, which I've been looking for.

Hit the Acme next. No wonder I had today off. They were dead as a doornail. I was able to do my grocery shopping in almost total peace. I was mainly doing a pantry restock after clearing them out this week, including evaporated skim milk, pumpkin, tomato sauce, cereal (went with Multi-Grain Cheerios), olive oil, chicken stock, chocolate chips, and oatmeal. Added a bag of Brussels sprouts to my usual apples, bananas, and grapefruit. Grabbed dryer sheets - I ran out after my last laundry load.

My schedule next week is a tad bit better than it was last week, though still not great. On one hand, short shifts, two days off, and only one late day, Sunday. On the other hand, I still don't have enough hours, despite noticing a lot of people asked for this week off. (For some reason. Other than it's the beginning of the month and Leap Year, I really don't think there's much going on.)

When I got home, I worked on writing for the next few hours. Ben wants to talk to Leia's uncle King Bail about the Rebels In the Woods. He sends Luke to keep an eye out for Imperial soldiers and Han to keep an eye on Leia. Han's out of his element...and Leia realizes this too well. He dances stiffly, has rough manners, and doesn't know anything about clothes or fox hunting or most of the things most princes of Leia's acquaintance care about. Leia can sense his nervousness. Han just thinks she's being bratty.

Finished out the night with leftover bean-escarole stew and more Space Academy. My favorite of today's episodes was "Life Begins at 300." Professor Gampu is in the spotlight when he miscalculates how long the kids' life support badges will last, and several of them almost get hurt. He questions his judgement as an older man, and even says he'll retire. A younger cadet is determined to show what she knows and that she can gather the material needed to fix their badges, but when she ends up in trouble, only Gampu - and his centuries of experience - can save her.

Windy Winter

Today was my early work morning. It was...really boring. I arrived at a mostly empty store, and though it did get on-and-off steady later on, we were never really that busy. I spent the majority of the day working on story ideas. Of course, by the time it was starting to pick up a little bit, it was rush hour and time for me to go...and they didn't bother telling me they sent my relief in for someone else. The first person they wanted to send in for me ended up helping a new cashier. By the time they found a second person to go in, I was late getting out. I was not happy. They could have told me I no longer had a relief. I bought my skim milk and stormed out.

The weather didn't improve anyone's mood. Though it never rained again after this morning, it remained gloomy and very, very windy. (Thankfully, the temperatures remain at a slightly-warm but decent 40 degrees.)

Calmed down at home with a little bit of writing. The trio of fictional prince, knight, and master knight have just arrived at the ball. Bail recognizes Sir Kenobi, but has no idea who his proteges are. Leia doesn't recognize them, either...but she does realize Han is not a prince. He's too awkward and annoyed in his fancy velvet outfit to be real royalty.

I started more Space Academy this morning, and I continued it during dinner. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this show. Some of the episodes are really fun, despite the obviously low budget and the need to avoid violence. Of the episodes I did get to today, "The Rocks of Janus" was my favorite. The kids are trying to clear away two huge chunks of space rocks before they collide with the Academy. What they turn out to be is surprising...and so is how one of them rescues Laura. (Alas, this is one of the episodes where the need to avoid violence is rather obvious - Laura merely scares the villain way, rather than attacking him. On the other hand, I am glad to see that the girl got to do this. Both female characters are fairly take-charge for the era and a kid's show, something I greatly appreciate.)

Kids In Space

It was once again pouring when I awoke late this morning. I ran a couple more episodes of Rick Steves' Europe while I ate breakfast to combat the gloom. Vienna and Saltzburg may no longer be the centers of the Austrian Empire, but they're still beautiful towns steeped in romantic history and tradition. I love the palaces, the bakeries, and the waltzes of Vienna. And while most people who think of Saltzburg think "Mozart," I like the little village on the banks of a river that is one of the oldest towns in Europe better. A former salt mining center, it's steeped in quaint, quiet charm.

