Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Merry Berry New Year

I started 2014 by sleeping in after a long week. (Thankfully, I didn't awake to mummers rehearsing as I have the past few years.)  I read The Pyrates and wrote in my journal, then ran a couple of Backyardigans episodes as I had a quick oat bran and sliced pineapple breakfast. Tyrone wants to find the end of the rainbow all by himself in "Sinbad Sails Alone," but Pablo is determined to tag along. Pablo, Uniqua, and Austin want to join Tyrone's circus in "Best Clowns In Town." Tyrone is a bit humorless and doesn't like clowns...and he likes them even less when they make him miss his train.

Work was, quite frankly, boring for a lot of the day. It was busy between about 1 and 2:30, and then just went back to being mildly steady to quiet. I'm guessing everyone either did their freaking out yesterday or are waiting for tomorrow after they see the weather reports. Most of the problems I had today stemmed from my being stressed and very tired. I haven't had a day off since Christmas Day and won't have one until Friday...which is when we're supposed to get the last of the snow, of course.

And I'm not the only one who is feeling the strain of working ten days or more without a day off. One of the college boys mentioned in the back after I'd gotten off that he, too, hadn't had a day off since Christmas Day...and one of the other college students hadn't had one off since before then. With so many people gone, the Eagles doing better than expected, and the holidays here, the managers thought we'd be a lot busier than we have been.

Since I wasn't able to go out for breakfast this morning as I have the past few years, I thought I'd try going out for breakfast for dinner. The Legacy Diner in Audubon on the White Horse Pike serves breakfast all day. I had a relaxing meal of a huge, moist Belgian waffle with whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries. I read the end-of-the-year Entertainment Weekly I bought at work, watched the Winter Classic (Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-2), and admired the beautiful winter and Christmas stencils some creative person did on all the windows.

I thought of going to WaWa for milk, but I think I'll try getting there tomorrow instead. I just rode home and went straight in the bath. I would have enjoyed the bath more if I hadn't been so tired. After having so much fun through most of December, I feel like I've done nothing the past two weeks but work...and I haven't been able to enjoy my holidays at all. When I almost fell asleep in the bath, I figured it was time to get out.

I put on Holiday Inn after I got into my warm mauve pajamas and plaid robe. This 1942 musical featuring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire introduced the mammoth hits "White Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" and was the first of two Paramount musicals to partner Astaire and Crosby. Tired of the rat race, Crosby opens an inn that only operates on holidays. He hires a pretty dancer (Marjorie Reynolds) for the floor shows and falls for her. When Astaire catches sight of her, he falls for her, too, having been ditched by his former partner (Virginia Dale). The two spend the rest of Holiday Inn's first year competing for the two women's affections amid some lovely musical numbers.

I like this intimate romantic comedy better than the shinier White Christmas. The romantic complications have a grain of truth to them, and the way "White Christmas" is introduced is rather sweet. (PC warning - the "Abraham" number in black face for Lincoln's Birthday doesn't look so cute today, which is likely why this was an instrumental dance routine for Vera-Ellen in White Christmas.) Despite that warning, I highly recommend this one for fans of Crosby, Astaire, songwriter Irving Berlin, or smaller-scale musicals.

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