Began a sunny, very windy morning with A Pink Christmas during breakfast. The Pink Panther is in search of a meal, any meal, in this animated adaptation of the O'Henry short story The Cop and the Anthem. He tries everything from being a department store Santa to trying to land in jail to get a decent meal. His holidays brighten a little when he's joined by a dog...and learns that a big part of the fun of the holidays is sharing it with others.
Rushed out to Family Dollar right after breakfast. I needed flour, sugar, and eggs, and I couldn't wait until work to buy them. I had cookies to bake. It wasn't busy when I arrived. There was a short line, but it went fast. I was in and out in less than a half-hour.
I did my third batch of Christmas cookies when I got home, the Almond Biscotti. I don't cut mine into rusks and twice-bake them. I roll or flatten them into shapes, then sprinkle colored sugar on them. It's a nice, easy recipe, fun to do, and it makes a lot. (The original recipe calls for Vanilla Sugar, but I don't have any. I use regular sugar and almond flavoring.)
Ran Christmas In Connecticut while I baked. Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is one of the most popular collumists in America. Her articles about her fancy dinners, her baby, and her farm are wildly popular. There's only one small problem - it's all fictional. In reality, she's a city girl who can't boil water and relies on her Uncle Felix (S.K Sakall) to provide the delicious recipes she features in her articles. Her lies catch up with her when her boss Yardley (Sidney Greenstreet) invites himself and a handsome soldier (Dennis Morgan) to her farm for Christmas. Fortunately, the boring architect who keeps asking her to marry him has a farm. She says she'll marry him if she can use the farm...but she doesn't expect to fall for the soldier. As the babies change and the judge goes in and out, Elizabeth begins to realize that honesty really is the best policy, especially where love is concerned. Cute holiday-themed romantic comedy is buoyed by the performances of Greenstreet and Sakall as the two very different bosses.
My Connecticut DVD comes with "A Star In the East," an Oscar-winning short subject from 1941. Master of accents J. Carrol Naish plays an Italian who owns a hotel in the middle of the desert. He thinks the worst of people, and his obnoxious customers bear out his complaints. That is, until a young Hispanic couple arrives, looking for shelter while she's with child. Suddenly, everyone's banding together to make sure the kids are ok, proving that there is charity in the hearts of all at this time of year, and miracles can arrive in the most unexpected places.
Did The First Christmas Snow while eating lunch and making Cranberry Flummery. This sweet Rankin-Bass tale tells of Lucas, a little shepherd who is blinded by a lightning accident. He's taken in by a local parish, and becomes especially fond of the kind head nun (Angela Landsbury). The fussy priest (Cyril Ritchard) wants to send him to an orphanage, but he gets too attached to everyone there to leave, especially after they rescue him when three local boys play a mean trick. The head nun often mentions the snow in the mountains where she's was a child. Lucas has never seen snow...but perhaps, a Christmas miracle will allow him to get his wish...
Brrrr! It was so cold when I went to work, and the heavy wind only made it feel worse. I did spend the first hour cleaning the bathrooms, but for the most part, I was alternating between rounding up carts and baskets and bagging when I got too cold to do anything outside. It's a good thing there were other baggers there and we weren't busy, anyway. In fact, we were mostly dead all night. People are still in the malls, and our forecast has been downgraded to possibly a tiny bit of snow Saturday night, but mostly rain.
When I got home, I threw together everything in my refrigerator, along with canned chicken, to make Chicken Vegetable Soup. Did Twas the Night Before Christmas while I made dinner. Stayed with Rankin-Bass, this time with the tale of a brainy mouse whose insults Santa so badly in a Christmas letter, he refuses to come to his town. The clock maker who lives in the same house makes a huge clock to please the old gift-giver, but the mouse accidentally breaks it. Now the mouse has to make amends, in time for the famous poem to come true.
Ate my soup while playing Lego Star Wars. Finished up the second half of the Bounty Hunter Missions. These got increasingly hard as they went on. There were at least three I needed a couple of tries to complete in time. Getting through all of them earned me the last of the gold bricks. When you get all the gold bricks, you can build a golden machine near Jabba's that'll give you all extras. (Which is really rather pointless, since most people, including me, have probably bought them all by now.)
Ended the night on the couch with my laptop and An American Christmas Carol. Henry Winkler is Benedict Slade, who owns most of a small New England town during the Depression. He's ruthless and has no trouble taking the beloved possessions of the town's citizens or firing his foreman on Christmas Eve. But he'll learn his lesson through three ghosts, who remind him that there's always room for new ideas...and to open your heart to those around us.
Unusual Christmas Carol, made even odder by Winkler playing the Scrooge character under about 60 pounds of make-up. It's a dark and dour TV movie, though Winkler makes a better Scrooge than you might think. Only for major fans of Winkler or those who want to see every version of Christmas Carol.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Let There Be Lights
I spent most of a sunny morning beginning the Christmas cookies. Every year, I make five kinds of cookies and give them away as gifts. I did the peanut butter and chocolate chip today. The chocolate chip is the same Oatmeal Chocolate Chip recipe I used for Lauren's batch, only with the red, green, and dark chocolate holiday chips and vanilla instead of peppermint extract. The peanut butter cookies are made with cake mix. I started doing that about four years ago to save flour for the more complicated cookies. They were so tasty, they're now my go-to peanut butter cookie.
Ran animated specials and holiday TV show episodes all morning while I baked. Jack Frost is an odd but charming Rankin-Bass special from 1979. The title character loves covering the world in frost, but not that no one can see him. When he falls in love with a human girl, he asks Father Winter to become human. Jack finds himself not only fighting the nasty Cossack King Kubla Krouse for her hand, but a more conventionally handsome knight as well.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown is the most recent Peanuts holiday special. Re-run wants a dog more than anything else. He's tired of trying to get his strange siblings to play with him, and Snoopy isn't always available. Charlie Brown finally invites Snoopy's brother Spike from the desert to give the little boy a taste of having a pet.
Threw on an episode of Moonlighting while cleaning up the cookies and loading them into tins and bags. "Twas the Episode Before Christmas," and all through the Blue Moon Detective Agency, Maddie is yelling at Dave about his newest brainstorm, the Santa Hotline. Meanwhile, their receptionist Agnes DiPesto has found a baby in her laundry basket. While the duo search for the mother, they argue over the idea of children and parenthood.
Moved off Christmas and back to fairy tales and The Backyardigans while eating a very quick banana muffin lunch. Tyrone thinks he has to "Escape From Fairy Tale Village" when he encounters a wolf (Austin), a witch (Uniqua), and a giant (Pablo) and think they all want to eat him. Actually, they really just want to have him over for dinner.
Headed out to do the laundry after I was finished eating. They were fairly busy, with several couples around. Good thing my load was tiny. I worked on story notes and listened to talk shows, and was out in less than an hour.
When I got home, I put everything away, then worked on some writing. Vader has arrived in the kitchen, just as Leia freed herself and Han. They all run to hide, but Han and Chewie are weighed down by Threepio the harp, and Vader catches them. But help is on the way...
Started The Flinstones' Christmas Carol while eating leftovers for dinner. Fred's playing Scrooge in a Bedrock production of A Christmas Carol...and he's taking the role way too seriously. He practices day and night, but forgets to buy gifts for his family or pick up Pebbles from daycare. Wilma, who is acting as costume designer and stage manager, is very fed up with her husband. It takes a scary encounter in a closed department store to remind Fred of what really means the most to him.
Went for a walk after dinner. Every year, about two weeks before Christmas, I go out to look at lights. It's a nice way to get out of the apartment and walk off steam and sugar after having spent a lot of the day over a hot oven.
I love how festive Oaklyn gets. Some houses go all-out, covering pretty much everything on the front lawn in lights. Others go for a creative route, outlining the house and "filling in" with the green and red "star" floodlights. There's the houses that go for themes - I saw a reindeer house, a Santa one, a snowflake one, and a poinsettia one - and the ones that just settle for floodlights. Inflatables aren't as numerous as they used to be, but my favorite of the ones I saw was a very happy T-Rex in a Santa hat who had just opened a bone for Christmas. There were wire sculpture polar bears holding striped balls being guided by Santa and wire reindeer grazing on a lawn. I loved the house that wrapped its porch columns in two long rainbows of lights. Giant wreaths and soft electric candles brighten windows.
Jumped in the shower when I got home. Since Lauren wasn't due until past 9, I played a little Lego Star Wars after I got out. Jabba has a booth just off the outside area where you can choose "bounty hunter missions" to go on. These are very, very short versions of the blue piece challenges...but instead of having five minutes to look for blue pieces, you have three minutes to search for a certain character in a small area of a round. It's not really very difficult. The only ones I had trouble with were finding two of the Jedi from the prequels. You get gold bricks for completing each missions, likely the last gold bricks you get in the game.
Richard brought my box from Lauren upstairs around noon, but I wanted to wait until she was home to open my presents. She's such a sweet best friend! She gave me a bright yellow floral tote bag, gloves, the softest gray, black, and red plaid scarf I'd ever felt, and a cute apple-themed set of dish towels. I have read the American Girl Caroline Traitor at the Shipyard mystery before, but not in a while, and I don't otherwise have any of Caroline's books. (Not to mention, she was retired last year, and her books are a little harder to find now.) A small basket with a cute elf cover was filled with a candle votive, an elf bell ornament, and lip gloss from Avon. Got Avon hand lotion, too. (All the hand lotion I can use is appreciated. My hands get so chapped in the winter!) Her present for my dolls was an Our Generation tropical-themed sundress in lilac with an orange-red pineapple print. It'll go to Whitney, who is far more girly than laid-back Jessa.
Lauren's parents gave me 20 dollars in a cute penguin-themed card. Lauren herself gave me a pretty candy-cane card with a recipe for peppermint bark inside. I've never seen a Christmas card with a recipe in it before! I may have to try that sometime in the next few weeks.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The Christmas Blues
Started a sunny day with breakfast before moving on to baking Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lauren for Christmas. Watched the 1951 Christmas Carol while baking. British character actor Alistair Sims makes for one of the most memorable Scrooges of all time in this English version of the famous story. Other than the emphasis on the past sequence, this is actually a pretty straighforward retelling, and is quite well-done.
My public domain DVD copy also comes with the charming 1949 Max Fleischer animated short version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Here, Rudy is a baby reindeer mercilessly taunted by the older deer for his red nose. Unlike the Rankin-Bass version, Santa actually comes to Rudy's home to ask him drive his sleigh, and we see the reindeer honor him at the end. I'm especially fond of the gorgeous Technicolor animation here.
