Kids and Memories

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel's Babysitter" is Prince Tuesday, who watches him while his parents are out dancing. He's happy to join Dan in his homemade "jungle," to get him into his pajamas, and to help him find his stuffed Tigey when he's missing. "Daniel Goes to School" and is worried when his dad leaves. Dan Sr. reminds his son that he'll be back at the end of the day...and Daniel Junior likewise reminds Miss Elania that her mommy will be back when her locket with her parents' picture goes missing.

Let Family Feud run on Buzzr as I made my grocery list. Started off with the second half of a John O'Hurley episode. They jumped back to early 80's Richard Dawson as I got my backpack together. The episode was actually a special week from 1985 showcasing then-Olympic winners like Greg Loughanis and Evelyn Ashford. (Incidentally, I've seen the full week...and the ladies wiped the floor with the guys.) 

Headed out as the episode got started. I had a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it in. Started at the Target Starbucks. Though it was cloudy and cool, it was also a bit on the humid side. I got a Pumpkin Cream Matcha Latte. Not bad. A little on the fruity side. 

Finished it at Sprouts. Mainly wanted to restock oat milk and more of that Nektar Pop there. (The latter is still buy one, get one free.) The ginger molasses bakery cookies weren't on sale, but they're so good, and they only come out during the fall. The deli container I picked up called the shredded turkey "turkey carnitas." I don't think it tastes like that, but it doesn't taste bad, either, and I figured it would be fine for salads and sandwiches this week.

Rode past the Haddon Township Library and High School to the Westmont Acme next. Restocked granola, blue tortilla chips, soda, Swiss cheese and yogurt. I'm almost out of razors, and I found a good brand of shaving lotion half-price. Went back and got a pack with turkey sliders, green grapes, and flat pretzel chips after I realized I forgot to pick up lunch.

Took the long way home across Newton River Park. It remains green and beautiful there. The breeze whistled through the big green leaves as the sun finally broke through the clouds. I pushed my bike up the path over the hill, ducking under a thin tree that broke and bent over. 

Put everything away, then had lunch and watched The Rockford Files. "The Countess" (Susan Strausburg) hires Rockford to handle a blackmailer (Dick Gautier) who was threatening to turn incriminating photos over to her husband (Art Lund). Rockford sees the blackmailer shot on the beach, only for the cops to think he did it. The gangsters the blackmailer work for have their own reasons to be after him.

I got my schedule at this point, either. I am not happy at all. The days I took off for my mammogram, eye exam, and housing counseling appointments are my only days off. I have three double-shift days, two in a row. On one hand, the eye appointment is on Saturday, which means I have that day fully off. On the other hand, I have a lot to do to prepare for the housing appointment, and when am I going to get my grocery shopping done? 

Headed out to Thomas Sharp School after the show ended. I left so early, I had the time to ride around and enjoy a day that had become sunny, warm, and only slightly humid. I need to be more careful where I ride, though. I ended up on Route 70. There's no sidewalks bordering West Collingswood on Route 70. I stepped in a grass-covered hole and almost really hurt myself. Thankfully, no harm done other than surprise, but I do know to stay away from there now.

We had the same 20 kids we've pretty much had all week, 7 at my table. I did have trouble getting them to clean up, but they were better in the bathroom. This time, we got everyone outside early. It was just too nice of a day for them to not hit the playground this time. Yes, they kept asking me when they could on the swings until I let them on. Two of the boys got into such a fight over where they were in line and when they could go on, we had to separate them. The other kids were happier dancing to "The Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana, "Pup Pup Boogie" and the theme from Paw Patrol, the title song of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, and songs from Moana and Encanto. 

Things went much better once more kids went home. By the time the last girl who hadn't gone on the swings was taking her turn with a friend who loves the swings, there were five younger kids left. We took them inside around quarter of 5. I spent the remaining time drawing Victor, Jeff, and Celia in their "Captain Power" outfits and Grace Cavendish as "The Queen of Darkness" and admiring their coloring in pictures of ice cream cones and unicorns. When I left at 5:15, there were two older kids and one younger one remaining. I stopped briefly at Speedy Mart for a bagel and a Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi on the way home before heading back.

Watched the end of The Price Is Right when I got in. Came in just in time to see the lady who won the second Showcase Showdown. I'm a bit surprised they were playing the Christmas episode in early September. The first "Showcase" was the simpler theme of how to prepare for the holidays. It included Christmas records played on a stereo, Christmas shopping money, and a station wagon to haul gifts. The second one was the "story" Showcase, as ditzy secretary Holly used the prizes (including a sports car) instead of office equipment to create memos.

Let it run into Match Game '76. The second half of the night brought in Greg Morris, Elaine Joyce, and Fannie Flagg. Elaine spent most of the time either flirting with Gene or sniping with Brett, whose quips seemed to really get on her nerves sometimes.

