Big Game Matches

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Jazz at the Olympics. The Ralph Sutton Quartet recorded this album for the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California. Most of the songs are winter-related standards like "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," and "Winter Weather," but we do get two originals from Sutton that end each side of the album, "Hot Buttered Rum" and "Squaw Valley Blues."

Called Uber soon as I finished breakfast. Thankfully, no trouble there, though it did take me a while to get rides both times. It took me almost 15 minutes at quarter of 11 and 11 minutes at 3 PM to get Uber drivers. Thankfully, I called early enough that I got to work just in time. No traffic or trouble either way.

Work was a mess today, though not to the degree that it was on Super Bowl day last year. For one thing, the Eagles barely made the playoffs this year. The Seahawks and the Patriots were playing. For another, it was literally freezing. I don't think it hit the 20's, and that blustery wind just made it feel even colder. I would go outside and push carts for 20 minutes, then go inside and use the bathroom or wander around when it got too cold to be out there. Thankfully, the Sunday morning bagger was there to help out and take the inside chores. Another guy took over for him when he left, and they recruited still another college student to help me with the carts when they started to vanish.

With two younger guys pushing carts, I spent the last half-hour of my shift inside, putting away the few loose items around. I found a broken jar of onion dip on a shelf near the pharmacy and tried to clean it up, but I didn't realize how badly the jar was broken, and the dip went everywhere. It took me forever to figure out how to clean up that mess!

When I got home, I changed, finished Jazz at the Olympics, and spent the rest of the night watching the Match Game marathon. There were so many football-related questions on the show, this one started at 2 PM! Football was at its height of popularity on the networks when Match Game ran. If questions didn't joke about forward passes, husbands who were so obsessed with watching games that they'd call terminology even while doing other things, and just what players do when they're in a huddle, they were making fun of then-popular sportscaster Howard Cossell. Cossell, his toupee, and his big mouth were famous in the 70's and 80's when he was one of the announcers for Monday Night Football. As several panelists pointed out over the years, if you were stuck for an answer, you could write down chest areas, relieving oneself, or Howard Cossell. 

Two real-life football players turned up as panelists. Big, sweet Rosey Greer was on first, in April 1974. Alex Karras appeared over a year later in September 1975. Despite Karras not being much of a player and seeming bored for most of the week, he turned up on two memorable episodes anyway, when all the panelists changed seats, and when the winning contestant was woman wrestler Lola Kiss, "the kiss of death." 

Celebrate the Super Bowl with these touchdown-worthy questions on this extra-long marathon featuring two gridiron greats of the 1970's! 

Match Game Sunday Classics - Super Bowl Sunday Football Edition

Oh, and I didn't watch the game this year, due to it being on Peacock (and my not having that streaming service or NBC), but I did check the score. It was even more lopsided and less interesting than last year's game. The Patriots apparently got steamrolled by the on-fire Seahawks 29-13. 

Match Bowl Champions

Got a quick start today with breakfast and another Goofy sports short. Goofy shows "How to Play Football" in a hilarious take on gridiron rivalries that's one of his funniest shorts. It's Taxidermy Tech vs. Anthropology A&M in an absolutely insane fight to the finish. Taxidermy elects to keep its star player off the field until the last minute...but when he's run over by the competition, his coach has to revive him pronto!

Called for Uber. My stomach is still really off, even if the rest of me feels fine. Not to mention, I wasn't sure what the roads would be like by 4:30 or so on Super Bowl day. I'm actually glad I did. The lady going there arrived within 7 minutes, wore an Eagles jacket, was in a great mood, and said she'd given her family's vintage one to a nephew who appreciated it. The guy going home came in 11 minutes and at least dodged the traffic on the White Horse Pike. 

She wasn't the only one in a good mood. Everyone at work was really happy today, from my co-workers to the customers to the Girl Scouts who sold cookies by the front door. I saw every variation on Eagles gear existing, including on the Girl Scouts! It was awesome. This was the most cheerful our customers have been since Christmas. People really wanted this win. And there were a lot of them. We were really busy today. I needed help doing the front trash, which was overflowing because I hadn't had the time to get to it. At least the Sunday bagger and afternoon bagger were there to help out. The weather could have been worse, too. It was windy and cold, but the clouds that were out this morning had broken up by the time I finished.

I even ran into Rose and Finley around noon, the latter toting a stuffed black kitty. Rose invited me over to her house for the Super Bowl. I would have loved to, but I didn't think my stomach would be up to it. I declined and later texted her that I'd be bringing her kids Valentine's treats later in the week.

Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 4 PM that I had no trouble doing my own grocery shopping. In fact, I mainly went to work for Mylanta. Grabbed lots of ginger ale, ginger lemon soda, and lemon-lime soda, both prebiotic and regular zero Sprite. Restocked granola bars, yogurt, and bagels for this week. Bought white chocolate chips to make strawberry white chocolate chip cookies, which I intend to give out for Valentine's Day.

When I got home, I went straight into the shower, then got a little dinner and went upstairs. Puttered online while watching It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is less concerned about the outcome of the big game and more about escorting the Little Red Haired Girl, the school's homecoming queen, after the game. Too bad he's the kicker and Lucy's holding the ball...

Switched to the game on Tubi after the cartoon ended. First of all, more Super Bowls ought to be in New Orleans. The National Anthems were played by Dixieland and jazz musicians, and they were terrific. Second, this was an amazing game. The Eagles took the reigns from the very first and ran with them. They sacked Patrick Mahommes six times, including a strip-sack, got five turnovers, and got points on two interceptions. In fact, I was disappointed that the Chiefs didn't really wake up until the third quarter. They're a genuinely good team. They did finally manage to get points on the board, but it wasn't enough to out-run the Eagles. The Eagles won the Super Bowl 40-22. 