Spent a couple of hours working on my story after the cookies came out of the oven. Chewbacca and Threepio joins the group as they drive the mouse-pulled cart out of the treasure room. Leia and Han are being kept in a bird cage in the kitchen...and now they have to figure out how to get them out, before Vader arrives.
Broke for leftovers for lunch while running one of my favorite Rankin-Bass specials, the touching Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. Like Rudolph, the title character is taunted by his peers, here in the Scandinavian countries. After his mother dies in a snowstorm protecting him, a cherub named Tilly leads him to Bethlehem. He's purchased by Joseph and Mary and uses those long ears to keep them on track to that famous stable.
My first day back at work was a bit of a pain. First of all, the new head manager is very strict and very insistent on cutting hours to the absolute minimum, despite this being the holidays. Second, the closet the baggers used to keep their neon vests in is now locked. (Why, I have no idea. The only things in that closet are boxes of old papers, boxes of bags, and the baggers' coats and vests.) I had to get a key to open it and get a vest that I now have to keep in my locker.
And they won't give me more than those 12 hours. The manager actually said "well, why don't you look for an opportunity somewhere else?" Yeah, a yuppie can say that. I can't make job opportunities magically appear out of thin air. A customer did mention that a friend of her daughter's had gotten a job as a receptionist at the big hotel near the Cooper River Bridge in Cherry Hill. Not my first choice, but worth looking into.
My public domain DVD copy also comes with the charming 1949 Max Fleischer animated short version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Here, Rudy is a baby reindeer mercilessly taunted by the older deer for his red nose. Unlike the Rankin-Bass version, Santa actually comes to Rudy's home to ask him drive his sleigh, and we see the reindeer honor him at the end. I'm especially fond of the gorgeous Technicolor animation here.
Spent a couple of hours working on my story after the cookies came out of the oven. Chewbacca and Threepio joins the group as they drive the mouse-pulled cart out of the treasure room. Leia and Han are being kept in a bird cage in the kitchen...and now they have to figure out how to get them out, before Vader arrives.
Broke for leftovers for lunch while running one of my favorite Rankin-Bass specials, the touching Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. Like Rudolph, the title character is taunted by his peers, here in the Scandinavian countries. After his mother dies in a snowstorm protecting him, a cherub named Tilly leads him to Bethlehem. He's purchased by Joseph and Mary and uses those long ears to keep them on track to that famous stable.
My first day back at work was a bit of a pain. First of all, the new head manager is very strict and very insistent on cutting hours to the absolute minimum, despite this being the holidays. Second, the closet the baggers used to keep their neon vests in is now locked. (Why, I have no idea. The only things in that closet are boxes of old papers, boxes of bags, and the baggers' coats and vests.) I had to get a key to open it and get a vest that I now have to keep in my locker.
And they won't give me more than those 12 hours. The manager actually said "well, why don't you look for an opportunity somewhere else?" Yeah, a yuppie can say that. I can't make job opportunities magically appear out of thin air. A customer did mention that a friend of her daughter's had gotten a job as a receptionist at the big hotel near the Cooper River Bridge in Cherry Hill. Not my first choice, but worth looking into.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Holly Jolly Christmas
I got up so late, it was nearly afternoon when I was having breakfast. I decided to cheer myself up on my last day of vacation with the original Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph is an adorable baby reindeer with a big problem - his nose glows bright red. He's shunned by the other reindeer in the conformity-obsessed North Pole, except for sweet doe Clarice. Hermie, an elf who wants to be a dentist, also feels shunned. The two run away to find a place where they'll be accepted, accompanied by boisterous miner Yukon Cornelius. When even the Island of Misfit Toys can't take them, Rudolph realizes that he can't keep running away...and that even misfits can have a place where they belong.
Headed out around 12:30 to run errands. Started off at the Oaklyn Library. I didn't linger too long there. There wasn't really much to do, and I couldn't reach a lot of the kids' DVDs because the graham cracker "gingerbread houses" that were going to be judged for a contest were blocking them. After I got bored with listening to the librarian and the one older woman on the computer fuss over politics, I left.
I wanted to buy tins for cookies to be sent in the mail, and I was out of parchment paper. I plan on starting the Christmas cookies tomorrow. I originally went to Family Dollar for tins, but they had none. I ended up buying the tins at a very busy Dollar Tree and riding down to the Westmont Acme for parchment paper. The Acme, surprisingly, was not busy, but it wasn't rush hour yet, either.
At least it was a nice day for a ride. The clouds from the morning were gradually giving way to a sunny afternoon that was a little bit warmer than it has been. I cut through part of Newton Lake Park, which despite the suddenly-decent day, wasn't busy. The only creatures I saw were Canadian geese. I ended up pushing my bike up some of the stone steps leading up the hill, since it was kind of getting late.
Ate lunch and watched a fairy tale-related episode of Max & Ruby after I got in. "Little Ruby Riding Hood" wants to take a basket of cookies to Grandma's house. The Big Max Wolf won't make that easy! Ruby tells Max the story of "Max and the Beanstalk" to get him to eat his green beans, but Max misinterprets her tale. Ruby and Louise are against Max's frog joining their play, until Ruby remembers one fairy tale that does feature a princess and a frog, "The Froggy Prince."
Did some writing after lunch. Ashoka gives Luke and Ben a cart to carry the gold and hen in. They manage to get out of the dining hall just in time. Vader awakes and chases them. The mouse pulling their cart runs into a mouse hole. The hole leads them to Vader's treasure room. Chewbacca, a huge thief, is already there, along with Threepio, the chatty golden harp. He and his partner Han came up the beanstalk the night before, hoping to find something to steal. Han tried to take the hen that laid the golden eggs, but Vader caught him. Chewie escaped down the mouse hole. Luke and Ben offer to take him and Threepio back up to the main room to rescue Luke's sister, his friend, and the people of the land who were turned into trees.
Charlie came upstairs just as I was finishing my writing for the day. First of all, the lights he put up yesterday haven't been working. Second, he said there was a package downstairs for me. They left it on his side of the house for some reason. I don't know why he couldn't have brought it upstairs - I had to go retrieve it.
It was from my good friends Linda and James Young. Most of the packages inside were for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but there were a few I could open now. One was a pretty necklace with a pendent that repeated Oscar Wilde's "Be yourself - everyone else is already taken" line. One was I believe a beaded bookmark. The other was a "My Little Demon" parody dressed as Jem of Jem and the Holograms that James apparently found at DragonCon, the Atlanta sci-fi convention Linda and James attend every year. I put the magnet up right away, but I'll have to look for an interesting spot for the card. (Speaking of cards, they also gave me a really cute Christmas card with the Peanuts singing in the snow.)
I'd had a can of tomato paste and a pack of chicken thighs around for a while. I tossed both together with onions, mushrooms, herbs, and water in the Crock Pot. By around 6:30, the kitchen smelled wonderful. Yumm. It came out very nice and rich. Had it with defrosted snap peas and leftover mashed sweet potatoes.
Ran Garfield and Friends as I ate. The fat cat and his barnyard pals did indulge in fantasy and fairy tale spoofs from time to time. "The Worst Pizza" is Garfield's tale of how a cat saved an Italian village from a baker's (Jon) terrible pizza. Even after Orson finishes their bedtime book, the chicks, Wade, and Roy want to know "Jack II: The Rest of the Story." Orson's too tired to continue it, so they make up their own ending. "The Garfield Opera" is a spoof of a typical episode...that's totally through-sung, as per the title.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. Tried the Super Story for New Hope, but got stuck on "Death Star Escape." (I was way over an hour by that point, anyway.) Did the "Retake Theed Palace" and "Gunship Calvary" blue piece challenges and managed to complete the latter.
Headed out around 12:30 to run errands. Started off at the Oaklyn Library. I didn't linger too long there. There wasn't really much to do, and I couldn't reach a lot of the kids' DVDs because the graham cracker "gingerbread houses" that were going to be judged for a contest were blocking them. After I got bored with listening to the librarian and the one older woman on the computer fuss over politics, I left.
I wanted to buy tins for cookies to be sent in the mail, and I was out of parchment paper. I plan on starting the Christmas cookies tomorrow. I originally went to Family Dollar for tins, but they had none. I ended up buying the tins at a very busy Dollar Tree and riding down to the Westmont Acme for parchment paper. The Acme, surprisingly, was not busy, but it wasn't rush hour yet, either.
At least it was a nice day for a ride. The clouds from the morning were gradually giving way to a sunny afternoon that was a little bit warmer than it has been. I cut through part of Newton Lake Park, which despite the suddenly-decent day, wasn't busy. The only creatures I saw were Canadian geese. I ended up pushing my bike up some of the stone steps leading up the hill, since it was kind of getting late.
Ate lunch and watched a fairy tale-related episode of Max & Ruby after I got in. "Little Ruby Riding Hood" wants to take a basket of cookies to Grandma's house. The Big Max Wolf won't make that easy! Ruby tells Max the story of "Max and the Beanstalk" to get him to eat his green beans, but Max misinterprets her tale. Ruby and Louise are against Max's frog joining their play, until Ruby remembers one fairy tale that does feature a princess and a frog, "The Froggy Prince."
Did some writing after lunch. Ashoka gives Luke and Ben a cart to carry the gold and hen in. They manage to get out of the dining hall just in time. Vader awakes and chases them. The mouse pulling their cart runs into a mouse hole. The hole leads them to Vader's treasure room. Chewbacca, a huge thief, is already there, along with Threepio, the chatty golden harp. He and his partner Han came up the beanstalk the night before, hoping to find something to steal. Han tried to take the hen that laid the golden eggs, but Vader caught him. Chewie escaped down the mouse hole. Luke and Ben offer to take him and Threepio back up to the main room to rescue Luke's sister, his friend, and the people of the land who were turned into trees.
Charlie came upstairs just as I was finishing my writing for the day. First of all, the lights he put up yesterday haven't been working. Second, he said there was a package downstairs for me. They left it on his side of the house for some reason. I don't know why he couldn't have brought it upstairs - I had to go retrieve it.
It was from my good friends Linda and James Young. Most of the packages inside were for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but there were a few I could open now. One was a pretty necklace with a pendent that repeated Oscar Wilde's "Be yourself - everyone else is already taken" line. One was I believe a beaded bookmark. The other was a "My Little Demon" parody dressed as Jem of Jem and the Holograms that James apparently found at DragonCon, the Atlanta sci-fi convention Linda and James attend every year. I put the magnet up right away, but I'll have to look for an interesting spot for the card. (Speaking of cards, they also gave me a really cute Christmas card with the Peanuts singing in the snow.)
I'd had a can of tomato paste and a pack of chicken thighs around for a while. I tossed both together with onions, mushrooms, herbs, and water in the Crock Pot. By around 6:30, the kitchen smelled wonderful. Yumm. It came out very nice and rich. Had it with defrosted snap peas and leftover mashed sweet potatoes.