Finished the night with some fond childhood memories on YouTube. Someone uploaded a marathon of two BrainGames episodes from 1983, including commercials and the full version of the famous HBO opening with the camera panning over those miniature buildings as the music builds to a crescendo. BrainGames was usually a half-hour show (though I seem to remember some episodes turning up occasionally between shows) that ran six different funny mini-games based around history, memory, animal trivia, and recognition. 

"Tales of Wrongovia" teaches history as it invites players to spot the bit of history that wouldn't have existed in the time period depicted. "Safari Solitaire" showed four different animals (and one nervous narrator with a Texas accent) and asked viewers to guess which animal lived or did something differently from the others. "Uninvited Guests" had four figures at a posh party. The viewer has to decide which party guest is the gate crasher. "Memory Rock" has viewers trying to remember the details of a rock band scene. "The Riddler" is pretty much standard jokes. "Aceps Gevoya" and "Splatnart" were word scramble games. The first had an alien trying to get home, the second a nurse and mad scientist building a monster. "Whosamawhatchamacallits" is a long word for a guess the person, place, or thing from clues and a distorted picture. "Museum Mistakes" has viewers trying to help a cop figure out what's fake in classic artworks.

We used to love playing along with the games on this one! Some of the information on the trivia games and a lot of the art style is pretty dated...but on the other hand, other games like "Animal Solitare," "Uninvited Guests," and the word scramble mini-skits remain hilarious and fun to this day. Here's the marathon if you also loved to crack open your mind back in the day or think your kids will enjoy this (and can get around the cheap animation). 

HBO Braingames Marathon 

And yes, I do remember the events of September 11th, 2001. Twenty-five years ago, I was beginning the first day of my final semester of Stockton College. I go into further detail at my blog entry from September 11th, 2023. 

Games and Memories

Fun In the Sun

No time to do much of anything this morning! I overslept and barely had enough time for breakfast, getting organized, and racing out the door. I made it just in time. Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all day. In fact, I got to show a new hire the ropes and how to sweep and gather carts. She did really well, too. It was so quiet, we spent a lot of the morning shelving carts of items. 

Went straight home after work this time. Had lunch while watching She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. It's a "White-Out" when She-Ra and her friends follow a signal to the frozen wastes. Catra wants to infect She-Ra with Entraptra's virus disc to make her work for the Horde again. It does make her go crazy...as She-Ra. As Adora, she's merely dazed and loopy. While Glimmer and Bow go after her, Scorpia finds a surprising friend in Sea Hawk, who is feeling out of place and unwanted with Mermista engaged elsewhere. 

Switched to Storybook International as I got changed and organized. "The Black Cape" is making the citizens of a Spanish kingdom disappear, including the son of the King. Only a very clever goatherd's daughter can solve his riddles, find the missing people, and restore the prince.

Headed off to Thomas Sharp Elementary after the show ended. Honestly, today went pretty much the same as yesterday. The kids are still rowdy in the bathrooms. Some of them may be using public ones for the first time, so it's understandable that they're nervous. It was sunny this time, a bit warmer and windier, which meant we weren't outside for long...but we still had fun while we were there. One of the little girls insisted on me chasing her. She was absolutely hilarious. When we went in, we settled down to building with wooden blocks. I haven't done that since I was a kid in the 80's. Some of the designs the kids came up with were really elaborate! I told them I should call my brother Keefe in the Navy and see if they could use their designs.

When I got home, I had dinner while watching Frankie and Johnny. I go further into this 1966 Elvis vehicle about a riverboat gambler who is desperate to end his streak of bad luck and the girl who wishes he'd forget the whole thing at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Frankie and Johnny (1966)

Put on Match Game PM after the movie ended. For some reason, they skipped way ahead to the 1979-1980 ones that they re-ran to death a few years ago. I was really kind of hoping they'd continue with the 1976 ones that don't turn up as much.

Finished the night with the soundtrack from the rare TV musical Olympus 7-000 from 1967 in honor of the start of football season. This attempt to go the Damn Yankees fantasy route with football has Hermes (Donald O'Connor) come down to Earth to help a struggling college football team after the girlfriend (Phyllis Newman) of its hapless coach (Larry Blyden) makes a wish over a Greek prayer bowl. Yeah, Greek mythology and gridiron gags are a pretty strange mix. The music is better when focusing on O'Connor's pursuit of Newman. "I Have Feelings," he reminds her at one point. There's also his knowing "I Get Around" and Newman telling O'Connor she has "Better Things to Do." 

I've looked all over streaming for this one, but it has yet to turn up. I suspect, if it exists at all, it's probably only found in museums. As it is, the soundtrack isn't anything amazing but does make for a pleasant listen during college football season or if you're a fan of the three leads. 

Oh, and I do remember September 11th, 2001 quite well. It was the first day of my last semester of college. I go further into it in this blog entry from 2023. 

