It was just cloudy - and not even a pearly-sky cloudy - when I awoke this morning. I had to work at 11:30 and was up a little earlier than usual. I did get to hear the first half of Brunch With the Beatles while making Dark Chocolate Spice Pancakes for breakfast (using up the last of that Pumpkin Pancake mix). "Beatles Controversies" was the theme today. No group as popular as the Beatles goes without their share of them, from their longish hairstyles to John Lennon's political opinions to that whole crazy "Paul Is Dead" thing. Songs associated with controversies I heard in that first hour included "Don't Bother Me," "Please Please Me," and "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)." I tried to get a hold of Mom, but I never did today - I'll see if I can get her tomorrow.
It was still just cloudy when I rode to work. Work was a madhouse today, with long lines the entire afternoon. For once, the snow only had a little to do with it. I suspect it was mostly beginning-of-the-month people. Most of the orders were perfectly normal, though really big - if they had milk, eggs, or bread, it was because they needed milk, eggs, or bread. We're normally busy on Sunday anyway, even outside of football season. Thankfully, a manager came in so I could get out on time.
It was raining lightly when I came out of the Acme. The sky still didn't say "snow," even as I rode home. I had no problems whatsoever getting there or back.
Jumped in the bath when I got home. It wasn't a very long one, but after my busy day, I needed it. In addition to their historical characters, American Girl also releases a "Girl of the Year" whose collection only sells for one year, though her stories remain in print. I browsed over the book for the current girl, Isabelle, and the girl from 2008, Mia. I thought Mia's story was rather appropriate, given the weather we're supposed to have tonight. Mia is figure skater from a family of rough-and-ready hockey players who don't understand why she's chosen what seems like a more delicate sport. She doesn't think she's very good, but her new coach believes in her. She's shocked when she gets a solo in the local winter pageant over another girl who is better technically, but is also arrogant and refuses to finish her numbers when she makes a mistake. Mia never gives up, whether she's dealing with the prankster kids in the beginners' skating class, her brothers who want her to resume hockey, or her own doubts.
A very sweet story, especially if you have any figure skaters around...or young ladies with lots of brothers. The description of her brothers were especially hilarious. "You should see what they're like when there's a pizza delivery!" Mia jokes when her coach comments that it sounds like a stampede in her living room. She has to kick the door to be heard over the noise. "We should just disconnect the bell."
I ran the first half of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show while making grilled cheese with spinach on homemade wheat bread and tomato soup for a simple dinner. This is more-or-less a series of blackout sketches ranging in length from a few minutes to about 7 minutes involving the Peanuts gang. We get the full range of typical shenanigans - kite-eating trees, Lucy pulling the football away, baseball games that don't work out, Snoopy briefly becoming team manager, Peppermint Patty sleeping in Snoopy's dog house (which she thinks is a guest house), and Snoopy and various others picking on Linus about his blanket.
If you love the Peanuts or have fond memories of when this ran in the mid-80s on CBS, you'll have fun here, too. A lot of these can be found on other Warner Peanuts titles, though, so you may want to skip this one if you already have a lot of the holiday specials. If you're a Peanuts fan who wants more than the specials (and don't want to chase after the movies, two out of four of which aren't on DVD at press time), this is currently available at the Warner Archives.
And...it still hasn't snowed at press time. Right now, it isn't doing anything, even raining. It's just wet. They're now saying about 4 to 8 inches all together, and it'll end by noon. We'll see what actually happens.
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