Ran Garfield and Friends as I ate. The fat cat and his barnyard pals did indulge in fantasy and fairy tale spoofs from time to time. "The Worst Pizza" is Garfield's tale of how a cat saved an Italian village from a baker's (Jon) terrible pizza. Even after Orson finishes their bedtime book, the chicks, Wade, and Roy want to know "Jack II: The Rest of the Story." Orson's too tired to continue it, so they make up their own ending. "The Garfield Opera" is a spoof of a typical episode...that's totally through-sung, as per the title.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. Tried the Super Story for New Hope, but got stuck on "Death Star Escape." (I was way over an hour by that point, anyway.) Did the "Retake Theed Palace" and "Gunship Calvary" blue piece challenges and managed to complete the latter.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Family and Football
I slept so late, I ended up having breakfast for lunch. Made Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes while listening to Christmas music. I wanted to put on records, but I barely got through the first half of Mickey's Christmas Carol before the needle broke! I don't have the money to replace it now.
I ended up switching to CDs. The first Disney Christmas Collection has some decent material, including Jiminy Cricket's charming rendition of The Night Before Christmas...but I have no idea what's with that strange Chip n' Dale carol medley that ends the recording. Christmas With the Chipmunks has Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and their guardian Dave singing everything from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Silver Bells," as well as introducing "The Chipmunks' Christmas Song (Please Christmas Don't Be Late)."
Messed around online for an hour. Called Dad and Jodie; got Jodie. I wanted to make sure they would be home today before I went over there. Yes, they would. Dad evidently had an emergency hospital trip last Sunday. Probably a bad reaction to his new medication, Jodie said. At any rate, he was fine now, and they'd be having food and people over.
I went over around quarter of 2. Jodie had tons of food there! She'd made both ham and cabbage and chili. There were pigs in a blanket and tons of cookies - chocolate chip, Reeces Pieces chips, character print butter - all from frozen dough packages. I had the ham and cabbage while watching the Eagles play the Redskins with Dad and, during the first half, Craig. He had to leave for work (Rose was also working), though Khai remained. Jessa was there (Joe was working as well). The neighbors showed up later, with Chloe and her brother to play with Khai. Evidently, their family is going to Disney World by train starting tomorrow, and they wanted to say good-bye before they left.
(The game was better than it has been the last few weeks. The Eagles tried hard, but they finally came up short, 27-22. And why is it every time I watch and Eagles/Redskins game on my day off, there's a fight in the fourth quarter? The Dolphins did better, just getting by the Arizona Cardinals 26-23. At least none of them had to play in a snow storm. The Steelers and the Bills had to deal with Buffalo's stadium being in the middle of a blizzard. The Steelers finally just outran them 27-20.)
After I went home, I did some re-writing on my story to bring Palpatine in earlier and put the focus back on Luke. Luke and Ben watch as Palpatine comes out, wanting to count his gold. He orders Vader to bring him his bags of gold and his golden egg-laying hen. Ashoka drugs both, turning the gold and hen over to Luke and Ben.
Finished the night with a fried egg wrap with sauteed mushrooms and Lego Star Wars. I finally got through "Darth Maul" and finished the Super Story for "The Phantom Menace" in well under an hour (more like a little over 40 minutes, actually). Tried "Retake Theed Palace," but that one's kind of complicated, and I didn't get far.
I ended up switching to CDs. The first Disney Christmas Collection has some decent material, including Jiminy Cricket's charming rendition of The Night Before Christmas...but I have no idea what's with that strange Chip n' Dale carol medley that ends the recording. Christmas With the Chipmunks has Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and their guardian Dave singing everything from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Silver Bells," as well as introducing "The Chipmunks' Christmas Song (Please Christmas Don't Be Late)."
Messed around online for an hour. Called Dad and Jodie; got Jodie. I wanted to make sure they would be home today before I went over there. Yes, they would. Dad evidently had an emergency hospital trip last Sunday. Probably a bad reaction to his new medication, Jodie said. At any rate, he was fine now, and they'd be having food and people over.
I went over around quarter of 2. Jodie had tons of food there! She'd made both ham and cabbage and chili. There were pigs in a blanket and tons of cookies - chocolate chip, Reeces Pieces chips, character print butter - all from frozen dough packages. I had the ham and cabbage while watching the Eagles play the Redskins with Dad and, during the first half, Craig. He had to leave for work (Rose was also working), though Khai remained. Jessa was there (Joe was working as well). The neighbors showed up later, with Chloe and her brother to play with Khai. Evidently, their family is going to Disney World by train starting tomorrow, and they wanted to say good-bye before they left.
(The game was better than it has been the last few weeks. The Eagles tried hard, but they finally came up short, 27-22. And why is it every time I watch and Eagles/Redskins game on my day off, there's a fight in the fourth quarter? The Dolphins did better, just getting by the Arizona Cardinals 26-23. At least none of them had to play in a snow storm. The Steelers and the Bills had to deal with Buffalo's stadium being in the middle of a blizzard. The Steelers finally just outran them 27-20.)
After I went home, I did some re-writing on my story to bring Palpatine in earlier and put the focus back on Luke. Luke and Ben watch as Palpatine comes out, wanting to count his gold. He orders Vader to bring him his bags of gold and his golden egg-laying hen. Ashoka drugs both, turning the gold and hen over to Luke and Ben.
Finished the night with a fried egg wrap with sauteed mushrooms and Lego Star Wars. I finally got through "Darth Maul" and finished the Super Story for "The Phantom Menace" in well under an hour (more like a little over 40 minutes, actually). Tried "Retake Theed Palace," but that one's kind of complicated, and I didn't get far.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Christmas Fantasy
Began the day with breakfast and Arthur's Perfect Christmas. It's the holidays in Elwood City. Arthur Read is looking forward to the most perfect Christmas ever, with tons of snow, a glittering tree, and a big traditional meal. Nothing goes as Arthur or his friends planned at first. Francine can't go to her best friend Muffy's party because it's at the same time as her family's Hanukkah celebration. Buster's mom is worried that he won't have a nice Christmas because of his parents' divorce and keeps waking him up early for presents and pancakes. D.W wants that one popular toy no one can find. It's Arthur's clumsy Uncle Fred who finally teaches him the true meaning of the season...and reminds him that while holidays can't be perfect, they can be a lot of fun, no matter what you celebrate.
Moved onto It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown while making Banana Muffins. The second Peanuts holiday special is a series of skits involving the kids and their preparations for the big day. My personal favorite gags involve Peppermint Patty's avoidance of homework and her and Marcie at the Hallelujah Chorus and Sally learning her one line for the Christmas play.
Worked on Luke and the Beanstalk for the rest of the morning. Luke, Leia, and Ben are sneaked into Darth Vader's castle by his housekeeper, a sympathetic woman named Ashoka Tano who was once his ward. She gives the hungry twins things to eat, even as she admits that she's not certain their father can be restored to his human form.
When Vader arrives, she hides them in the stove. Leia doesn't like seeing him abuse Ashoka and runs out and insults and hits him! Vader orders Ashoka to lock her in a bird cage to be eaten later. A handsome, rather smartalec-y man is in the cage with her. He turns out to be Han Solo, a thief who, along with his partner Chewbacca, saw the beanstalk growing overnight and decided to investigate. Vader caught him trying to steal his golden egg-laying hen and tossed him in the cage, but Chewie escaped.
Did Mickey and the Beanstalk while eating a quick Banana Muffin lunch. The version I have on my Mickey Mouse In Living Color Vol 2. set is the original from Fun and Fancy Free with the Edgar Bergen and his puppets wrap-around segments. Bergen and his puppets Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy tell the story of three brave peasants (Mickey, Donald, and Goofy) who climb a beanstalk and discover that a giant (Willie) has stolen the harp that kept their valley green. Willie can change into anything imaginable, but it's not enough to distract him while the trio try to take the harp back.
Had a few things to do at and behind the Acme today, starting with dropping three bags of clothing donations at the DARE boxes on the service road between mall buildings. I've been meaning to do that forever, but either I didn't have the time before work, or I didn't have the room, or I'd forget.
The Acme was surprisingly quiet for late Friday afternoon...which is likely one of the reasons I got lousy hours again. I'm back to 12. I can't live on that. We also have a new manager who isn't familiar with the store or its workers. A lot of older employees have been complaining they've been working later in the day when, based on their seniority, they should be working in the morning. I'd just like to work at all. He probably thinks I'm some newcomer because I'm a bagger and not the head bagger. I left him a note reminding him that I've worked for some Acme or another for over 15 years and deserve more than 12 hours.
I did have some grocery shopping I couldn't put off. Needed to restock butter, cooking spray, soup (Campbell's Hearty Soup was on sale and I had a coupon), cereal (Quaker's was on a good sale - got Oatmeal Squares), cranberries, bananas, cocoa, and corn starch. Bought holiday-colored chocolate chips for cookies next week.
When I got home, I put everything away, then started wrapping presents. Ran the 1986 TV version of Babes In Toyland while I worked. Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore) is an 11-year-old resident of Cincinatti who is super-mature and responsible for her age, thanks to her mother relying heavily on her to take care of household chores. She gets into an accident on a sled and finds herself in Toyland, a magical world where teddy bears are cops and nasty old men live in bowling balls. Lisa helps Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves) court his sweetheart Mary and tries to play matchmaker with Mother Hubbard (Eileen Brennan) and Barnaby. When Barnaby steals a Jar of Evil from the Toymaker (Pat Morita), it's up to Lisa to save Toyland...and realize that she really is just a kid after all.
I have a soft spot for this one from its occasional showings on what was then the Fox Family Channel when I was in college. Honestly, it's terrible. The music is awful, Keanu Reeves doesn't belong here, it looks cheap, and the one person who can sing (Brennan) doesn't. It does have some nice touches, like Mother Hubbard carrying a list to remember everything she says and does and Barnaby's bowling ball home, and Barrymore's pretty good as the child who refuses to believe in fantasy.
Both the short video and original two-part versions are currently available on YouTube...but I only recommend it if you really love the cast or enjoy campy musicals the way I do.
Did the Fairie Tale Theatre version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" while eating cornmeal-crusted blue fish, green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. Here, Jack is a dreamer who is always coming up with impractical ideas, much to the chagrin of his mother (Kathrine Helmond). She's in despair when he trades their cow for magic beans. When the magic beans grow to the sky, he climbs them right into the clouds. A fairy reveals that the land of the clouds was once run by Jack's father, a kind man who was killed by a giant (Elliot Gould) who stole his treasures. Jack eventually gets it back, with a little help from the giant's wife (Maureen Stapleton).