Games and Memories

Games With My Sister

I was just glad I didn't awaken to rain this morning. I had morning work. Was glad to settle down for breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood instead. Daniel is inspired to give the sunflowers his mother grows to his neighbors after Lady Elaine sends her seeds. His gifts eventually encourages the entire neighborhood to give to their friends, causing King Friday to declare it "Neighbor Day."

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. Work occasionally got mildly steady, but it was mostly dead all day. While it never rained and it wasn't as humid as yesterday, it was still gloomy and gray. The weather still wasn't appropriate for lingering. I spent a lot of the time working on story notes. Had a few annoying customers; otherwise, no major problems.

I'm not crazy about my schedule next week. In good news, two days off in the middle of the week, Wednesday for my next doctor's appointment. Trouble is, not only do I have fewer hours, but they're either very early or later than I have been getting them. And I'll have to miss the first Eagles game of the year on Sunday!

Dashed home quickly down the Black Horse Pike. I wanted a chance to sneak some writing in before Jessa arrived. Charles is about to ask Brett something when he feels a claw tap him on the back...and he runs headlong into the largest of the small demons. Brett, then Gene, has to dislodge him from the former Sir Thomas (Tom) Kennedy.

Broke at 6 to make Fudgy Brownies for dessert and watch Match Game. Broadway star Robert Morse (who appeared with Charles in the original cast of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying) and TV favorite Adrianne Barbeau joined Gene, Fannie Flagg, and the regulars for jokes about Gene's wavier early 70's hairstyle and what best friends Charles and Brett would share. (Hint - it's not spouses.) The second episode brought in a very frisky contestant who really, really wanted a kiss from Fannie. Richard and Gene had to hold him back!

The second episode just began as Jessa arrived with her puppy Midnight in tow. Poor Jessa is very upset about everything that's going on. She's convinced that Jodie and Rose don't like her, because they haven't included her in anything that involves Dad's death. I think they don't know how to reach her - physically and mentally. They don't really understand either of us.

She bought a pizza cheese steak and mozzarella sticks, and we shared them while Sale of the Century was on. That young guy went for all of the prizes this time, including 50,000. Once again, no one could get close to him. He bought no Instant Bargains this time, killed everyone at the Speed Round, and became one of the top winners on the show.

We stuck around for Concentration while enjoying our brownies. Jack Narz hosts this earlier syndicated version of the rebus-puzzle-based memory game. The first round is pretty similar to the 1980's version, with less-elaborate prizes. It's the bonus round where this one differs. The contestant has to guess two rebus puzzles in 10 seconds. Get one, and you get 50 dollars. Get two, and you get a car. I've only seen it done twice on the rare occasions I watch this one...and tonight was one of those night. The gentleman won several big prizes (including a nifty clock), then got the car with time to spare.

Finished out the night with more vintage game shows after Lauren left. Bumper Stumpers was a favorite of mine that ran on USA in the late 80's. Two sets of contestants have to guess what a pair of car license plates say. If they earn enough, they can go on to the bonus round. If they guess seven license plates there, they win 2,000. It's pretty cheap for a game show, but the license plates are fun to guess.

Jackpot! was a lot more fun. In the original version from 1975, a group of 12 asks one member of the group goofy riddles with a dollar value. If they answer correctly, the money is added to the jackpot. If one member yells "Jackpot," the person answering and asking the riddles can split the jackpot. In this episode, the girl answering the riddle and the guy who asked it got to split over $38,000! A later jackpot win was also fairly large. (Alas, this is one of only two full episodes that exists today, probably because of that big win.)

Finished out the night before the Match Game syndicated premieres with Whew! Boy, is this one accurately titled. Hanna Barbara did the animated opening, depicting 10 villains who try to take the contestants' cash, rather like Whammies on Press Your Luck. The contestants have to guess which word is wrong in a certain phrase. If they get it right, they charge ahead, or are blocked by villain blocks placed by the other contestant earlier. Getting to the 6th level and not hitting blocks will win them money and the chance to run the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet has a row of the 10 villains from the opening, each holding more blooper questions and blocking the contestant's way. If the contestant answers the bloopers correctly, the "villain" will move their hands and let them pass...and they have to do this in 60 seconds! Maybe that's why the guy who won was so excited when he made it through The Gauntlet with time to spare.

To my knowledge, Whew! and Bumpers exist in full, but aren't shown that often outside of YouTube. As of right now, it's the only way to catch three of the most unique game shows ever on TV.

Bumper Stumpers (1987)
Jackpot! (1975)
Whew! (1979)

And yes, I do remember what happened September 11, 2001. I just started my last semester at college that day. I went into more detail on that in this blog entry from 2015.