Headed out around quarter after 12. Though it was still sprinkling at that point, I was tired of sitting inside, and I had errands I wanted to run. Ended up at the Oaklyn Library first. I mostly organized DVDs. Took out two TV sets I'd been wanting to watch. For some reason, they have a bunch of sets of the Filmation live-action kids' shows of the mid-late 1970's. I rented The Secrets of Isis, a superhero-based show, a few years ago and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Given my current Star Wars kick, I figured it was a good time to try out two sci-fi-based programs, Space Academy and Jason of Star Command. I also took out a book of fairy tales and Aesop's Fables with beautiful, delicate illustrations.

My next few stops were quicker. I took a peek around the House of Fun after leaving the Oaklyn Library. Though they have lots of Star Wars stuff, there wasn't anything I really needed, and they still didn't have any second season Sailor Moon.

The Oaklyn Post Office is two blocks from the House of Fun. I've been meaning to buy stamps for over two months now. I either hadn't had the money, or just plain hadn't gotten around to it. Since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by and bought a book of beautiful, colorful flower-based Forever stamps.

Ended up at the CVS on the edge of Oaklyn and Collingswood (which is another two blocks down from the post office) next. I needed mouthwash. Picked up some Jiff Peanut Butter that was on sale for $1.99 as well. I got lucky. The tag for the Crest Mouthwash I bought said $5.09 on clearance. It was the cheapest bottle I could get at that size. They must have dropped the clearance even further, because it rang up $3.39. Talk about your scores.

Finally got to have lunch at Viola's International Deli on West Clinton Avenue, two doors down from Common Grounds Coffee House. Hit a good deal there, too. Evidently, their Wednesday special is a wrap or Panini with a can of soda and a bag of chips for $4.99. I opted for a basic Roast Beef Club Whole Wheat Wrap with a can of Diet Dr. Pepper and a bag of lattice chips. The wrap was so big, I ended up taking the chips home. (I peeked at Studio LuLoo, but they still aren't open. I'll try again on Friday.)

I got home just in time. About a half-hour after I'd ducked in and was on the computer working on my story, the rain started coming down heavily again. It had been incredibly humid for this time of year all afternoon, but the rain stopped after I left the Library and didn't start again until well after I was done with my chores. The wind roared and rattled - I even heard about possible tornadoes. There were thunderstorms later in the evening.

Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening working on writing. Ben says he, Luke, and Han will all be going to the ball, as a prince and his court. He helps Luke dress in his silver crystal armor, then dresses himself in the gold armor of a master Force knight. He turns the Falcon into a splendid carriage, Chewbacca into its driver, Arthur (Artoo) into a footman, and a pack of mice into horses. To Han's annoyance, he's to play the prince. He complains noisily about his tight black velvet jacket and breeches and the silver crown that gives him a headache.

Princess Leia's not much happier. Her white gown with the lace sleeves is itchy and too tight. She would rather be delivering the Kingdom of the Empire's plans to Sir Benjamin Kenobi than trying to push obnoxious young nobles away from her. As her uncle reassures her that she'll be able to carry out her mission soon, there's a disturbance in the room...and a trio of unknown figures appear on the staircase into the ballroom...

When I went through the pantry shelves between the counter and the stove yesterday, I found a can of navy beans and a can of evaporated skim milk that were about to expire. I thought it was time to have a pantry dinner night. I made two Crock Pot meals. Started the Italian Escarole, Broccoli, and Bean Stew before I left to run errands. Oooh, did that turn out nice! I put a little too much water in. Otherwise, it was rich and flavorful. Made Pumpkin Custard for dessert. That didn't come out quite as well. It tasted pretty decent, but I accidentally didn't close the cover all the way, and it overflowed and burned a bit.

Watched the first four episodes of Space Academy as I ate. Jonathan Harris is the head teacher at a school for young cadets with extraordinary powers. There's a telepathic brother-sister pair, a super-strong Native American kid who also acts as the group medic, a smart black kid who acts as navigator, a dark-haired girl, a cute-blue-haired younger kid they pick up in the first episode, and a small robot who acts as something of a mini-Threepio. (The blue haired kid sort of has Artoo's cute-mischievous mascot role.) Once again, I'm impressed. The dialogue is sometimes cheesy, but the special effects (except for some shots that are supposed to be in space) are surprisingly well-done for a show of this era, the kids are decent actors, Harris makes a splendid teacher, and there's some interesting storylines.