Finished out the night with a much-needed bath. Ahh. It felt so good to just kick back and relax while reading books on Christmas! I don't do this often enough anymore.
Moved onto It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown while making Banana Muffins. The second Peanuts holiday special is a series of skits involving the kids and their preparations for the big day. My personal favorite gags involve Peppermint Patty's avoidance of homework and her and Marcie at the Hallelujah Chorus and Sally learning her one line for the Christmas play.
Worked on Luke and the Beanstalk for the rest of the morning. Luke, Leia, and Ben are sneaked into Darth Vader's castle by his housekeeper, a sympathetic woman named Ashoka Tano who was once his ward. She gives the hungry twins things to eat, even as she admits that she's not certain their father can be restored to his human form.
When Vader arrives, she hides them in the stove. Leia doesn't like seeing him abuse Ashoka and runs out and insults and hits him! Vader orders Ashoka to lock her in a bird cage to be eaten later. A handsome, rather smartalec-y man is in the cage with her. He turns out to be Han Solo, a thief who, along with his partner Chewbacca, saw the beanstalk growing overnight and decided to investigate. Vader caught him trying to steal his golden egg-laying hen and tossed him in the cage, but Chewie escaped.
Did Mickey and the Beanstalk while eating a quick Banana Muffin lunch. The version I have on my Mickey Mouse In Living Color Vol 2. set is the original from Fun and Fancy Free with the Edgar Bergen and his puppets wrap-around segments. Bergen and his puppets Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy tell the story of three brave peasants (Mickey, Donald, and Goofy) who climb a beanstalk and discover that a giant (Willie) has stolen the harp that kept their valley green. Willie can change into anything imaginable, but it's not enough to distract him while the trio try to take the harp back.
Had a few things to do at and behind the Acme today, starting with dropping three bags of clothing donations at the DARE boxes on the service road between mall buildings. I've been meaning to do that forever, but either I didn't have the time before work, or I didn't have the room, or I'd forget.
The Acme was surprisingly quiet for late Friday afternoon...which is likely one of the reasons I got lousy hours again. I'm back to 12. I can't live on that. We also have a new manager who isn't familiar with the store or its workers. A lot of older employees have been complaining they've been working later in the day when, based on their seniority, they should be working in the morning. I'd just like to work at all. He probably thinks I'm some newcomer because I'm a bagger and not the head bagger. I left him a note reminding him that I've worked for some Acme or another for over 15 years and deserve more than 12 hours.
I did have some grocery shopping I couldn't put off. Needed to restock butter, cooking spray, soup (Campbell's Hearty Soup was on sale and I had a coupon), cereal (Quaker's was on a good sale - got Oatmeal Squares), cranberries, bananas, cocoa, and corn starch. Bought holiday-colored chocolate chips for cookies next week.
When I got home, I put everything away, then started wrapping presents. Ran the 1986 TV version of Babes In Toyland while I worked. Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore) is an 11-year-old resident of Cincinatti who is super-mature and responsible for her age, thanks to her mother relying heavily on her to take care of household chores. She gets into an accident on a sled and finds herself in Toyland, a magical world where teddy bears are cops and nasty old men live in bowling balls. Lisa helps Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves) court his sweetheart Mary and tries to play matchmaker with Mother Hubbard (Eileen Brennan) and Barnaby. When Barnaby steals a Jar of Evil from the Toymaker (Pat Morita), it's up to Lisa to save Toyland...and realize that she really is just a kid after all.
I have a soft spot for this one from its occasional showings on what was then the Fox Family Channel when I was in college. Honestly, it's terrible. The music is awful, Keanu Reeves doesn't belong here, it looks cheap, and the one person who can sing (Brennan) doesn't. It does have some nice touches, like Mother Hubbard carrying a list to remember everything she says and does and Barnaby's bowling ball home, and Barrymore's pretty good as the child who refuses to believe in fantasy.
Both the short video and original two-part versions are currently available on YouTube...but I only recommend it if you really love the cast or enjoy campy musicals the way I do.
Did the Fairie Tale Theatre version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" while eating cornmeal-crusted blue fish, green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. Here, Jack is a dreamer who is always coming up with impractical ideas, much to the chagrin of his mother (Kathrine Helmond). She's in despair when he trades their cow for magic beans. When the magic beans grow to the sky, he climbs them right into the clouds. A fairy reveals that the land of the clouds was once run by Jack's father, a kind man who was killed by a giant (Elliot Gould) who stole his treasures. Jack eventually gets it back, with a little help from the giant's wife (Maureen Stapleton).
Finished out the night with a much-needed bath. Ahh. It felt so good to just kick back and relax while reading books on Christmas! I don't do this often enough anymore.
Friday, December 09, 2016
Christmas In the Malls
I got up late and spent most of a sort-of cloudy morning and early afternoon writing. Luke and Leia finally make it to the top of the beanstalk. They find that the clouds are not only solid enough to walk on, but they have a whole beautiful green land over them. Ben Kenobi appears, explaining that he is a magician and a knight who was once the adviser for Lord Anakin and Lady Padme, the rulers of this land...until Palpatine, the lord's other adviser, took over. The evil sorcerer killed Padme and the other knights and turned Anakin into a heartless giant. Heartbroken, Ben fled with Padme's twin children to the world below. The castle and its treasures are rightfully theirs
Finally broke around 12:30 for lunch. Ran A Garfield Christmas Special while I ate muffins and Cranberry Flummery. Garfield's not thrilled about being dragged to the family farm for an old-fashioned country holiday. He feels better when he meets Jon's grandma, a tough-minded old lady by his own heart. While the rest of Jon's family decorate the tree and read "Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas," Garfield finds a gift that'll make Grandma's holidays a little merrier.
Headed out around quarter after 1. They're still working on Cuthbert Road - they're on the corner of Cuthbert and the White Horse Pike now. I learned my lesson the last time I made a mall trip. I stopped quickly at WaWa for money, then headed down to Westmont. Parked my bike at Super Fitness, behind the Westmont Plaza, and picked up the bus down the hill. The bus was right on time, and there were no problems getting to Cherry Hill.
I don't have a lot of money and didn't want to do much dilly-dallying. I made brief stops in the mall proper to look for something for Lauren at Jay Street Video Games (didn't know what she'd like), grab a complimentary White Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tea at Teavana (it was amazing), and admire the Dreamworks-themed Santa set-up before heading for the exit near Nordstrom's. I took the elevator up the pedestrian bridge, heading for Target.
Needless to say, on a Friday two and a half weeks before Christmas, they were quite busy. I did look at ear warmers and ear muffs for myself, but I was mainly there for toys. Needless to say that close to rush hour, so were half the moms in Cherry Hill. I ended up getting Lego sets for Collyn and Khai, a ball-based puzzle for Skylar, and a smaller Cabbage Patch Kid dressed as a kitten for Lilah. The boys' things were all on sale.
I have different ideas of a Christmas treat. Target seems to be the only one who carries Betty Crocker's amazing Gingerbread Cookie Mix anymore. I've never seen their Butter Pecan cake mix anywhere but on their site, either. They also had these amazing-looking mini Jet Puffs Peppermint Marshmallows. Grabbed Target's generic natural creamy peanut butter while I was there.
Browsed a little bit in the mall after I left Target. Took brief looks at Game Stop and Build-a-Bear for Lauren. Treated myself to the same Candy Cane Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen I had during last year's Christmas shopping trip. It was even yummier this year, with lots of big cookie and mint candy pieces. Ended up at JC Penney to finally buy some knit red ear warmers. I left my ear muffs in Cape May County at Mom and Dad's house.
Caught the 5:30 home. They were only a tiny bit late, nothing really big. There was a little traffic around the Market Place lifestyle center. Otherwise, I had no problems getting home. Stopped at WaWa on the way back for skim milk and a Gobbler (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce) hoagie.
Finished out the night with The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas, eating my hoagie, and making those gingerbread cookies. I rented this one from the Haddon Township Library yesterday (along with Hail, Caesar! again). The Cat teaches Nick and Sally about the migration patterns of elephants, dolphins, red crabs, and reindeer when baby reindeer Ralph gets lost and they have to take him home to Freeze-Your-Knees Snowland.
Finally broke around 12:30 for lunch. Ran A Garfield Christmas Special while I ate muffins and Cranberry Flummery. Garfield's not thrilled about being dragged to the family farm for an old-fashioned country holiday. He feels better when he meets Jon's grandma, a tough-minded old lady by his own heart. While the rest of Jon's family decorate the tree and read "Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas," Garfield finds a gift that'll make Grandma's holidays a little merrier.
Headed out around quarter after 1. They're still working on Cuthbert Road - they're on the corner of Cuthbert and the White Horse Pike now. I learned my lesson the last time I made a mall trip. I stopped quickly at WaWa for money, then headed down to Westmont. Parked my bike at Super Fitness, behind the Westmont Plaza, and picked up the bus down the hill. The bus was right on time, and there were no problems getting to Cherry Hill.
I don't have a lot of money and didn't want to do much dilly-dallying. I made brief stops in the mall proper to look for something for Lauren at Jay Street Video Games (didn't know what she'd like), grab a complimentary White Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tea at Teavana (it was amazing), and admire the Dreamworks-themed Santa set-up before heading for the exit near Nordstrom's. I took the elevator up the pedestrian bridge, heading for Target.
Needless to say, on a Friday two and a half weeks before Christmas, they were quite busy. I did look at ear warmers and ear muffs for myself, but I was mainly there for toys. Needless to say that close to rush hour, so were half the moms in Cherry Hill. I ended up getting Lego sets for Collyn and Khai, a ball-based puzzle for Skylar, and a smaller Cabbage Patch Kid dressed as a kitten for Lilah. The boys' things were all on sale.
I have different ideas of a Christmas treat. Target seems to be the only one who carries Betty Crocker's amazing Gingerbread Cookie Mix anymore. I've never seen their Butter Pecan cake mix anywhere but on their site, either. They also had these amazing-looking mini Jet Puffs Peppermint Marshmallows. Grabbed Target's generic natural creamy peanut butter while I was there.
Browsed a little bit in the mall after I left Target. Took brief looks at Game Stop and Build-a-Bear for Lauren. Treated myself to the same Candy Cane Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen I had during last year's Christmas shopping trip. It was even yummier this year, with lots of big cookie and mint candy pieces. Ended up at JC Penney to finally buy some knit red ear warmers. I left my ear muffs in Cape May County at Mom and Dad's house.
Caught the 5:30 home. They were only a tiny bit late, nothing really big. There was a little traffic around the Market Place lifestyle center. Otherwise, I had no problems getting home. Stopped at WaWa on the way back for skim milk and a Gobbler (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce) hoagie.