Memories On a Busy Day

Getting Ready for Vacation

It was gloomy and humid when I woke up, but also a bit warmer than it has been, and not raining. Put on two Dr. Seuss specials while I ate breakfast and enjoyed the weather. The Cat In the Hat is the original tale of the six-foot-tall-feline who steps in to the home of two bored kids and proceeds to wreck havoc. Their fish wishes he'd just leave, but the cat does eventually teach the kids that it doesn't take a lot of to have fun, whether you're outside or in.

Pontoffel Pock and His Magic Piano is a more bizarre Seuss special from the early 80's. Pock was just fired from his job at a dill pickle-bottling factory and wishes he could get away from his unemployment and his family's decaying home. Enter a group of fairies who give him a piano that'll take him anywhere whenever he plays a few notes and presses a button. He first goes to an Alpine town, but his showing off upsets the locals. After the fairies give him a second chance, he ends up in the Middle East, where he falls for "eyeball dancer" Eefa Neefa. Now he just has to get back to her, before the fairies find him and his piano!

Switched to one of my 20's CDs for the rest of the morning as I did things around the apartment. First thing on the agenda was making the bed and stripping the sheets. I think the current weather is a good indication that Mother Nature is ready for fall. I put on the spring/fall sheets and my pale blue and tan comforter.

It was time for me to finally start getting ready for vacation. I pulled my carry on bag and rolling luggage out to see what I needed for the trip and what I could pack now. The answer to both questions was not much. The toothbrush and small toothpaste I got from the dentist's office in the spring would fit nicely in the travel bag, but I really couldn't pack anything else until I got the laundry done, and I had other things I wanted to do today. I did slide my Star Wars coloring book and a crossword puzzle book Lauren gave me for Christmas into the carry-on bag to amuse myself on the train.

Spent the rest of the morning taking down the summer decorations and organizing the back room. I loaded my oldest journals from as far back as my childhood into a plastic container, freeing up room for more journals on the book crates. Went through the pamphlets and menus I've collected from various trips (including previous trips to Pittsfield) and loaded most of them into one of the old accordion folders.

Made a quick plum-apple-escarole smoothie with a Jif peanut butter bar for lunch while watching Sailor Moon episodes. Usagi attends an upscale finishing school in the hope of developing manners and poise in "Let's Become a Princess: Usagi's Bizarre Training." The headmistress finds her vitality and clumsiness charming...until her friends join her for a final dance and they all figure out what the teacher is really doing.

"The Legendary Lake Yokai: The Bond of Usagi's Family" has her on vacation with her brother Shingo and their parents at a hot springs resort. Still under the control of the evil Queen Beryl, Endimyon unleashes a monster from the lake who has her own ideas of what she wants to use her magic for. She was sealed in the lake by an angel and her lover, and she thinks Usagi looks like the angel! The other Sailors need Usagi's help, but she can't transform in front of her family.

Headed out to the libraries after the second episode ended. Stopped at the Oaklyn Library first. It was just the morning librarian when I arrived, watching the news reports on Hurricane Florence on The Weather Channel. I mainly organized DVDs. I left as the second librarian and her son arrived.

(Incidentally, the librarian's complaints confirmed something I'd noticed last week. The McDonald's on Cuthbert Road, next to the Wendy's and under the Haddon Township Library, is being torn down and rebuilt. I thought the design of the building looked older. In fact, other than the color of the roof and the additional playground, it very much resembled the McDonald's in North Cape May in the 80's and 90's. It also means the ramp to the Library and apartment buildings that begins at Mickey D's parking lot is closed as well. I'll be taking the short way down Cuthbert to and from Westmont for a couple of months.)

 I was mainly at the Haddon Township Library to return the DVDs from last week. The DVD cart was so overflowing, I ended up returning all of the kids' titles and about a quarter of the adult ones, despite the sign saying they were saving it for another volunteer later. I also organized the DVDs and shelved TV show sets and audio books and CDs. Didn't take anything out this week. I won't be here next week to enjoy them or return them.

Made two quick stops on the way home. The only travel item I was low on was wipes, which I use when I can't wash my hands quickly while at the stations or on the train. Picked up a small travel pack of those, plus brown sugar and those yummy whole-grain fig bars, from Target. Needed sponges at Dollar Tree.

I tried to write when I got home, but I was so tired, I ended up napping for an hour instead. I did get a little bit of writing done later. Admiral Ackbar and Los Angeles Police Chief Madine describe how they'll draw Vader's men away while the others head to the digging site. Laurence will be with those who deal with Vader's people. Harry, to Leia's surprise, volunteers to lead the expedition to the dig site.

Made a decent dinner after I got off. There was a simple recipe for "Saucy Franks" in that vintage Jiffy Cooking book I wanted to try. I updated the recipe with canned tomato sauce instead of tomato soup (I have none of the latter), lemon juice instead of a whole lemon (I also had none), and with red and orange peppers added with the green and the onions. Also made baked hash browns and sauteed escarole. It came out really well, especially the tasty sauce.

Ran the 1945 film version of State Fair as I ate. I cover this one in more detail at my Musical Reviews Blog.

