Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Princesses of Summer

Began the late morning with today's few errands. Made a quick stop at WaWa first. I needed money for the week. Picked up one of those "Sparkling Ice" carbonated juices as well (cherry limeade). It was still hot today, but not anything near as hot or as humid as it was on Tuesday. Once again, a nice wind helped keep the air from feeling worse.

My Haddon Township Library volunteering went much better today than it did two weeks ago. This time, everyone pretty much left me alone. I started with shelving the adult DVD titles and the one CD that needed to be put away. The kids' collection did need to be done, though there wasn't too much to shelve there. I mostly had to figure out what to do with all the "S," "P," and "D" titles. I did pick up four kids' titles for me. In addition to the newest collections for Sofia the First, Scooby Doo, and the 2009 version of Strawberry Shortcake, I found a set of 25 episodes of some of Hanna Barbara's most popular creations, from Scooby to The Flintstones to Johnny Quest. I haven't seen some of those shows in years. Also found some more guide books on the Tri-State Area. Other than some trouble at the desk (I wanted to renew my card, but they wanted to see my address, and my ID hasn't been updated in years, and I had nothing with my current address on me), I was able to get in and out and do my thing with no fuss.

Stopped at the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. It was 1:30 by the time I made it there. I just missed the rush hour. They had soap operas on as I ate a Grilled Cheddar and Bacon on French Toast-Style Brioche Bread for lunch. Took a peek at Game Stop to see if they had Kirby's Epic Yarn, but it wasn't in.

I brought my bathing suit along so I could go swimming in Dad's pool after I finished my errands. The pool felt absolutely marvelous today. The water was in the upper 80s, according to the thermometer on the side of the pool...and unlike the 4th of July, the air wasn't too cold for a dip. I wasn't the only one in there, either. A neighbor, Ashley, her adorable four-year-old daughter Chloe, and her energetic seven-year-old son BeBe were enjoying a day in the pool for BeBe's birthday. Chloe happily practiced her strokes and holding her breath underwater, while her brother did dives (well, belly flops).

I got out when the kids did. After they left, I had a nice chat with Dad, and later Jodie. Jodie, dressed in a lovely white top with lace sleeves and a tight blue skirt, had just come from an interview as a clerk for an elevator company. We discussed how well it went and the possibility of her landing the job. Other than Jodie's job interviews, she and Dad are hoping to spend the summer visiting friends in Cape May and up north in Long Island.

When I got home, I changed into dry clothes, then put on Sofia the First as I finished the cleaning. I did the indoor windows and as many of the outdoor ones as I could reach, then did a quick dusting session. (I did a lot of dusting last month, but it gets so dusty in here, I really can't put it off.)

Sofia and her family are spending their summer vacation on "The Floating Palace," a castle-like houseboat. Sofia's looking forward to seeing the mermaids of Merriway Bay, but her family insists they aren't real. Sofia's disappointed, until she meets Oona, a sweet little mermaid who possesses a magical comb that can control the ocean. When the nasty family sorcerer Cedric turns into a sea monster and tries to steal the comb, Sofia needs help from Ariel of The Little Mermaid to get her family and Oona's merpeople family together and stop Oona's mother Queen Emilee from creating a storm.

There were some other cute episodes, too. James badly wants to win the games during "The Tri Kingdom Picnic," but he's a sore loser when he doesn't, and a not much better winner when he does. Sofia finally shows him how the adults are just enjoying themselves to get him to back off. "Make Way For Miss Nettle" introduces a grandiose gardening fairy who was once the apprentice of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather, and now wants to be the greatest fairy ever! When she traps the trio in a bubble, Sofia, James, and their schoolmate Desmond go after their secret Spell Book to find out how to free them. Desmond is the school's best gardener, but he's also afraid of everything under the sun that isn't a plant. Sofia tries to encourage him and show him that he can be as brave as the next prince.

Finished up with more Bowery Boys as I made a quick Salmon and Cucumber Salad for dinner from canned salmon and the Persian Cucumber Salad in my fridge. They think they're Master Minds when Sach gains the ability to see the future every time his tooth aches. Even Sach can't predict that a mad scientist will want his amazing new ability for his half-man, half-ape creature. The Boys, Louie, and their buddy Gabe have to find Sach...and switch his brain back into his right body when the mad scientist actually pulls off the brain transfer!

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