Finished out the night with The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas, eating my hoagie, and making those gingerbread cookies. I rented this one from the Haddon Township Library yesterday (along with Hail, Caesar! again). The Cat teaches Nick and Sally about the migration patterns of elephants, dolphins, red crabs, and reindeer when baby reindeer Ralph gets lost and they have to take him home to Freeze-Your-Knees Snowland.
Thursday, December 08, 2016
The History Behind the Holiday
Began a cloudy, damp morning with breakfast and Christmas Past. One of three holiday-themed documentaries Linda Young gave me in 2007, this one details how British Christmas customs came into being. I love the interviews with different people who often lived through the history - landed gentry who enjoyed elaborate Christmases, a female Father Christmas, a woman who had her first nice Christmas when she was evacuated to the country during World War II as a child, the Scottish folks who enjoyed their first Christmases period in the 50's.
Worked on writing for the next few hours. My next three stories will be backlogged Star Wars Original Trilogy fairy tales I've been working on ideas for, beginning with Luke and the Beanstalk. Luke and Leia Skywalker live on a small dairy farm in the Kingdom of Naboo. They took over the farm after their aunt and uncle died. Unfortunately, Naboo is hit with a terrible drought that kills off most of their cattle. Leia insists that Luke sell their last remaining cow Artoo when she no longer gives milk. Luke's heartbroken, but he knows they have no choice. They need the money.
He encounters an old peddler in a brown cloak as he's taking him to town. It's Old Ben Kenobi, a strange old magician. He tells Luke he'll trade Artoo for a bag of magic beans. If he plants them in his garden, something amazing will happen!
Leia's not convinced. She's so angry when Luke gets home, she throws the beans out the window! They both go to bed hungry and upset with each other.
Luke thinks he hears voices and something rustling in the night, but he has no idea why. When he awakens the next day, he finds his room is dark. There's a shadow hanging over the house...the shadow of an enormous beanstalk. The young farmer starts climbing it right away. His sister goes after him to keep an eye on the daydreaming lad.
Broke for lunch around 1. Ran Christmas Unwrapped as I ate. The second holiday documentary of the day is a History Channel special that goes further into the older history behind the holiday and how they inspired many American Christmas traditions, like Santa Claus and trees..and how the holiday is regarded now.
Headed out for a run to the Haddon Township Library around 2:30. The sun was just starting to peek through the clouds as I rode through Newton Lake Park. The trees are all bare now, wispy brown strokes against the green grass and golden leaves. Probably because of the wind and it being the middle of the day, the park wasn't terribly busy either going to or from the library. I dodged a few people out for a stroll or a jog, but most folks were probably trying to avoid the mid-40's temperatures.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't terribly busy when I arrived. The kids' DVDs actually weren't bad. I managed to get them all in with a little room to spare. Had a harder time with the adult DVDs. Couldn't get all the I's and S's in. Did better with the CDs and audio books.
Went straight home across the park again after I finished. Since I really had no other plans for today, I decided I'd get my Christmas cards done. I don't mind doing them. Only about half of mine are going out of town, anyway. Most get handed out to friends and family who live in the area on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was even able to clear out the last couple of cards from several older packs, two of which I've had for at least five or six years.
Did TV Guide Looks at Christmas as I worked. This time, we're learning about holiday traditions on television, from popular animated specials to oft-repeated movies to favorite Christmas sitcom episodes. I especially liked hearing about Christmas holiday variety programs. I was born in 1979, as variety shows were dying out on TV, and remember absolutely nothing about them. (Though I have had the soundtrack to the Judy Garland Christmas special since the mid-90's.) The only major variety special during my childhood was Pee Wee's. While I had heard somewhat about the Bing Crosby shows, Perry Como's trips to Austria and the Alps were entirely new to me.
Moved to Rick Steves' European Christmas as I made tuna salad wraps and honey-glazed carrots for dinner. It's a merry little Christmas all across the continent that gave the US some of its most cherished holiday traditions. I love learning about the different customs of various countries, from making plum pudding in England, to meeting the lovely angel who gives gifts in Germany, to ice skating on the Eiffel Tower, to a living nativity in rural Italy.
Finished the night with more Lego Star Wars. Finally completed the "Escape From Naboo" blue pieces challenge. Didn't have as much luck with "Darth Vader," "Retake Theed Palace," and "Darth Maul." Did better with the Super Story for Revenge of the Sith. I was not only able to complete it in under an hour this time, but I got even more studs than I did previously.
Worked on writing for the next few hours. My next three stories will be backlogged Star Wars Original Trilogy fairy tales I've been working on ideas for, beginning with Luke and the Beanstalk. Luke and Leia Skywalker live on a small dairy farm in the Kingdom of Naboo. They took over the farm after their aunt and uncle died. Unfortunately, Naboo is hit with a terrible drought that kills off most of their cattle. Leia insists that Luke sell their last remaining cow Artoo when she no longer gives milk. Luke's heartbroken, but he knows they have no choice. They need the money.
He encounters an old peddler in a brown cloak as he's taking him to town. It's Old Ben Kenobi, a strange old magician. He tells Luke he'll trade Artoo for a bag of magic beans. If he plants them in his garden, something amazing will happen!
Leia's not convinced. She's so angry when Luke gets home, she throws the beans out the window! They both go to bed hungry and upset with each other.
Luke thinks he hears voices and something rustling in the night, but he has no idea why. When he awakens the next day, he finds his room is dark. There's a shadow hanging over the house...the shadow of an enormous beanstalk. The young farmer starts climbing it right away. His sister goes after him to keep an eye on the daydreaming lad.
Broke for lunch around 1. Ran Christmas Unwrapped as I ate. The second holiday documentary of the day is a History Channel special that goes further into the older history behind the holiday and how they inspired many American Christmas traditions, like Santa Claus and trees..and how the holiday is regarded now.
Headed out for a run to the Haddon Township Library around 2:30. The sun was just starting to peek through the clouds as I rode through Newton Lake Park. The trees are all bare now, wispy brown strokes against the green grass and golden leaves. Probably because of the wind and it being the middle of the day, the park wasn't terribly busy either going to or from the library. I dodged a few people out for a stroll or a jog, but most folks were probably trying to avoid the mid-40's temperatures.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't terribly busy when I arrived. The kids' DVDs actually weren't bad. I managed to get them all in with a little room to spare. Had a harder time with the adult DVDs. Couldn't get all the I's and S's in. Did better with the CDs and audio books.
Went straight home across the park again after I finished. Since I really had no other plans for today, I decided I'd get my Christmas cards done. I don't mind doing them. Only about half of mine are going out of town, anyway. Most get handed out to friends and family who live in the area on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was even able to clear out the last couple of cards from several older packs, two of which I've had for at least five or six years.
Did TV Guide Looks at Christmas as I worked. This time, we're learning about holiday traditions on television, from popular animated specials to oft-repeated movies to favorite Christmas sitcom episodes. I especially liked hearing about Christmas holiday variety programs. I was born in 1979, as variety shows were dying out on TV, and remember absolutely nothing about them. (Though I have had the soundtrack to the Judy Garland Christmas special since the mid-90's.) The only major variety special during my childhood was Pee Wee's. While I had heard somewhat about the Bing Crosby shows, Perry Como's trips to Austria and the Alps were entirely new to me.
Moved to Rick Steves' European Christmas as I made tuna salad wraps and honey-glazed carrots for dinner. It's a merry little Christmas all across the continent that gave the US some of its most cherished holiday traditions. I love learning about the different customs of various countries, from making plum pudding in England, to meeting the lovely angel who gives gifts in Germany, to ice skating on the Eiffel Tower, to a living nativity in rural Italy.
Finished the night with more Lego Star Wars. Finally completed the "Escape From Naboo" blue pieces challenge. Didn't have as much luck with "Darth Vader," "Retake Theed Palace," and "Darth Maul." Did better with the Super Story for Revenge of the Sith. I was not only able to complete it in under an hour this time, but I got even more studs than I did previously.
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
The Best Things Happen While You're Decorating
Started a cloudy morning with breakfast, then spent the next couple of hours putting up the remaining Christmas decorations. I did the bears first. Mom started putting out stuffed bears and other stuffed toys in old hats, scarves, baby sweaters, and Anny's old velvet Christmas baby dress in the late 80's, after Dad gave her a Christmas bear from Ames (Mom called him Chester) she used to display. She continued doing this through the late 90's. By then, Mom had neither the room, nor the time to set up Chester and his friends. She turned them over to me when I moved to Wildwood in 2002. I've put them under the tree ever since, along with a couple of my own bears, the Webkinz Peppermint Puppy and Reindeer, the original Muppet Babies McDonald's plush toys from the 80's, four Disney character stuffed toys, and three Peanuts Christmas-themed toys.
After I finished the bears, I went right into the rest of the decorations. I love Christmas and have a ton of stuff for it. Every item has a story. Mom gave me the tiny Christmas tree when I was in college, since I couldn't have a full-sized one in the dorms. I now decorate it with a little beaded garland and string of "lights" from JoAnn's before they moved. The fold out Mickey/Minnie frame with her holding the Nutcracker came with the Snowed In at the House of Mouse DVD.
I received Holly the 6-inch Christmas doll, Gift and Herald the Beanie Baby angel bears, the big heavy resin Santa statue, the wooden folk-art snowman with the dangling legs, the small light-up Christmas water globe, the copper bell with the candy-cane cutouts, and the Swiss Miss tins as Christmas presents from various relatives. Amanda gave me Gretel, the Beanie Baby gingerbread girl. The nifty 60's-era Disney holiday tin, the porcelain teddies in the Santa suits, the poinsettia placemats, Winter Cinderella in her huge white and gold satin gown, and the remaining three holiday Beanie Baby bears were thrift shop and yard sale finds.
The three Eckard's Christmas beanies, vintage Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers, baskets of greenery, teddy bear and gingerbread kids hand-made by Mom with holiday fabric, folksy angel with the cheerful face painted on a button and dryer sheet wings, fabric star and ribbon garland, small Nutcracker, wooden incense burning cabin, huge cardboard Santa, old print fabric Elves, and wooden Noel candle holder are refugees from Mom's Christmas decoration stash. Linda Young made the cute wooden Fa-La-La and Ho-Ho-Ho signs several years ago. FYE had a really cute gift card depicting the Peanuts and their little tree a while back that was way too adorable to toss after I spent it. Marie the Aristocat in her chic ice-blue snow hat and ruffled collar came from the Disney Store's half-price end of the season sale.