State Fair

Finished out the night with The Great Outdoors. Chester "Chet" Ripley (John Candy) is looking forward to a quiet vacation by a lake in Wisconsin bonding with his sons and his wife Connie (Stephanie Faracy). They're not even there for a day when their trip is crashed by Connie's rich cousin Kate Craig (Annette Benning), her obnoxious investment broker husband Roman (Dan Ackroyd), and their creepy twin daughters. Roman keeps showing Chet up at every turn, whether it's getting him to water-ski on the lake or after Chet eats a massive steak at the local bar. Meanwhile, Chet's older son Buck (Chris Young) is pursuing a local girl, but she dumps him after he has to break their date to watch the steak incident. Matters come to a head on a stormy night, when Roman reveals why he's really there. The dads have to rescue the girls when they try to explore a mine, then save the others from a roving bear...and learn that family helps family, no matter how much they drive them crazy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this John Hughes-penned tale when I picked it up from a yard sale a few years ago. Critics savaged it for it's lack of originality when it came out. Yeah, the plot is cliched, but Ackroyd and Candy ably pick up the slack as the two very different dads with different approaches to having fun while on a trip. It has a bit in common with another Hughes vehicle for Candy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, including an ending that's occasionally too sentimental for it's britches.

If you're a fan of either leading man or other Hughes adult and family-oriented comedies like Planes and the Vacation series, you'll want to make the trip out to Wisconsin, too.

Oh, and on a more sober note, yes, I do remember the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I discuss this a bit more at an entry I wrote on Patriot Day in 2015.

Memories On a Busy Day

There are Days and There are Days

The weather couldn't have been more perfect when I awoke this morning. I celebrated the fine day with one of my favorite series. Varase Sarabande released their Unsung Musicals and Lost In Boston collections in the mid-90's. I picked up all but the second Lost In Boston and the third Unsung Musicals titles at the wonderful Sun Rose Music and Books (now apparently Sun Rose Words and Music) in Ocean City about 15 years ago.

Did the first Unsung Musicals this morning. As you can tell from the title, this series collects songs from musicals that were major flops or short-lived on Broadway, or never even made it to Broadway, and were never recorded. My favorite song from the first collection is the absolutely ravishing ballad "Starfish," from a musical version of La Strada that closed on opening night in 1969 (despite featuring Bernadette Peters in one of her her earliest roles). Other excellent numbers include the delightfully desperate sales pitch "Postcards" from a show called The Bone Room, "There are Days and There are Days" from a failed stage biopic of Jackie Robinson, "Ragtime Romeo" from the Carol Channing vehicle The Vamp, the hilarious "Sherry!" featuring Christine Baranski and Jonathan Freeman being catty, and three numbers from the flop beauty pageant show Smile - it's title song, the touching anthem "In Our Hands," and "Disneyland," the last performed by none other than "Little Mermaid" Jodi Benson.

Pretty much spent work the same way I did yesterday - outside with the carts. Fine by me. It was a sunny, breezy, gorgeous day, into the mid-70's. Couldn't be more perfect for early September in Southern New Jersey. Probably due to the weather and to most area kids starting school full-time today. the Acme was dead all morning anyway. I did briefly mop the bathroom floors (they were genuinely dirty, for once), gathered trash, and got stuck dealing with that obnoxious head manager again when I was still finishing the bathrooms and couldn't get up front to help clean a spill quick enough. (At least it was just Sprite, nothing as complicated as yesterday!)

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. It was too nice not to linger, and it's supposed to rain later in the week. Other than slight traffic around the Wal Mart/Marshalls entrance, it was even more quiet than the Acme. Even Nicholson Road wasn't that busy. I enjoyed a quiet ride, admiring the last of the late summer flora.

Went straight into writing when I got home and changed. Leia calls Ben from a phone booth as soon as they get Luke into the hospital and Lance manages to get them rooms at the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City (now just the Claridge Hotel). He says he's glad they're safe and tells her that, while the police did arrest some members of the Imperial Gang, most are still at large, including Vader. Leia asks him point-blank if Vader is their brother Adam. Yes, Ben says, but he'll explain it when they get back to Ocean View. It's too complicated for pay phones, and he wants Luke to hear, too. Leia tells them that they're going after Hank. Ben doesn't like it, but he knows she's going to do what she wants.

Broke at 6 for dinner. Had leftovers and sweet corn on the cob while listening to more Unsung Musicals. The second entry in the series was the first I bought, and it's been one of my favorite CDs for years. Favorite songs from this one include the title song from Roadside, the ballad "Smashing New York Times" and the witty "Lawyers" from A Broadway Musical, the adorable "Everything In the World I Love" from a musical version of The Yearling, the rousing "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" from the magic show Merlin, and the duet "The Memory of Tonight" from a musical version of Arthur that has yet to play Broadway.

