Had a Bad Day

Began the morning with a phone call. The loan officer finally caught me when I was at home...and he didn't have good news. I'd have to save for two years to be able to buy a condo the way prices are now. I don't want to wait another two years! I've already lived here for three. I was so disappointed. I think I'll focus on finding a better job than the Acme once I get back from vacation next month and see if I can build up a little more money, then check back with PNC in the late winter or early spring.

Cheered myself off by finishing out the second season of What's New, Scooby Doo? on Tubi. "It's All Greek to Scooby" when the gang is on vacation in Athens. Shaggy purchases an amulet, which seemingly brings out a centaur who keeps pursuing him. Velma thinks there's something much deeper going on...but for once, the person under the mask is far from whom she expects.

I hurried out shortly after the episode ended. Took my bike, but I ran into traffic on Cuthbert and ended up being 15 minutes late to my gynecologist appointment. Fortunately, it was in the same building as South Jersey Radiology on the border of Haddonfield and Westmont, just on the second floor over the Radiology offices.

I'm not going to go into details, because it's icky and personal, but...I'm not happy at all. I ended up having to go downstairs to Radiology and make another appointment for Tuesday. I have to get pills from the Acme, too, likely for something caused by my perimenopause. I left the building feeling even worse than I had before.

I needed to try something new. Kismet Bagels and Luncheonette opened in Collingswood a few weeks ago, replacing the juice restaurant. They turned out to be a cross between a bakery and a sandwich shop. I had a turkey and tomato sandwich on a sea-salt rosemary bagel with garlic and herb "schmear" (aka cream cheese spread). Yum! Very messy due to a ton of "schmear," but very tasty. The bagel was perfectly crusty and salty.

Went back to Westmont to try another new restaurant that also comes from Philly. Scoop DeVille replaced the Rita's Water Ice in the cool glass building two blocks from Primo's. The contrast couldn't be more obvious. Everything about Scoop is local, from Philly-based names to frozen yogurt and vegan ice cream joining regular hand-made scoops. I ended up with a PB and J Shake that did, indeed, taste like peanut butter and strawberry jam.

Took the long way home across Westmont and Newton Lake Park. It was too nice not to! It was still cloudy and humid when I headed out, but by the time I was gulping my foamy peanut butter shake at a pastel table in front of Scoop DeVille, the day had turned gorgeous, windy and cool, likely in the 70's. I pushed my bike over the path on the hill in the park, enjoying the quiet and the wind blowing through the deep green leaves.

Headed straight home after that and into Remember WENN to make myself feel better after my bad day. "Scott Sherwood of the FBI" is also having a rough time. Station manager Scott's (Kevin O'Rourke) beloved Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) turns up at the station, believing her con-artist of a nephew to be the head of the FBI. He and writer Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton) play along, until what seems like a real agent turns up at the station, and Agatha reveals she knew darn well all along what Scott was up to.

Moved to The Chocolate Soldier after WENN ended. I go further in the 1955 TV version of the Strauss operetta with Eddie Albert as the candy-loving title character and Rise Stevens as the lady whose room he hides in at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - The Chocolate Soldier (1955)

Listened to Steel Pier next. This 1997 musical was a huge deal in South Jersey when it opened. The Press of Atlantic City did extensive articles on its trip to Broadway. There was so much hype around it in the real Atlantic City, I had to hear it. It's...ok. A dancer (Karen Ziemba) partners with a mysterious pilot in an Atlantic City dance marathon in 1933, only to discover he only has two weeks left on this earth. Yeah, the plot is way too much. Either a ghost story or a dance marathon would have been more than enough for any musical. There are some good songs. Ziemba's opening "Willing to Ride" is a great "I Want" number. Debra Monk scores with the ribald "Everyone's Girl," while Kristin Chenowith got some of her earliest exposure with "Two Little Words."

Worked on Hilary and the Beasts for most of the afternoon. Hilary is shocked when Troll turns up in the tuxedo Jeff wore in the Dreamscape. She's about ready to agree to his marriage proposal, especially as they all dance at the party held in the ballroom. It's all going very well...until Hilary gets a phone call from home. Mackie's sick, and C.J doesn't know what to do. Hilary insists on the ladies going home to take care of their father, enraging Troll. Heartbroken Bear gives Betty the story he wrote for her, then defies Troll, insisting on going to the library to write instead of the kitchen. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Sweetly goofy Eva Gabor and snarky Bart Braverman joined in for these episodes. We also got quite a bit of teasing Betty White about a "naughty little kid" question that involved hurting animals.

Finished out the night with another cast album, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, as I finished off Beasts and worked on the Chocolate Soldier review. Rupert Holmes, the creator of Remember WENN, had his biggest Broadway hit to date with this interactive show that debuted in 1985. Played as an English music hall performance, this version of Charles Dickens' unfinished novel allows the audience to choose which ending they want to see. All three endings are included on the original cast album I have.