Ran White Christmas as I worked. The blockbuster hit of 1954 gives us two performers-turned-producers (Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby) who follow a sister act (Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney) from Florida to Vermont for the holidays. They end up at the very inn managed by their old general (Dean Jagger) that's in dire straights due to a warm streak in New England. They ultimately opt to bring the show they're producing up to Vermont, but it may not be enough. Then one of them overhears that the general is feeling down when the military won't take him back and tries to call out to his old troop to come up to Vermont to make the guy feel better. One of the sisters takes this the wrong way and walks out. It's up to the snarky housekeeper (Mary Wickes) and the other sister and partner to bring everyone together in time for the title of the movie to come true.
While I don't like White Christmas as much as the earlier Crosby Christmas musical Holiday Inn - the romantic comedy contrivances in the middle drag this down like crazy - there's are some numbers that are really cute. Both versions of "Sisters" are utterly hilarious. (Danny Kaye had so much fun with the guys' version, Bing actually did crack up at him in real-life in the end.) "Mandy" and "We'll Follow the Old Man" are nice ensemble numbers.
For my money, the best number is in the beginning. Barely five minutes in, Bing sings "White Christmas" during a show for the soldiers while bombs fall in the background, accompanied by nothing more than a tinkling music box. It's a simple, touching moment, more interesting than the overblown finale with huge dresses and falling snow.
If you're a fan of the cast, big 50's musicals, or the music of Irving Berlin, you'll want to take a trip to Vermont as well.
Switched to Max & Ruby as I finished the decorating and ate leftover soup for lunch. "Ruby's Present" for Grandma will be something fancy and fluffy...but Max has a better idea of what their tomboyish grandparent might like. Ruby wants "Max & Ruby's Christmas Tree" to be beautiful. As usual, Max has his own definition beauty that clashes with hers, at least until it's time to put the star on. "Max's Snowplow" takes the bunnies outside to shovel the walk to Grandma's. Max finds a better way to clear the snow.
"Max's Snow Day" has the duo stuck inside during a blizzard. Ruby tries to find things for her brother to do, but he wants to play in the snow. "Max's Snow Bunny" is the Abominable Snow Bunny, whom they heard about on the radio. Max wants to find this new terror. Ruby would rather make snow angels. In "Max's Mix-Up," Max wants to stay outside and go sledding, even when his sister says it's time to go in. Switching hats with Louise's brother Morris gives him a way to stay out a little longer.
Headed to the laundromat next after I finished eating. I didn't want to push getting the laundry done as late as I did last week! They were dead when I came in, but started to pick up a bit later. It was a good thing my load wasn't too big. I mostly just listened to Steve Harvey and worked on story notes.
When I got home, I put everything away, then finally got to finishing my story. Rey transforms into the legendary Dewdrop Fairy when she takes Anakin of the Skywalking Fairies' sword. She uses it to defeat Kylo Ren and transform him back into Prince Ben, Han and Leia's wayward fairy son.
While Ben sputters, Rey throws herself over the Nutcracker to protect him from Snoke. She's saved by the arrival of what turns out to be Santa Claus - Father Christmas - complete with reindeer and sleigh. Turns out he looks an awful lot like her Uncle Luke, up to and including having the same powers and same staff. He blocks Snoke from the fairy and the Nutcracker as she gives her beloved toy a gentle kiss.
There's a gold light around the broken Nutcracker. When it subsides, Rey holds a handsome young man in her arms. Turns out it's the missing Prince Finnegan. Ben, jealous of the attention his parents paid to the youth, turned him into a toy and forced him to join the Mouse Army.
Leia finally crowns him King Finnegan. He makes Han and Leia his top advisers, Poe the head of the Candy Army, and Chewbacca the royal court's bodyguard. Prince Ben isn't as happy. He insists he no longer belongs in the Land of Sweets and opts to follow the now-caged mice back to the Land of the First Order. Lady Kaydel the Snowflake Fairy and Mother Maz are just happy to have helped. Father Christmas - Luke - takes Rey home in his sleigh.
Rey wakes up in the ballroom the next morning. Her mother comes to see where she went. She hugs her, and then her brother when he comes down to give her a real apology for breaking her nutcracker. Her father takes her to the door to greet Luke and Finn, who have come to breakfast. Luke leads a skeptical Han to the kitchen, letting Rey happily give Finn an impromptu dance lesson.
This one didn't come out too badly. It took me a while to figure out. I first couldn't decide whether to use the Original Trilogy cast or the Force Awakens cast. Ran through a couple of locations for the opening and closing sequences before deciding this story works best set during or near the time of it's original production in 1892. Couldn't figure out where to go once I got in the Land of Sweets, either.
At any rate, I'm just glad I was able to finish this year's chapter-length Christmas story well before the holidays! (I didn't get Babes In WENNland, last year's long holiday story, done until mid-January.) While I should have plenty of time for writing this week and early next week, things will be picking up once I go back to work and start the Christmas baking. I'm going to concentrate on short stories - original short Christmas stories, more Star Wars Original Trilogy fairy tales, The Resistance Kids Go Camping - until after the New Year.
Here's The Star Wars Nutcracker at Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction.Net, and my writing blog.
The Star Wars Nutcracker at Archive of Our Own
The Star Wars Nutcracker at Fanfiction.Net
The Star Wars Nutcracker at My Writing Blog
It was so late by the time I finished the story, I had barely enough time for leftovers and to run Cricket on the Hearth before hitting the shower. This is the first of two Rankin-Bass adaptations of Charles Dickens holiday stories. Cricket Crockett (Roddy MacDowell) finds himself aiding a pair of Victorian lovers (Marlo Thomas and Ed Ames) when the man is lost at sea and she goes blind from the shock. Danny Thomas is (not surprisingly) the girl's protective toymaker father; Hans Conried plays the ugly old miser who wants to marry her on Christmas Day. Crockett dodges hungry crows and murderous sailors in order to return to his family and set everything right.
After I finished the bears, I went right into the rest of the decorations. I love Christmas and have a ton of stuff for it. Every item has a story. Mom gave me the tiny Christmas tree when I was in college, since I couldn't have a full-sized one in the dorms. I now decorate it with a little beaded garland and string of "lights" from JoAnn's before they moved. The fold out Mickey/Minnie frame with her holding the Nutcracker came with the Snowed In at the House of Mouse DVD.
I received Holly the 6-inch Christmas doll, Gift and Herald the Beanie Baby angel bears, the big heavy resin Santa statue, the wooden folk-art snowman with the dangling legs, the small light-up Christmas water globe, the copper bell with the candy-cane cutouts, and the Swiss Miss tins as Christmas presents from various relatives. Amanda gave me Gretel, the Beanie Baby gingerbread girl. The nifty 60's-era Disney holiday tin, the porcelain teddies in the Santa suits, the poinsettia placemats, Winter Cinderella in her huge white and gold satin gown, and the remaining three holiday Beanie Baby bears were thrift shop and yard sale finds.
The three Eckard's Christmas beanies, vintage Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers, baskets of greenery, teddy bear and gingerbread kids hand-made by Mom with holiday fabric, folksy angel with the cheerful face painted on a button and dryer sheet wings, fabric star and ribbon garland, small Nutcracker, wooden incense burning cabin, huge cardboard Santa, old print fabric Elves, and wooden Noel candle holder are refugees from Mom's Christmas decoration stash. Linda Young made the cute wooden Fa-La-La and Ho-Ho-Ho signs several years ago. FYE had a really cute gift card depicting the Peanuts and their little tree a while back that was way too adorable to toss after I spent it. Marie the Aristocat in her chic ice-blue snow hat and ruffled collar came from the Disney Store's half-price end of the season sale.
Ran White Christmas as I worked. The blockbuster hit of 1954 gives us two performers-turned-producers (Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby) who follow a sister act (Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney) from Florida to Vermont for the holidays. They end up at the very inn managed by their old general (Dean Jagger) that's in dire straights due to a warm streak in New England. They ultimately opt to bring the show they're producing up to Vermont, but it may not be enough. Then one of them overhears that the general is feeling down when the military won't take him back and tries to call out to his old troop to come up to Vermont to make the guy feel better. One of the sisters takes this the wrong way and walks out. It's up to the snarky housekeeper (Mary Wickes) and the other sister and partner to bring everyone together in time for the title of the movie to come true.
While I don't like White Christmas as much as the earlier Crosby Christmas musical Holiday Inn - the romantic comedy contrivances in the middle drag this down like crazy - there's are some numbers that are really cute. Both versions of "Sisters" are utterly hilarious. (Danny Kaye had so much fun with the guys' version, Bing actually did crack up at him in real-life in the end.) "Mandy" and "We'll Follow the Old Man" are nice ensemble numbers.
For my money, the best number is in the beginning. Barely five minutes in, Bing sings "White Christmas" during a show for the soldiers while bombs fall in the background, accompanied by nothing more than a tinkling music box. It's a simple, touching moment, more interesting than the overblown finale with huge dresses and falling snow.
If you're a fan of the cast, big 50's musicals, or the music of Irving Berlin, you'll want to take a trip to Vermont as well.
Switched to Max & Ruby as I finished the decorating and ate leftover soup for lunch. "Ruby's Present" for Grandma will be something fancy and fluffy...but Max has a better idea of what their tomboyish grandparent might like. Ruby wants "Max & Ruby's Christmas Tree" to be beautiful. As usual, Max has his own definition beauty that clashes with hers, at least until it's time to put the star on. "Max's Snowplow" takes the bunnies outside to shovel the walk to Grandma's. Max finds a better way to clear the snow.
"Max's Snow Day" has the duo stuck inside during a blizzard. Ruby tries to find things for her brother to do, but he wants to play in the snow. "Max's Snow Bunny" is the Abominable Snow Bunny, whom they heard about on the radio. Max wants to find this new terror. Ruby would rather make snow angels. In "Max's Mix-Up," Max wants to stay outside and go sledding, even when his sister says it's time to go in. Switching hats with Louise's brother Morris gives him a way to stay out a little longer.
Headed to the laundromat next after I finished eating. I didn't want to push getting the laundry done as late as I did last week! They were dead when I came in, but started to pick up a bit later. It was a good thing my load wasn't too big. I mostly just listened to Steve Harvey and worked on story notes.
When I got home, I put everything away, then finally got to finishing my story. Rey transforms into the legendary Dewdrop Fairy when she takes Anakin of the Skywalking Fairies' sword. She uses it to defeat Kylo Ren and transform him back into Prince Ben, Han and Leia's wayward fairy son.
While Ben sputters, Rey throws herself over the Nutcracker to protect him from Snoke. She's saved by the arrival of what turns out to be Santa Claus - Father Christmas - complete with reindeer and sleigh. Turns out he looks an awful lot like her Uncle Luke, up to and including having the same powers and same staff. He blocks Snoke from the fairy and the Nutcracker as she gives her beloved toy a gentle kiss.