Switched to Lost In Boston as I cleaned the bathroom. This one spotlights songs that were cut from musicals that actually did run in New York. I have all of this series but the third one, which I could never find then (and seems to be equally hard to find now). Favorite numbers from the second disc include the gorgeous "Thousands of Flowers" and jaunty "Guess We May As Well Stay Married Now" from I Do! I Do!, "What am I Doing Here?" from Promises, Promises, "When Messiah Comes" from Fiddler on the Roof, and the devastating anti-war ballad "Just a Map" from The Rothchilds.

Moved on to the fourth and final Lost In Boston CD as I finished the bathroom. Songs cut from little-known flops and forgotten hits are spotlighted here. By far my favorite is the opener, "Thirty Weeks of Heaven," a comic ditty about the perils of being a traveling performer from By the Beautiful Sea. (They should have kept that in. It's funnier than anything on the cast album.) Other good ones here include "A Green and Private World" from the much-loved 60's flop Drat! The Cat, "If I Can't Take It With Me" from Golidlocks, "Hots Michael On the Piano" from Working (written and performed by Remember WENN creator Rupert Holmes), "Marking Time" from Pippin, "Have a Memory On Me" from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and three emotional character ballads from Ballroom, "The Job Application," "Who Gave You Permission?," and "Suddenly It's You."

Finished the night on a more sober note with The Rising by Bruce Springsteen, which I put on to honor 9/11. As a life-long Bruce Springsteen fan, I picked this one up as soon as I could in 2002, and I've loved it ever since. It's probably my favorite album of his. "Lonesome Day" and the title song were the major hits, but "My City In Ruins" may have meant even more at the time. Springsteen was talking about his beloved Asbury Park, which was still in economic decline in 2001...but it equally applied to a badly shaken and damaged Lower Manhattan. My favorites are the brighter uptempo numbers "Waiting On a Sunny Day" and "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)."

And yes, I do remember them the 9/11 attacks. I was beginning my last semester at Richard Stockton College (now University) when the terrorists hit. I go into more detail in this entry from 2015, Memories On a Busy Day.

Fly Like an Eagle

It was beautiful when I threw open my front door this morning, sunny and windy, warm and a little humid but not nearly as bad as the last few days. I celebrated with Plum Ginger Pancakes and the soundtrack to the movie version of Hairspray. There's a lot that I like on here, including the new songs "Ladies' Choice" and "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)" and John Travolta and Christopher Walken's version of "You're Timeless to Me." (Who knew they'd make such a cute couple?)

Thankfully after all the trouble I had yesterday, work went much better today. I did get stuck in the register for about 20 minutes or so after I arrived. I got in at noon, and the first Eagles game of the season was at 1. Thankfully, once the game began, the crowd thinned out. Spent the rest of the afternoon gathering carts and baskets and cleaning up the still-messy freezer leaks.

And speaking of the Eagles game, that went very well. I got to see the end of the first quarter during break, and the last five minutes or so after work. The Eagles' just-promoted young quarterback Carson Wentz threw his first touchdown. They were already up 10-7 over the Cleveland Browns when I watched the game the first time. They eventually went on to win their opening game and their home opener 29-10.

When I got home, I worked on writing for a while. Han and Leia are left to their own devices while Charlie hits the newest steel coaster at Maz's and Luke and Wedge hit the wooden coaster. Leia gets Hank on the enchanting double-decker carousel. Hank tells her about his dealings with local gangster Jasper Hutt, and Leia explains why she's getting involved with helping Ben against Empire Industries.

 Had a quick chicken salad and Persian Cucumber Salad dinner while listening to more music. Did the soundtrack to Grease first. Though my favorite of the better-known hits are the classic ensemble numbers "Summer Nights" and "We Go Together," the most fascinating aspect of the CD I have is the lesser-known or background music. A lot of the background songs are from the original show - an instrumental "Alone at a Drive In Movie," "Freddy My Love," and "It's Raining on Prom Night." (The last-named is part of why this used to be my official "getting ready for dances" CD in high school and college.)

I also did one of the K-Tel pop collections. I love these. They're some of my favorite record finds. There's so many great lesser-known songs of the 70's and early 80's on them. They're like LP versions of the Have a Nice Day Rhino CD series from the 90's (and feature many of the same songs).

And a quiet acknowledgement here of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I was beginning my first day of my last semester in college the day the planes struck in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. I wrote more about my memories of that day on last year's 9/11 entry, Memories On a Busy Day.

Memories On a Busy Day

Began today with my short morning work session. It was once again on-and-off steady, though a little busier than yesterday. The lunch rush hour got pretty bad, though it was starting to subside by the time I was finished. My relief was right on time.

I had almost no grocery shopping to do. I got so many leftovers this week, I really don't need much. Whole wheat flour and peanut butter were the big things. Treated myself to the soft chocolate chip cookies from the Acme's bakery, which are $1.99 this weekend.

