Called Uber after the episode ended. The one going to Cherry Hill took 13 minutes and got me to Cooper Bone and Joint with fifteen minutes to spare. The first one I called to take me to the Chestnut Place Condos (which isn't that close to Cooper) canceled. The second picked me up in 3 minutes. There was a little traffic on Cuthbert Road going to Cooper. Otherwise, no trouble.
Soon as I got to Cooper, I went right upstairs and signed in briefly. I did most of the checking in online, so I didn't talk to the lady for very long. The waiting room was pretty full, but I only had to wait about 10 minutes for them to see me. The kindly Asian doctor checked my knee...and declared it fine. I think it was mostly that super-cold winter that caused the trouble. It gets a little stiff sometimes, but nothing like in January and February. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes.
Went next-door to Dunkin' Donuts for a treat. I still have that gift card I got from one of the kids. Dodged what looked like remodeling on the back window area to order a cream donut and limeade. Yum! The cream donut was bursting with frosting. The limeade was nicely tart. I enjoyed them and the silence - thankfully, no one was working on the window remodeling at that point.
The Chestnut Place Condos are next on my list of Cherry Hill buildings currently listed as having a condo available. This 60's-era building looks pretty identical to Sussex House, but twice its size and in far better shape on the outside. Nothing but patio furniture on the balconies, too. Like Playa Del Sol, they had a pool (which was quiet at 10:30), along with a small picnic pavilion, and is surrounded by a quiet neighborhood with regular 50's-60's tract homes and what looks like a brand-new Jewish temple.
Two big red flags on this one, though. There seem to be no sidewalks in the neighborhood. That doesn't make it very walkable. The other is its location. Though the neighborhood itself is peaceful and largely residential, it's just off Kaighns Avenue. That's one of the busiest streets in Cherry Hill, and difficult to cross. I'd have a hard time getting to Wegman's or Shop Rite and the library from there.
On the other hand, it's not even a five-minute walk from the Hillview Shopping Center. Used the bathroom at Target, then bought popcorn and Coke Zero for the movies. This was also the first time I'd ever seen the new Nature Valley Wafer Bars on sale. Usually, they're expensive and not included in most sales. I had to try strawberry and honey vanilla.
Had lunch at the Silver Diner next. This chrome eatery perches on the edge of the hill and gives you a splendid view of the Cherry Hill Mall and Cherry Hill Plaza. They specialize in comfort food made with healthy ingredients, like my half of a turkey bacon club sandwich on sourdough and Caesar salad. The club was made with real sliced turkey, crunch bacon, and fresh mozzarella. I ordered a plate of Old Bay fries, too. They were tasty, but a plate of anything covered in eye-watering spices is a little too much for me! The refreshing watermelon-mint lemonade, with its sprig of mint on top and cucumber slices, went a long way towards cooling me off.
Strolled over to Kohl's to kill some time before I went to the movies. Looked for underwear, but I didn't like anything they had. I'll save major shopping for when Lauren visits next week. Ducked around the long line at Customer Service to check out Looney Tunes stuffed animals and kids' books.
It was still pretty early when I went to AMC Cherry Hill 24, which is a bit down the hill from Kohl's and the Silver Diner, next to what used to be T.G.I Friday's. I had no intention of buying food here this time, so I thought I'd try a crane instead...but the crane's money box was so full of tokens, I couldn't get more in! I just found the theater for Supergirl early.
I was there so early, it was 15 minutes before they even started the commercials. I had almost the whole small theater to myself, too. There was only one other person way in back. Good. That meant I could sit in the row intended for wheelchairs and had plenty of room to spread out. The seats at AMC Cherry Hill are cramped and not that comfortable.
There's some interesting movies coming out during the second half of the year. The Invite is supposed to be a comedy, but the ad made what appears to be the story of a couple who invites another couple who won't leave look more like horror. The End of Oak Street, a horror movie about a family whose street is separated and attacked by what looks like giant dinosaurs, is a bit too dark for my taste. Forgotten Island would be of more interest if it wasn't coming out right when I'm likely going to be on my second vacation in late September. Unless I can talk Lauren into it, I'll probably wait for it to come out on streaming. Despite having played the game as a teen, I have no interest in Street Fighter whatsoever. I could also care less about more Hunger Games. I thought the first three were more than enough. Klara and the Sun looks much sweeter and quieter. That or the stop-motion animated Wildwood might be worth checking out in late October if I have the time the week before Halloween.