There's a gold light around the broken Nutcracker. When it subsides, Rey holds a handsome young man in her arms. Turns out it's the missing Prince Finnegan. Ben, jealous of the attention his parents paid to the youth, turned him into a toy and forced him to join the Mouse Army.
Leia finally crowns him King Finnegan. He makes Han and Leia his top advisers, Poe the head of the Candy Army, and Chewbacca the royal court's bodyguard. Prince Ben isn't as happy. He insists he no longer belongs in the Land of Sweets and opts to follow the now-caged mice back to the Land of the First Order. Lady Kaydel the Snowflake Fairy and Mother Maz are just happy to have helped. Father Christmas - Luke - takes Rey home in his sleigh.
Rey wakes up in the ballroom the next morning. Her mother comes to see where she went. She hugs her, and then her brother when he comes down to give her a real apology for breaking her nutcracker. Her father takes her to the door to greet Luke and Finn, who have come to breakfast. Luke leads a skeptical Han to the kitchen, letting Rey happily give Finn an impromptu dance lesson.
This one didn't come out too badly. It took me a while to figure out. I first couldn't decide whether to use the Original Trilogy cast or the Force Awakens cast. Ran through a couple of locations for the opening and closing sequences before deciding this story works best set during or near the time of it's original production in 1892. Couldn't figure out where to go once I got in the Land of Sweets, either.
At any rate, I'm just glad I was able to finish this year's chapter-length Christmas story well before the holidays! (I didn't get Babes In WENNland, last year's long holiday story, done until mid-January.) While I should have plenty of time for writing this week and early next week, things will be picking up once I go back to work and start the Christmas baking. I'm going to concentrate on short stories - original short Christmas stories, more Star Wars Original Trilogy fairy tales, The Resistance Kids Go Camping - until after the New Year.
Here's The Star Wars Nutcracker at Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction.Net, and my writing blog.
The Star Wars Nutcracker at Archive of Our Own
The Star Wars Nutcracker at Fanfiction.Net
The Star Wars Nutcracker at My Writing Blog
It was so late by the time I finished the story, I had barely enough time for leftovers and to run Cricket on the Hearth before hitting the shower. This is the first of two Rankin-Bass adaptations of Charles Dickens holiday stories. Cricket Crockett (Roddy MacDowell) finds himself aiding a pair of Victorian lovers (Marlo Thomas and Ed Ames) when the man is lost at sea and she goes blind from the shock. Danny Thomas is (not surprisingly) the girl's protective toymaker father; Hans Conried plays the ugly old miser who wants to marry her on Christmas Day. Crockett dodges hungry crows and murderous sailors in order to return to his family and set everything right.
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Christmas With Friends
It was just gray and cloudy when I got up this morning. I still had quite a bit to do to get ready for my old college friend Amanda's arrival. I ate breakfast. I made the bed. I tidied up the apartment. I did the dishes. To save time (since she'd probably leave at 3:30 and we'd be eating lunch out first), I pulled out the Christmas tree and put the lights on. Vacuumed under it before I left. Artificial trees shed almost as much as the real ones do!
Amanda texted me earlier in the morning and said she'd be in by 11. I walked over ten minutes early. As it turned out, I could have waited a little longer. She was at least 15 minutes late. Evidently, she'd had to stop at her local bank for money, then ran into traffic.
We had lunch at The Pop Shop in Collingswood. We've done the gourmet Mexican restaurant Tortilla Press for the last few years, but Amanda really wanted to try their award-winning ice cream concoctions. We timed it right. They were only a little busy, mostly with college students on break or families with small children who were either too young for school, or attending half-day kindergarten.
Since we were there relatively early, we ate off their breakfast menu. I had an Egg, Cheese, and Vegetable Quesadilla with crispy hash browns and no jalapenos. Amanda was braver than me. She had a Buffalo chicken omelet with the same hash browns. My quesadilla was yummy, filled with egg and veggie pieces, and just enough to eat most of in one sitting. Amanda's Buffalo chicken omelet was huge, and way too much to eat in one sitting, especially if one was planning to have ice cream later. She took it home with her. We had enough room left for a scoop of coffee ice cream with hot fudge and chocolate sprinkles for me and a scoop of chocolate marshmallow with marshmallow sauce for her.
We stopped at The Candy Jar, a few stores down from The Pop Shop, on the way back to her car. I have plenty of junk food at home, so despite creative chocolate molded snowflakes and lumps called "Frosty's Baby Picture" and "Reindeer Poop," I didn't buy anything. Amanda got licorice for her dad and Mallow Cups for her. The owner did let me sample an orange jelly chocolate, though.
It was starting to shower lightly just as we were leaving The Pop Shop. This was no day to be lingering anywhere. We went back to her car and headed back to Oaklyn. Lauren wanted coffee. I recommended Common Grounds around the corner from me. They're cheaper than Groove Ground in Collingswood, with drinks that are just as good and a cozier atmosphere. We sat and chat while she sipped her brew and I slurped my favorite spicy-sweet iced tea.
As soon as we got home, we exchanged gifts. We give each other little things, usually stuff we find at Target or where we work. Amanda has two jobs, one of which is at the Cumberland Mall's Bath and Body Works. She gave me a small fragrance spray and bottles of shower gel and hand lotion in a new holiday-themed scent called Magic In the Air, one of those cane-shaped plastic tubes filled with Hershey's candies, a pair of gingerbread-themed sleep socks, and three packs of Swiss Miss cocoa. I gave her a stuffed Hello Kitty in an elf outfit (she loves Hello Kitty), candy, a hand-crocheted ornament, and mechanical pencils and a notebook for college. (She's studying to become a veterinary technician - essentially, a nurse, from what she says.)
We decorated the tree for the next hour and a half. I don't have a big tree. It's tall, but rather thin. Which isn't a bad thing, since I have a ton of ornaments! I've picked them up here, there, and everywhere. Mom's given me a ton from the Winterwood Christmas stores and fancy gift shops in Cape May County. I've found them at yard sales, thrift shops, church bazaars, and half-price after-Christmas sales. Friends have given me big Hallmark character ornaments. Mom made felt folk art-style ornaments and a Christmas Holly Hobbie when I was in high school. My cousin Samantha made a pile of beaded ornaments one year.
We finished it all just in time for Amanda to head out. I walked her to her car, which was left at the VFW's huge parking lot across the street. The rain was really coming down by then. I was out long enough to make sure she made it into her car and down the street before hurrying back inside.
Considering the weather, it's a good thing I'd planned on spending the rest of the night working on my story. Rey battles Prince Ben, but neither will give an inch. Rey wants him to realize what his lust for power has done to the Land of Sweets, but he's too consumed with the need for power and the desire to be like his grandfather. She finally knocks him on the ground, then runs to her shattered Nutcracker. Snoke is about to convince Ben to turn all of them, including his parents, into wood when Rey hears sleigh bells. Could it be Father Christmas himself?
Moved to Lego Star Wars while having lemon chicken rosemary soup for dinner. I was able to complete two challenges I looked up on YouTube last night, "Negotiations" and "Secret Plans." Almost got "Darth Vader," "Darth Maul," and "Escape From Naboo." Didn't get quite as far "Chancellor In Peril" or the lengthy "Defense of Kashyyak."
Finished the night on the couch with my laptop and the rain pattering overhead. Watched All the President's Men while I was online. An all-star cast headlines this real-life journalism tale, based after a best-selling book. Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) couldn't be more different in their approaches to journalism or their personal habits, but they set these aside to work together on the biggest scandal in the US in the 70's - the burglary of Democratic papers from the Watergate Hotel by several political higher-ups. It turns out there's a lot more to this than a burglary gone wrong, as the duo follow the money...and discover just how far corruption can run when power remains unchecked.
Quietly powerful tale of political corruption, abuse of power, and the strength of the press. The enormous cast does impressive work. Jason Robards won a supporting actor Oscar as Woodward and Bernstein's hard-nosed editor Ben Bradlee. The film also won Best Art Direction for it's spot-on recreation of the Washington Post offices and Best Adapted Screenplay for William Goldman's tough script.
If you are interested in the cast, the era, or US political history, or you just want to see a good thriller, this is a low-key but well-done tale.
Amanda texted me earlier in the morning and said she'd be in by 11. I walked over ten minutes early. As it turned out, I could have waited a little longer. She was at least 15 minutes late. Evidently, she'd had to stop at her local bank for money, then ran into traffic.
We had lunch at The Pop Shop in Collingswood. We've done the gourmet Mexican restaurant Tortilla Press for the last few years, but Amanda really wanted to try their award-winning ice cream concoctions. We timed it right. They were only a little busy, mostly with college students on break or families with small children who were either too young for school, or attending half-day kindergarten.
Since we were there relatively early, we ate off their breakfast menu. I had an Egg, Cheese, and Vegetable Quesadilla with crispy hash browns and no jalapenos. Amanda was braver than me. She had a Buffalo chicken omelet with the same hash browns. My quesadilla was yummy, filled with egg and veggie pieces, and just enough to eat most of in one sitting. Amanda's Buffalo chicken omelet was huge, and way too much to eat in one sitting, especially if one was planning to have ice cream later. She took it home with her. We had enough room left for a scoop of coffee ice cream with hot fudge and chocolate sprinkles for me and a scoop of chocolate marshmallow with marshmallow sauce for her.
We stopped at The Candy Jar, a few stores down from The Pop Shop, on the way back to her car. I have plenty of junk food at home, so despite creative chocolate molded snowflakes and lumps called "Frosty's Baby Picture" and "Reindeer Poop," I didn't buy anything. Amanda got licorice for her dad and Mallow Cups for her. The owner did let me sample an orange jelly chocolate, though.
It was starting to shower lightly just as we were leaving The Pop Shop. This was no day to be lingering anywhere. We went back to her car and headed back to Oaklyn. Lauren wanted coffee. I recommended Common Grounds around the corner from me. They're cheaper than Groove Ground in Collingswood, with drinks that are just as good and a cozier atmosphere. We sat and chat while she sipped her brew and I slurped my favorite spicy-sweet iced tea.
As soon as we got home, we exchanged gifts. We give each other little things, usually stuff we find at Target or where we work. Amanda has two jobs, one of which is at the Cumberland Mall's Bath and Body Works. She gave me a small fragrance spray and bottles of shower gel and hand lotion in a new holiday-themed scent called Magic In the Air, one of those cane-shaped plastic tubes filled with Hershey's candies, a pair of gingerbread-themed sleep socks, and three packs of Swiss Miss cocoa. I gave her a stuffed Hello Kitty in an elf outfit (she loves Hello Kitty), candy, a hand-crocheted ornament, and mechanical pencils and a notebook for college. (She's studying to become a veterinary technician - essentially, a nurse, from what she says.)