My schedule for next week is far more typical of the time of year. The late day is Wednesday this time, which is fine. It'll give me a chance to write and volunteer for Studio LuLoo. Monday and Tuesday off again. I still wish I had a few more hours (though I have more than I did this week).

It was cloudy, cool, and a little humid when I left for work. By the time I got out at quarter after 1, the slight humidity and cool air remained, but the clouds were in and out. It was a great day to eat outside at Sonic. I had a cheeseburger, tater tots, and my favorite cherry limeade. (For some reason, they originally gave me fries. I had to go to the small kitchen and exchange them.) I'm surprised more people didn't opt for lunch outside. I only saw one other couple, and they left long before I finished eating.

As soon as I got home, I changed into regular clothes, put everything away, then headed back out. I wanted to get in a session at the Haddon Township Library, since I worked so early today.Took a relatively quiet Cuthbert Road there, cutting across the Westmont Plaza. Though they weren't that busy (the kids were only just getting out of school), they had a lot of CD's, audio books, and DVDs to shelve.

I actually had fewer problems with the kids' titles, for once. They'd just cleared a lot of the kids' titles into their book sale area, including all of the Pokemon discs but the movies. Most of the Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids titles were gone, too. I don't think anyone ever really took them out but me. Shame - they were rather sweet. (Now if they'd only thin out some of the other overloaded series, like Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and Scooby Doo...) At any rate, everything fit, including the "S" discs. I took out new discs for Strawberry Shortcake (fairy-tale themed this time) and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (ponies on quests).

Oh, and the librarians gave me a small bag of goodies for helping them faithfully all summer. I got a "lollipop" that was really a lollipop-shaped cardboard covered in sherbet-covered hair rubber bands, a pack of tissue paper, a Hello Kitty shamrock-themed rubber wristband, a tiny container of anti-bacterial gel, and a bag of Goldfish Pretzels. I'll give the wristband and gel to friends. Everything else I can use. I've been meaning to get new hair ties anyway (haven't seen them on sale anywhere), I love Goldfish Pretzels, and with my allergies, I can always use more tissues.

Headed home around 3:30...which is apparently when the Haddon Township High School lets out. I had a wait a while for all the cars and buses to got their way on Cuthbert before I could cross to Newton River Park. The torrential downpour we had last night and the night before did its job. The park looked a bit better than it had, though there was still some algae on the lake. I passed anglers and kids on the playground as I made my way to Oaklyn.

Spent the rest of the afternoon working on my story. As Betty and Mr. Eldridge work on healing his many wounds, Scott explains what happened. He and his men were attacked by Sir Johnathan Arnold, the traitor who heads the Shadow Realm's army. Arnold is determined to capture him and bring him to justice. Betty does her best to repair the deeper cuts with her still-growing magic.

When Mr. Eldridge goes to get more water, Betty asks Scott just what he's doing in the forest. He finally takes her to their pantry to show her the food, gold, and jewels they've stolen. They're giving gold and food to the poor in Wennaria and are selling the jewels to buy more things the people need. Betty praises the idea....but points out it's still stealing. Scott explains that he's been a thief all his life. He doesn't know another way. He does finally convince her to join him to see how they're getting that money...

Watched another Robin Hood story, The Court Jester, while eating leftovers for dinner. Danny Kaye is the title character, a former performer who now works for the Robin Hood figure the Black Fox to restore the infant heir to the throne of England. He's in love with the very pretty Maid Jean (Glyns Johns), but she wants to get the baby back safely before they do any lovey stuff. She convinces him to take the place of the new court jester. Meanwhile, the King's right-hand man (Basil Rathbone) is plotting to get rid of his competition in the court...and intends for the jester to do the killing. And the king's lovely daughter (Angela Landsbury) is desperately looking for romance and is hoping her sorceress nursemaid (Mildred Natwick) will fix her up with that good-looking new court jester....

Along with Hans Christian Anderson, this is probably Danny Kaye's best and best-known vehicle, if only for the famous tongue-twisting orders at the end. Yes, you'll probably be going on about the chalice in the palace for days after watching this, too. Highly recommended for fans of Kaye or comic swashbucklers.

And...yes, I do remember September 11th, 2001. It was my first day of my final semester at what was then Richard Stockton College. The morning went normally at first. I got up, watched Rollie Pollie Ollie and Get Smart, ate, got dressed, and went to my first class of the day, History 1917-Present. I had work at Stockton's Media Center as a secretary after class. I borrowed a few books to read (one was about silent movie stars) and went downstairs to the library basement, where the Media Center is housed.

One of the secretaries met me at the door. "They bombed the World Trade Center," she said to me, wide-eyed with horror. "What?!" I replied. I really hadn't heard. I hurried in the main room, where a group of technicians ran Stockton's announcement channel. Their eyes were all glued on their TV screens. A small room off the main area was open for anyone who wanted to watch what was happening on TV.