I'm not going to go into heavy details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy Supergirl. Like Super Mario Galaxy Movie earlier in the year, I don't think the critics are giving it a fair shake. It's not what I expected, but it's far from horrible. Milly Alcock is a sassy, sozzled delight as the tough title character, and Jason Momoa makes an even better Lobo than he did Aquaman (even if he doesn't have that much screen time). Also, I give it credit for the brief running time. Most superhero epics tend to push two hours or longer. This one clocks in at a little over an hour and a half. There's no unnecessary padding, and the exposition showing Kara's backstory in Argo City is spread out throughout the film, rather than being lumped in the beginning like the 1978 Superman.
I think most people were expecting it to be more like the upbeat Superman film from last year and less like a 90's anti-hero comic book movie. This is not a colorful romp. Everything is dusty grays and browns until Kara turns up in her super suit late in the film. For all of Kara's wisecracks, this movie is pretty dark. On the other hand, it has some amazing creature work. I could spend half the movie just checking out all the weird aliens they meet on that interstellar bus. DC really did get creative with the special effects on this one.
In the end, this is highly recommended for older fans of the Woman of Steel or Lobo if they can handle the violence and some heavy themes and aren't expecting this to imitate Superman.
Quickly headed for the pedestrian walkway to the Cherry Hill Mall after the movie ended. I stopped at Old Navy to make change and buy a Diet Coke, then ducked around remodeling on the front entrance to wait for the 4:20 NJ Transit bus to Camden. For once, it was exactly on time. No trouble getting home, not even on Cuthbert. Got off at the right street and walked the rest of the way. At least it had clouded over by then. It had been sunny, humid, and hot for most of the day, though probably neither as hot or as humid as it's supposed to be starting Wednesday.
After I got home, I put on an episode of Justice League Unlimited featuring Supergirl. It's "Fearful Symmetry" when Kara begins having disturbing dreams of destroying a lab, feeling like she was there. The Green Arrow just wants to pound whomever is doing this to the kid, but conspiracy-minded The Question knows there's more going on here than seen on the surface. Kara's shocked to find that the real reason she's having those dreams hits closer to home than she could imagine.
Switched to Match Game '75 during dinner. For some reason, they skipped ahead to the week with Jack Cassidy, Betty White, and Conny Van Dyke. Gene and Richard throw Conny around, while Betty White is disappointed when handsome Ron Valenti finally loses. And speaking of Superman, Jack Cassidy and Charles Nelson Reilly mention Cassidy's role as the villain in the original Broadway cast of It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. (And may I add that the creators of that show missed a marvelous opportunity there? Jack would have made a great Lex Luthor.)
Finished the night honoring Pride Month at YouTube. Charles Nelson Reilly was told early in his career that a gay man would never work on television. Ironically, he's now best-known for his TV appearances, especially on Match Game. He and his drinking buddy Brett Somers really made the show with their banter and wisecracks. In the episode here, they get to witness the arrival of the new Star Wheel...and join everyone else in walking off when it lands on Richard Dawson, when it was created to give other panelists a chance to play.
What's My Line was never afraid to feature guests of all types. Liberace was still wildly popular when he appeared as the Mystery Guest on this 1962 episode. Buddy Hackett was the one who guessed him easily here.
Merrill Heater was so enamored with his show Battlestars, he gave it a try twice. The episode we have here is the premiere of the later version from 1983. Jim J. Bullock, then appearing on Too Close for Comfort, is usually subdued on this Hollywood Squares variation that puts all of the panelists in triangles...until Debbie Reynolds practically jumps on him. Alex Trebek was the mildly amused host of both versions.
The 90's-early 2000's Hollywood Squares also had no trouble featuring a wide variety of celebrities. Writer and actor Bruce Villanch was a regular in the late 90's, and one of my favorite regulars on the show. Look for Rosie O'Donnell as well near center square Whoopi Goldberg in the show's premiere episode.
Robert Reed did one of the more interesting episodes of the 1972 syndicated I've Got a Secret. It starts with four young ladies who were caretakers for baby animals at a local safari park. They even brought some with them, and if the baby iguana was not the most adorable, the sweet little leopardess and the tiny baby lioness who roared into the microphone were dolls. Reed helped a courtroom artist show how then-modern technology could make creating artwork of a criminal much faster.
The current version of $100,000 Pyramid also cast a wide net for their contestants. Here, it's a battle of the hosts as Ken Jennings of Jeopardy goes against (and beats the pants off of) Ross Matthews of RuPal's Drag Race, while RuPaul himself battled Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Carson was the winner there as both groups helped a set of twins win big money.
Celebrate Pride Month with some of the funniest and most brilliant people around in these hilarious and thought-provoking episodes!
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