Autumn Blue and Gold

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and a spooky episode of the 2002 version of Strawberry Shortcake. After getting scared in the woods during a hike, the kids are convinced "The Blueberry Beast" lives in that spooky old house. Strawberry is determined to prove that their imaginations are running away with them, and just because the house is in bad shape doesn't mean the owner isn't nice.

Headed out to run errands next. I had donations to drop at Goodwill, then went around front. Found a brown cowboy hat that was better than the one I picked up a few years ago, a disc with the Lord Peter Wimsey episodes Clouds of Witness and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, the first season of Boardwalk Empire, and two CDs: 

Barenaked Ladies - Snack Time

The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Boogie Woogie Christmas

Had lunch at Antonio's Pizza on Market Street. They're a pretty typical hole-in-the wall in a small shopping center that likely hasn't been remodeled since 1972, if the blonde wood paneling and Formica booths are any indication. They do make great pizza, though. The tomato-basil-mozzarella and mushroom were excellent. Washed them down with a Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. Stopped quickly at Desserts By Design a few blocks down and got a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing and fall sprinkles. I said hi to the lady working there, but she was busy dealing with customers and didn't have time for talk.

Took the longer way home down Market Street and across the border of Audubon and Westmont. It was too nice to not be out and enjoy the weather! The sun was shining, and although it remains windy, it was also warmer, probably in the upper 60's-lower 70's. Couldn't have been a nicer day in October. The leaves are finally starting to change colors here, too, turning shades of burnished gold and russet that glowed in the mid-afternoon sun.

Put on spooky-themed episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at home while I got organized. Tigger convinces Piglet to tell a scary story of "The Monster Frankenpooh," but Piglet (and Pooh) get a little too caught up in it. "Things That Go Piglet In the Night" has Piglet running off when he hears scary noises in the night, and the rest of the Hundred Acre Woods residents chasing after him. It's a "Pooh Moon" when the group is camping and Pooh thinks the moon is made of honey. While he and Piglet try to find if this is true, the others think they were abducted by the Grab-Me-Gotcha.

Went to work even before the cartoon ended. The kids were really antsy today, not helped by the younger ones ending up having snacks in the library due to the school's music class running late. I had trouble taking five of the girls to the bathroom. The two smallest took forever to come out. The three older ones wouldn't stop running, laying on the floor, and yelling in the halls. They fooled around so much, they accidentally knocked down a banner hanging on the walls. I wasn't happy with any of them.

It's a good thing we ended up spending the rest of the session outside. The kids got to let out that pent-up energy and enjoy the gorgeous day. Frankly, it was too beautiful to have them play inside. I did have to argue over the swings with some of the kids, but I also had a nice chat with two of the younger girls later in the afternoon, and the one boy who needed to use the bathroom was a perfect gentleman. It was so gorgeous, we just turned the few remaining younger kids loose with the older kids playing ball games on the black top when I left.

It was too nice to go straight home after work. I rode around in West Collingswood for a little while instead. West Collingswood Heights is the neighborhood between Newton Creek, Route 70, and the two Pikes. Though there's a few newer houses and condo rental buildings, most of the houses date to between the late 1800's and the 1930's. Some of them are actually quite lovely, with their turrets and wide porches.

I watched Studio 666 when I got in. This was originally going to be my musical review for tonight, but...this spoof of slasher flicks featuring the Foo Fighters wasn't really a musical. Though it did have some amusing moments, it was mostly way too bloody for my taste. Doesn't help that I'm not that big of a fan of the Foo Fighters, either. The Foo Fighters rent a house where another hard rock band supposedly died in the 90's, only to be stalked by the same killer who eliminated the band. This is strictly for fans of the Foo Fighters, hard rock, or cheep, bloody horror.

My actual review ended up being Murder In the Blue Room. I go further into this equally cheap but far more palatable horror murder mystery at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Murder In the Blue Room