I was worried. I had friends in New York. Between e-mailing them, I worked on a fanfic for my Remember WENN series On the Edge of the Precipice. I finished it later that night. Maple LaMarsh Comstock has just learned her husband Victor is missing in action and has taken a second job and is partying hard to forget him. Hilary Booth reminds her that Victor's "died" before...and that life does go on, even after extreme trauma. Even if she misses him horribly. It wasn't the story I intended to write that day, but...I guess I needed it.

On the Edge of the Precipice: Everything's Fine

(And incidentally, all of my friends in New York and Washington were luckily fine. One woman was upset her husband's flight was delayed and it would be days before he could get home. Otherwise, no one was anywhere near the World Trade Center or the Pentagon and no one was hurt.)

I don't remember much else about that day. School closed early, at 2 PM, before I could go to my next class. I went home instead. My roommates were doing homework. No one said anything. There wasn't much that needed to be said. I baked a lot of chocolate cookies and went for a walk. Later that night, I chatted with my friends, making sure everyone was ok.

It wasn't until I got home from the computer labs that it really hit me. One of my roommates left the TV on. Peter Jennings was reporting from Ground Zero. I saw all the firefighters and rubble behind him....and for the first time that day, I broke down crying. I was really scared. Even though everyone I knew was ok, other people weren't, and I didn't entirely understand what was happening.

To Catch a Bath

Started out a humid, hazy morning at work. Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - off-and-on steady. I spent a lot of time standing around, trying to think of things to do. My relief, one of the college-age girls, was on time, and there were no major problems besides boredom.

When I got home, I slid right into the bath. Ahhh, that felt nice. I looked over ideas for decorating cupcakes in my cake decorating magazines. The Acme will be having a (week late) football kick-off party on Saturday. I signed up to bring cupcakes. (Easier to carry than cake and takes less time than cookies.)

When I got out, I made Italian squash and tomatoes with Jersey corn on the cob and a leftover spiced chicken cutlet for dinner while watching To Catch a Thief. John Robie (Cary Grant) is a retired jewel thief who now lives on the French Riviera. He's lived quietly for 15 years...until someone starts stealing jewels from wealthy matrons, using his old methods. Everyone thinks he did it, including the cops, but he knows he's innocent. He seeks out help from an old friend and an insurance agent to find out the thief's next target. Turns out to be the plain-spoken widow of a rich Texas tycoon and her frosty daughter (Grace Kelly). Her daughter is intrigued by Robie, but when her mother's jewels have been stolen, she turns him in. Released from prison, John, the insurance agent, and the widow and her daughter hatch a scheme at a huge costume ball to catch this thief at their own game.

Elegant, lighter Hitchcock film with breathtaking cinematography (it won an Oscar) that magnificently shows off the French Riviera locations. The sparkling chemistry between Grant and Kelly and the lovely backdrops are reason enough to see this one.

And yes, I know today is 9/11. I was in college when it happened. I came out of class and down to Stockton College's media center, where I worked at the time. One of the secretaries stopped me on my way in and told me that the Towers were attacked. I don't even remember much about the week after that day. It was really scary.

Organizing the Fall

I slept in again this morning, then read Peril at End House and wrote in my journal until nearly noon. Maybe it was just as well. When I did poke my head out, it was hot and humid as heck! It's not supposed to last this time, thank goodness. The weather reports pretty much say it'll be nasty hot today and tomorrow, then it'll rain and cool off considerably.

Spent what time I had washing the windows, then doing a few things on my laptop. I completely redid my reading list. There's only two more books left in the apartment I've never read at all. The list now consists mostly of books I have read, but not in two or more years. I'm going to start with lighter children's books, like Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Charlotte's Web, and the Winnie the Pooh stories, this month. I'll then move onto swashbucklers - The Pyrates, The Prisoner of Zenda, the 50s pirate novel The Sword and the Shadow, The Scarlet Pimpernel books, Wings of the Falcon, and the first three books in the Amelia Peabody series.

After I finished that list, I reorganized the list of things I either wanted to get done this fall (like dental appointments and repainting those black shelves), or just want to keep in mind (don't buy as many DVDs new, try to eat better, try not to get so crazy about job hunting). The printer had been acting weird ever since I got the new laptop. I thought I synced it, but it appeared I hadn't. I got that fixed and printed out all my lists.

Work was relatively quiet when I came in. It got much busier later, to the point where it was just starting to slow down when I left at 8. This time, most people were in a decent mood. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.

And I do remember what today is. I was in college when 9/11 happened. I went to an early class, then upstairs to the library to take some books out. When I came out, one of the media center secretaries announced with a pale face that the World Trade Centers were being bombed. I got there in time to see the second tower fall. It was a crazy day. I don't even remember much about that week. It was scary.

And On A More Somber Note

A quiet elegy for those who passed in the bombings of the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the passengers in the planes that hit them (or almost hit).