The Doc Is In

Started off the morning with Doc McStuffins as I got dressed and organized. Playing Astronaut Ball becomes "Un-bur-able" for Stuffy when he's knocked into a bush and is covered with burs. He's afraid it'll happen again, but Doc and the others assure him he can play normally with no concerns of being hurt again. Donnie's superhero action figure Awesome Guy wants to rescue Lambie from a tree, but he can't walk correctly. Doc wants to find out how he became "Righty-on-Lefty," but he won't admit there's a problem. 

Headed out around 11:30. East Clinton is on the other side of Oaklyn...the side that's closer to Collingswood. It took me less than five minutes to arrive at Collingswood Family Practice, the yellow house on the corner of Atlantic, Collings, and Lakeview. Only one other person settled into the pale blue seats as a local morning show went on in the background. I haven't been here since January 2020, so I had to sign a couple of papers before I was called back.

Though I said I wanted a check-up, I really needed to ask Dr. Jessica to give me a referral to Clinical Neuropsychology Associates in Voorhees. I have no idea what I have. No one's ever been able to figure it out. I'm not enough of anything. Rose and Mom are convinced I have some kind of mental disability, possibly a mild form of autism. I've never been able to find any disorder that directly relates to me. I just want to learn to focus better and be able to better push past my fears, so I can get a real job and a real life. 

I did insist on getting a blood test. I was supposed to back in 2020, but I ate before my appointment and wasn't able to, and then I just never got to it. Not to mention, I assumed they'd be overwhelmed with virus patients. Made sure to skip breakfast so I could get it done now. Waited for the doctor, and then waited for the technician to come back from lunch. She gave me a needle and drew blood, taped a piece of gauze over the spot, and I was off.

Would have settled for a smaller lunch, but like I said, I skipped breakfast. Had lunch at a quiet Pop Shop. It was past 1:30 by then. Only one other family group enjoyed sandwiches in a booth. I actually got lucky. One of the Pop Shop's newest offerings is the Pop Burger Jr...which is a normal-sized regular cheeseburger with all the usual fixings at half the price. I opted to get it with another new offering, delicious tater tots. The burger was kind of thin, but it still tasted pretty good. Unlike most of the Pop Shop's sandwiches, I was able to finish it in one sitting.

Headed down Atlantic and Cuthbert to the Haddon Township Library next. It was a gorgeous day for a bike ride, sunny, warm, breezy, and in the lower 60's. Dodged a lot of road work and even more traffic on Cuthbert as people just started to go home from work.

It was too nice for the Haddon Township Library to be busy. I was the only person cruising the stacks. Everyone else there worked at the (now fewer) computer terminals. While they don't have the greatest adult books section in the world, I figured it was high time I caught up on some of the mystery series they do have. Took out the two most recent non-holiday novels in the Hannah Swenson series, Coconut Layer Cake Murder and Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder. (And I just discovered the newest Hannah book, Caramel Pecan Roll Murder, came out last month. I'll have to look for it.)

Made a very short stop at Dollar Tree next. I just needed cards for my friend Kelly (whose birthday is tomorrow) and Mom (hers is next week). Grabbed them and was on my way in a little under ten minutes.

Headed upstairs and into writing as soon as I got home. It's been a while since I was able to try to do something with my Match Game fanfic. Patti (Deustch) Dee and Donald (Ross) Dum are no bigger fans of the Red King (Mark Goodson) than anyone else. They don't think he's very polite...and proceed to show the group their idea of polite with a round of hand shaking and "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" that leaves everyone breathless.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Watched Match Game '77 while I ate. Buzzr skipped two episodes to take us into the middle of the next week. Richard Dawson's problems with the producers begin here, as he complains about one of the judges not passing his answer of "toasted" for "buns." This will get worse in the next episode and the coming weeks as Richard becomes increasingly tired and unhappy with his lack of control over what gets passed...

Continued into Match Game PM as I finished up dinner. Gene teases Fred Grandy about his boyish green bow-tie while Debralee Scott happily flirts with a handsome bearded contestant. Phyllis Diller is more nervous about seeing through her fluffy feathers long enough to answer "__ the Flag" in the Head-to-Head.

Switched to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as I repacked the things going to storage into smaller boxes and hung my spring wreath. Poor Dan is very upset when "Daniel's Fish Dies" and he finds his favorite blue fish on the bottom of the bowl. Dan Sr. encourages him to draw a picture of his buddy and play with his sister Margaret to feel better. He and Katerina are no happier to see "Daniel's Strawberry Seeds" at the Enchanted Garden haven't survived. Mrs. Tiger helps them plant new ones and figure out what to give Queen Sarah for a fruit salad instead.

Finished the night with Mirrormask at Kanopy. This weird Jim Henson Company fantasy takes a young British girl from Brighton into a fantasy world of her own creation after her mother ends up in the hospital. Masked individuals straight out of her artwork takes her to a strange world where the Queen of Light lays in a deathless sleep, and only the Princess can use the Mirrormask to awaken her. A young juggler also hidden by a mask may or may not be willing to help her.

I don't seem to do well with Jim Henson's wilder fantasies. I like Labyrinth well enough, but The Dark Crystal's always been a little too strange for my taste. I did enjoy the story, but the nightmarish black and white masked-based visuals make it hard to watch, and it does come off as more than a little cliched. If you're more into dark fantasy than I am, this may be worth checking out for the special effects alone.