It was absolutely gorgeous when I poked my head from under my blankets this morning. I read El Dorado and enjoyed the sunshine while listening to this week's American Top 40 re-run. We blow ahead two years to late February 1981, as country, R&B, New Wave, supergroups, and ballads dominate the charts. I would have been almost two years old then and remember many of these songs very well. Among the hits that winter were were "Keep On Loving You" by R.E.O Speedwagon, "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan, "Woman" and "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon, "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" by Stevie Wonder, "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelburg, "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA, "The Tide Is High" by Blondie, "The Best of Times" by Styx, and "I Love A Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbit. The #1 song was the Dolly Pardon title number from the hit comedy 9 to 5.
I hung around a little after the show ended, finishing breakfast and making my grocery list. I ran the fashion show finale of Lovely To Look At, then went with a couple of relatively obscure 80s animated specials I have dubbed on DVD. My Little Pony made its debut in the 1982 special later titled "Rescue From Nightmare Castle." This surprisingly dark action tale has normal little girl Megan helping several of the original Ponies rescue their friends from an evil demon who wants to create an endless night.
Snoopy falls head over paws for a pretty poodle and gets the Peanuts involved in his wedding in Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown. While the kids make various preparations, including bringing Snoopy's brother Spike to be Best Beagle, Charlie Brown reminds Snoopy of what he's getting himself into.
I headed into a very different world from the one that's lingered for the past couple of months. I could see all of my porch for the first time since December. The grass is completely bare in many places in direct sunlight. Even the dirtiest snow piles are much smaller than they were this time last week. I had no problems riding to the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there.
The LEGO Club was in full swing when I arrived around quarter of 11. I ducked around the kids building masterpieces and mainly worked on the DVDs. Other than the kids, there weren't too many people there anyway. It was too nice of a day to be hanging around a library. I was out in less than a half-hour.
I had no problems riding to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center, either. The sidewalks on the Black Horse Pike that were still covered with ice and slush on Thursday were now perfectly normal. I needed a new pair of black work pants. I ended up getting them from Avenue, the same place I got them from last time. Rue 21 didn't have anything I liked. A stop at Marburn Curtains for a new shower curtain proved to be more difficult. There was a very long line, thanks to a customer taking forever with returns. I never thought I'd get out of there.
The Acme was surprisingly busy as well, given how dead it was earlier in the week. Good thing I didn't have a huge order. I needed to restock brown sugar, peanut butter, canned peaches (they're 75 cents a can for the 6 ounce ones this week - got apricots, too), cereal (Acme's generic Cheerios were 2 dollars), and butter. I also needed the usual grapefruit, apples, bananas, and chicken. Found some lobster cakes with a manager's special coupon that would be perfect for lunch. Grabbed the last box of that Pumpkin Spice Bar mix on the clearance rack.
My schedule for next week is pretty much the same as last week, including next Friday and Saturday off. I once again have one early day and one long day, but thankfully, nothing later than 6 this time. Perfectly normal schedule for the busy month of February. We'll see if things slow down once we get past the beginning of the month. They didn't last year, but there was more going on in March last year. Easter's not until late April - the only major events in March this year are St. Patrick's Day and March Madness.
I had a quick lunch of lobster cakes and salad with home-made balsamic vinaigrette for lunch while watching the second half of the strange French animated film Moon Madness. This tale of Baron Munchhausen and his friends discovering and ultimately defending the moon-dwelling Selenites is a little cheap-looking but has its interesting bits, including some nice visuals on the Moon and the memorable opening and closing song "The Secret of the Selenites."
I grabbed what's left of my broom and took advantage of the lack of snow to sweep my porch for the first time in months. By 2PM, there was only a small patch of ice left on the side of the porch overlooking the path, which gets less sunlight. Otherwise, the porch was dry, including the steps. (The steps are in direct sunlight and are always the first things to dry off after rain or snow.) I cleared off as many sticks and sticker balls I could, given how windy it was today.
Went for a short walk after I finished the porch. My original plan for today was to walk to Haddon Heights and Barrington and explore up there. After all the walking I did to work this week, I just wasn't up to another really long hike. I settled for a stroll down to the landing on the end of Goff Avenue. It was a beautiful day for a walk, probably into the mid-50s. The sky was clear and pale blue. I could see all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge. Even so, when I tossed a stick onto the ice on the river, it sat on the ice rather than sinking. That ice is so thick, it'll probably be weeks before it defrosts all the way.
Despite the nice weather, I spent the rest of the day indoors. I was just too tired for any more running around. I ran more dubbed animated movies as I worked on the positive music project for Mrs. Stahl, starting with Yogi's Great Escape. Jellystone Park is closing down, much to Yogi's dismay. No more Park means no more tourists, which means no more picnic baskets! He, Boo Boo, and a trio of eternally hungry cubs hit the road to out-run Ranger Smith and a hunter and his dog who want to send them to the zoo. Along the way, they have close encounters with Quick-Draw-McGraw, Snagglepuss, Wally Gator, and a platoon of kid fans in various locations who help them along their way.
Hit the bath after Yogi ended. I really needed that bath. It felt sooo nice to just relax in hot water and bubbles, while the Schoolhouse Rock music played in the background. I was in the bath so long, it was nearly dark by the time I made it out.
Made herb-crusted steak with sauteed mushrooms and broccoli for dinner, then baked Apple Kuchen (basically apple coffee cake) from Kit's Cooking Studio while watching The Swan Princess. This take on Swan Lake introduces us to Derek and Odette, a prince and a princess who have been visiting each other every summer for most of their lives in their parents' hope that they'll eventually be wed. They do fall in love as adults...until a thoughtless comment from Derek leaves Odette wondering if he only cares for her looks. Odette is attacked by the evil Rothbart, who turns her into a swan. Now she has to get Derek to prove that he really loves her for her, with the help of her unusual animal friends Speed the Turtle, Jean-Bob the Frog (who is convinced he's a prince), and Captain Puffin.
I haven't bothered with the direct-to-video sequels or the recent Christmas special, but the original film is an old favorite of mine. It's too bad this was released into the same glut of animated fantasies in the 90s that also killed Little Nemo, Cats Don't Dance, and Thumbelina at the box office. There's some truly lush animation, and the music is fun - this actually feels more like a traditional musical than some of Disney's movies at the time. Some violence and scary images makes this appropriate for slightly older princesses from grade school onwards and their moms; fans of musicals and animation will find much to love as well.
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