Called Uber around 10:30. The gentleman arrived within five minutes. No trouble getting to Cherry Hill, no traffic anywhere. We arrived at The Big Event within fifteen minutes.
The Big Event has apparently existed as Cherry Hill's arcade and bowling alley in one form or another since the 1960's. It got a neon makeover about a decade ago, with bright pink stripes around the pins and all-digital scorekeeping. Neither of us had bowled for years, and we thought it would be something fun and different. We grabbed our shoes, then went to get our balls. I took a red one and Lauren grabbed purple before we headed to the back lanes.
Lauren is a much better athlete than I am in general. I shocked myself by getting two strikes, one in each game we played, but I'd also go whole rounds without hitting any pins. I kept twisting my wrist the wrong way and tossing the ball to the left. Lauren almost never missed pins. Neither of us got to even 100, but Lauren still won both games.
The Big Event was a LOT busier than it should have been on a Tuesday morning. There were kids running around all over the place, in the bowling alley and the arcade. Turns out two local elementary schools were having field trips here. It took 15 minutes for me to just get to the card payment dispenser. Games would often be surrounded by kids. Lauren later reported that there was only one young-ish adult in the room with them, and she was clearly overwhelmed. They should have had far more teachers or authority figures keeping an eye on those kids! They were running and yelling and pushing and shoving. I did manage to get close enough to the prize desk to win the last adorably serious stuffed husky they had.
(Incidentally, the husky's actual name was apparently Harley, but with his very serious expression, I thought he looked more like a cop. Lauren and I dubbed him Harley Rockford, Rocky for short.)
After we managed to get out of that mess unscathed, I called Uber again. They're still working on Route 70, including the sidewalks. There was no way we could walk to the Market Place shopping center. The Uber driver picked us up in 8 minutes and took less than five to drop us off alongside Raising Cane's at Market Place.
There's been a lot of changes at Market Place lately, even since I was last there in February. Chick Fil' A moved down the road to their own building at the Shop Rite Pavillion. Raising Cane's also opened in their own building. They specialize in crispy, crunchy chicken fingers and crinkle-cut fries. Lauren and I opted for the fries and their sandwiches, which are basically chicken fingers, lettuce, and a pinkish mayo-based sauce. It was tasty, but very messy! The chicken wouldn't stay on the bun. I ended up eating two chicken fingers separately.
Lands End at the other side of the front of the shopping center was our next stop. To my disappointment, it would seem that they're closing on July 14th. More than half the store had already been cleared out. I have no idea why they're closing. The next closest Lands End stores are 45 minutes to an hour away. Maybe there's just too much competition in Cherry Hill in general and the Market Place in particular. I did take advantage of the sales to buy a pair of navy shorts, a pair of khaki shorts, and a maroon fleece jacket for when it's too cold for jackets, and too hot for heavy coats. The navy shorts came to $13, the jacket $15. Even the khaki shorts that weren't heavily discounted were $25.
An experimental small-scale Macy's opened in what used to be Bed Bath and Beyond a week ago today. They really did a nice job remaking that store. The bright white space was now filled with sundresses, Toys R Us stuffed animals and craft sets, designer purses and shoes, and for some reason, tons and tons of summer suits. I didn't find anything, but Lauren picked up a cute white and blue-striped vest for work.
We split up after heading for the Towne Center. I'm not all that fond of Nordstrom Rack, and Lauren's not a big reader. I explored Barnes and Noble on my own. Thankfully, unlike Macy's and The Big Event, they weren't busy. There wasn't even a line at the checkout counter. It took me more than 40 minutes, but I came up with one record and two mysteries:
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Ella & Louis
Murder Lo Mein - Vivian Chien
Death at High Tide - Hannah Dennison
After I got out, I went to Nordstrom Rack to find Lauren. I peeked around their purses, but didn't see her. Sat down and waited on a bench after I got out...and she came walking down from Barnes and Noble! We must have just missed each other.
Strolled over to the other side of the Towne Center next. At least it was a gorgeous day to walk around a lifestyle center. The weather remains beautiful. Warm and sunny, with a searing ice-blue sky and no wind or humidity. It couldn't have been more perfect as we made our way to TJ Maxx. Once again, I found nothing, but Lauren picked up another vest for work.
Trader Joe's is on the end of the mall bordering the luxury apartment complexes behind it. We mainly wanted snacks here. I grabbed their almond-peanut butter and PB & J oat bars, dried orange slices and coconut strips, and salted pecans. Lauren picked up chocolate-peanut butter protein bars, mini dark chocolate bars, freeze dried raspberries, and hot and spicy pecans.
Since it's across the parking lot from Trader Joe's, we had a snack at the Shake Shack. Their snacks and ice cream are far better than their greasy and flat burgers. Lauren had a lemonade and a split grilled hot dog with cheese that honestly looked pretty good. I was fine with the snacks we bought and settled for a small strawberry milkshake that was wonderfully sweet and cooling.
I had a harder time getting us a ride home at 4:30 than I had getting one going to Cherry Hill. It took me 10 minutes to get a ride, and another 18 for them to arrive. Fortunately, when they did finally come, they were smart enough to take the scenic back roads through Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, and Westmont and avoid as much of the traffic on Cuthbert and Route 70 as possible.
We played Password again when we got home, then watched more of the original Password. Even though I already watched it, I went with the early game between Pat Carroll and Johnny Carson. I had to show it to Lauren. It was too funny not to. Carroll and Carson kept blurting words, using hands, and had the craziest expressions when they couldn't figure out what word they wanted to say.
Switched to Match Game Syndicated while having dinner. Anita Gillette returned to the show for the first time since 1974, and even though she was rusty, she still played better than sweet and towering but slightly dim Jim Staal. Debralee Scott protested jokes about someone's overbite, since she had one. Gene immediately told her it was sexy.
Finished the night after a shower with The Kid from Spain. I go further into this Mexican-set vehicle for comedian Eddie Cantor at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
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