We decorated the tree for the next hour and a half. I don't have a big tree. It's tall, but rather thin. Which isn't a bad thing, since I have a ton of ornaments! I've picked them up here, there, and everywhere. Mom's given me a ton from the Winterwood Christmas stores and fancy gift shops in Cape May County. I've found them at yard sales, thrift shops, church bazaars, and half-price after-Christmas sales. Friends have given me big Hallmark character ornaments. Mom made felt folk art-style ornaments and a Christmas Holly Hobbie when I was in high school. My cousin Samantha made a pile of beaded ornaments one year.
We finished it all just in time for Amanda to head out. I walked her to her car, which was left at the VFW's huge parking lot across the street. The rain was really coming down by then. I was out long enough to make sure she made it into her car and down the street before hurrying back inside.
Considering the weather, it's a good thing I'd planned on spending the rest of the night working on my story. Rey battles Prince Ben, but neither will give an inch. Rey wants him to realize what his lust for power has done to the Land of Sweets, but he's too consumed with the need for power and the desire to be like his grandfather. She finally knocks him on the ground, then runs to her shattered Nutcracker. Snoke is about to convince Ben to turn all of them, including his parents, into wood when Rey hears sleigh bells. Could it be Father Christmas himself?
Moved to Lego Star Wars while having lemon chicken rosemary soup for dinner. I was able to complete two challenges I looked up on YouTube last night, "Negotiations" and "Secret Plans." Almost got "Darth Vader," "Darth Maul," and "Escape From Naboo." Didn't get quite as far "Chancellor In Peril" or the lengthy "Defense of Kashyyak."
Finished the night on the couch with my laptop and the rain pattering overhead. Watched All the President's Men while I was online. An all-star cast headlines this real-life journalism tale, based after a best-selling book. Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) couldn't be more different in their approaches to journalism or their personal habits, but they set these aside to work together on the biggest scandal in the US in the 70's - the burglary of Democratic papers from the Watergate Hotel by several political higher-ups. It turns out there's a lot more to this than a burglary gone wrong, as the duo follow the money...and discover just how far corruption can run when power remains unchecked.
Quietly powerful tale of political corruption, abuse of power, and the strength of the press. The enormous cast does impressive work. Jason Robards won a supporting actor Oscar as Woodward and Bernstein's hard-nosed editor Ben Bradlee. The film also won Best Art Direction for it's spot-on recreation of the Washington Post offices and Best Adapted Screenplay for William Goldman's tough script.
If you are interested in the cast, the era, or US political history, or you just want to see a good thriller, this is a low-key but well-done tale.
Monday, December 05, 2016
Preparing for the Holidays
It was raining when I got up this morning. By the time I got to breakfast, the rain was gone and the sun was starting to emerge. Ran Santa Claus Is Coming to Town while I ate. Another Rankin-Bass stop-motion classic, this one is their version of the origins of everyone's favorite holiday gift-giver. Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney) is an orphan raised by a group of toy-making elves in the mountains. He tries to bring their wares to Sombertown in the valley below them, but the cranky Burgomeister Meister Burger has outlawed toys. When Kris insists on ignoring the town's rules, he's declared an outlaw...but time has a way of making outlaws into legends. Kris' legacy will outlast the burgomeister and become one of the most beloved of all time.
Made my bed, then dusted the entertainment area for the next hour and a half. This is where the TV, DVD player, Wii, DVDs, video games, and non-fiction books on media are. (The CD player is also in here, mainly so I can listen to the radio on it.) I'm doing a thorough dusting, which means moving everything and dusting under it. I also cleared out a bunch of items I hadn't read or listened to or looked at in ages, mainly books, CDs, and cassettes. (I just cleared out the DVDs not long ago.)
Put on a couple of dubbed specials as I worked. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus tell the tale of the little girl who wrote to the New York Sun asking about the existence of Santa, and the editor's touching answer.
Papa Bear and the cubs are determined to find The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree, come heck or high snow. Unfortunately, every tree they decide on is already the home to woodland critters. The animals whose homes they spared have a surprise waiting for them at their tree house!
Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales is a Chuck Jones anthology of three original Looney Tunes holiday shorts. The first is a condensed Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge and Bugs as Nephew Fred. The second has Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner chasing each other through the snow. Taz and Bugs headline the third, which has Bugs mistaking Taz for Santa when he accidentally ends up in the big guy's red suit.
Headed out around 1 to run a quick errand. I wanted to get to the Oaklyn Library to do some volunteering and drop off my donation. They were busy for them, with a couple of older women on the computers and CNN on the TV. I organized DVDs and took a look at the board books. My donation was appreciated. The librarian said one of those ladies grabbed a book before she could even organize it.
When I got home, I had a quick lunch while watching Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales. The fourth and final (to date) Peanuts holiday show was really just created to fill out airspace with Charlie Brown Christmas. That said, there is some cute material here, including Sally writing to "Samantha Claus" and how she gets a tree and Snoopy dressed as a corner Santa.
Spent the next hour and a half cleaning the bedroom. The bedroom takes forever to dust. This is where I keep most of my collections - my toys, stuffed animals, dolls, action figures, and fiction and children's books. All of those things have to be moved in order to clean under them. It can take a while, and that's when I don't stop to read the books! Listened to instrumental holiday albums while I worked, including three Manheim Steamroller cassettes, my two Glenn Miller Orchestra "In the Christmas Mood" cassettes, and the last Happy Holidays CD I didn't do yesterday, which has a mostly classical selection.
After I finally finished, it was time to put up the first Christmas decorations of the season. I keep anything that needs to go out first - the garlands, nativity, wreath, mistletoe, placemats, linens, box of New Year's party items, and poinsettia magnet. Most of these are pretty easy to figure out, except the garlands. They get draped over all the windows in the house. Trouble is, it's hard to tack them into the wooden panels on the walls in most of the apartment. The majority of them are twist-tied to unused curtain rods.
Once the decorations were up, I did some writing. Chewbacca and Rey free Han. She sends the duo to rescue Leia. To her horror, Ben has gotten the Nutcracker on the ground. He's already sliced his arm and back and is close to hacking him into splinters.
To her surprise, she manages to call the blue rock candy sword to her hand. When it does, it changes her into a beautiful fairy princess, the Dewdrop Fairy. She's now ready to take on Ben head - and wings - on.
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Made a fried egg and cheese wrap and Cranberry Flummery while watching Frosty the Snowman. We return to Rankin-Bass for the tale of a snowman who comes to life, thanks to a magician's hat. When it starts to get warmer, a little girl and a rabbit vow to return him to the North Pole...but the lousy magician who once owned that hat wants it back and is on their trail.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. I like Indiana Jones. His blaster has stronger bullets than the lasers used by most of the characters, and the whip makes him useful as a long-range fighter. He's also got this nifty metalic sheen on him. I tried "Secret Plans," "Falcon Flight," "Betrayal Over Bespin," and "Jedi Battle" and managed to complete the latter two.
Made my bed, then dusted the entertainment area for the next hour and a half. This is where the TV, DVD player, Wii, DVDs, video games, and non-fiction books on media are. (The CD player is also in here, mainly so I can listen to the radio on it.) I'm doing a thorough dusting, which means moving everything and dusting under it. I also cleared out a bunch of items I hadn't read or listened to or looked at in ages, mainly books, CDs, and cassettes. (I just cleared out the DVDs not long ago.)
Put on a couple of dubbed specials as I worked. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus tell the tale of the little girl who wrote to the New York Sun asking about the existence of Santa, and the editor's touching answer.
Papa Bear and the cubs are determined to find The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree, come heck or high snow. Unfortunately, every tree they decide on is already the home to woodland critters. The animals whose homes they spared have a surprise waiting for them at their tree house!
Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales is a Chuck Jones anthology of three original Looney Tunes holiday shorts. The first is a condensed Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge and Bugs as Nephew Fred. The second has Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner chasing each other through the snow. Taz and Bugs headline the third, which has Bugs mistaking Taz for Santa when he accidentally ends up in the big guy's red suit.
Headed out around 1 to run a quick errand. I wanted to get to the Oaklyn Library to do some volunteering and drop off my donation. They were busy for them, with a couple of older women on the computers and CNN on the TV. I organized DVDs and took a look at the board books. My donation was appreciated. The librarian said one of those ladies grabbed a book before she could even organize it.
When I got home, I had a quick lunch while watching Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales. The fourth and final (to date) Peanuts holiday show was really just created to fill out airspace with Charlie Brown Christmas. That said, there is some cute material here, including Sally writing to "Samantha Claus" and how she gets a tree and Snoopy dressed as a corner Santa.
Spent the next hour and a half cleaning the bedroom. The bedroom takes forever to dust. This is where I keep most of my collections - my toys, stuffed animals, dolls, action figures, and fiction and children's books. All of those things have to be moved in order to clean under them. It can take a while, and that's when I don't stop to read the books! Listened to instrumental holiday albums while I worked, including three Manheim Steamroller cassettes, my two Glenn Miller Orchestra "In the Christmas Mood" cassettes, and the last Happy Holidays CD I didn't do yesterday, which has a mostly classical selection.
After I finally finished, it was time to put up the first Christmas decorations of the season. I keep anything that needs to go out first - the garlands, nativity, wreath, mistletoe, placemats, linens, box of New Year's party items, and poinsettia magnet. Most of these are pretty easy to figure out, except the garlands. They get draped over all the windows in the house. Trouble is, it's hard to tack them into the wooden panels on the walls in most of the apartment. The majority of them are twist-tied to unused curtain rods.
Once the decorations were up, I did some writing. Chewbacca and Rey free Han. She sends the duo to rescue Leia. To her horror, Ben has gotten the Nutcracker on the ground. He's already sliced his arm and back and is close to hacking him into splinters.
To her surprise, she manages to call the blue rock candy sword to her hand. When it does, it changes her into a beautiful fairy princess, the Dewdrop Fairy. She's now ready to take on Ben head - and wings - on.
Broke for dinner around 6:30. Made a fried egg and cheese wrap and Cranberry Flummery while watching Frosty the Snowman. We return to Rankin-Bass for the tale of a snowman who comes to life, thanks to a magician's hat. When it starts to get warmer, a little girl and a rabbit vow to return him to the North Pole...but the lousy magician who once owned that hat wants it back and is on their trail.
Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. I like Indiana Jones. His blaster has stronger bullets than the lasers used by most of the characters, and the whip makes him useful as a long-range fighter. He's also got this nifty metalic sheen on him. I tried "Secret Plans," "Falcon Flight," "Betrayal Over Bespin," and "Jedi Battle" and managed to complete the latter two.
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