(And I heard they literally flooded the streets elbow-to-elbow and climbed garbage trucks in Philly! All we got here in the South Jersey suburbs were fireworks and a lot of cheering.)

Went back and forth between the game and the Match Game marathon on YouTube after that started, then finished the night with the marathon. Gene Rayburn loved his fancy suits, and some of them could get pretty lavish. His two most (in)famous were likely the god-awful green and red plaid and the gray checked with the pink bow tie that Brett and Pat Harrigan joked made him look like half of a vaudeville team. There was also the tuxedo with the very flashy gold and black vest made from a piece of fabric he apparently got in China. He was especially proud of a pair of wingtip shoes he wore on several occasions.

Gene occasionally went casual, too, notably the episode when he sported a turtleneck and jacket. Betty White rolled up his pants legs, revealing plaid socks. He ended up giving them to a woman in the audience. Richard helped him with his shoes. He wore red suede shoes on a later PM episode. Brett sported a black velvet gown that Charles joked made her look like an opera diva. The Audience Match got really wild when Richard Paul, Brett, and Charles sang "The Eyes of Texas" as an answer to the "The Eyes of __" and the contestant ended up in Jamie Lee Curtis' lap. 

Some of the fashion on the syndicated shows could get pretty interesting as well. Ted Lange once came on an episode and demanded Fred Grandy give him his suit back, leading Fred to strip on the air. Gene stripped once, too, when the panelists complained about his bland gray suit. McLean Stevenson borrowed a suit jacket from Gene, and then a blue one when he didn't like the plaid. He didn't do much better with Ted dressing him in a white suit and cowboy hat that made him look like he'd gotten lost on the way to the set of Dallas. As Brett said several times during the suit coat incident, he had no flair for fashion. 

Check out some of the most fashionable suits and memorable fashion disasters of the 70's and early 80's in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Best Dressed and Fancy Suits on Match Game

Super Match Bowl

Slept in more than I should have this morning and got a really quick start. At least the Uber drivers were just as fast. The one coming here arrived in less than 2 minutes. The one going home didn't even take 4 minutes. The lady who drove me home stopped and very briefly bought Girl Scout Cookies from the young ladies out today before we got going. She said it was for her husband. I thought it was adorable.

The floral department was frantic today. The managers are behind on pulling out flowers and making arrangements. I spent the morning pulling bouquets out of boxes and putting them in buckets of water. Got to help make "chop and drop" arrangements - ones where you just cut off the ends of a bouquet and place it in a vase with no additional fussing - after lunch. We also pulled plants that weren't doing well from the floral display in the seasonal aisle, and I watered the plants that were in good shape. And I'd never crushed so many boxes in my life, or piled so many into the store's bailer. We got a lot done, including a whole cart full of bouquet boxes.

Went straight home and into the shower. After I got out, I watched two vintage Disney football shorts that can currently be found on YouTube. "How to Play Football" pits teams of Goofys from Taxidermy Tech and Anthropology A&M against each other in a free-for-all spoof. When Taxidermy's star player gets knocked out of the game, the coach has to figure out  how to get him back on track.

A grandfather and his grandson imagine what it would be like if teams from "Football Now and Then" competed against each other. Bygone U. plays Present State in a game that's almost as hard-fought as Goofy's short. While Grandpa eventually forgets the point, the cartoon insists that there's a lot to be said for both modern methods and a little bit of old-fashioned know-how, off and on the field.

Match Game Productions also celebrated football of the past with his Super Bowl Sunday Classics marathon. In addition to the weeks featuring former players Rosey Greer and Alex Karras, we saw episodes with jokes about or references to long-time sportscaster Howard Cosell. I didn't really see much of Cosell as a kid in the 80's, but during the run of the original show and syndicated series, he and his nasal voice and toupee were fixtures on Monday Night Football. He was apparently as known for his ego and ugly toupee as his play-by-play, which came in for frequent ribbing. Patti Deustch in particular could do a great imitation of him. 

Future Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick appeared on Match Game PM in 1977, years before he led the Baltimore Ravens to victory. I'm afraid his ability to make plays didn't translate into the ability to match answers. He proved to be too sweet for this spicy show and didn't make a single match. 

Make it to the end zone with beloved football players, coaches, and the most famous sports announcer of all time in this riotous marathon!

Super Bowl Sunday Night Classics - Featuring Football Players, Coaches, and Howard Cosell

I alternated between the marathon and the Super Bowl itself while it was on. The game didn't start well. The 49ers coasted to an early lead 10-3 before Usher's big show in halftime. Things really picked up in the second half, when the Chiefs finally figured out what they were doing. They'd get a touchdown, then the Niners would run back and get another one. It finally went into overtime, and even that was crazy, with the Niners getting a field goal before the Chiefs got a touchdown in the literal last seconds. They eventually won one of the most thrilling Super Bowls I've seen in a while 25 to 22. 

Super Shower Bowl

Got a late start this morning. I did manage to grab breakfast and do some reading before heading out. At least this morning, it was a decent day, chilly, cloudy, and windy, but not really out of line with the time of year.

Needless to say, we were mobbed when I got in, with lines down the aisles. And that was with most of the registers and all of the self-checkout lines open. Everyone probably got off work early for the Super Bowl and to get ready for Valentine's Day parties. Thankfully, once everyone got to their parties, it cleared out. By 3 PM, we were off-and-on steady, but nothing like it was before. They even had hot roast beef and provolone sandwiches in the back for us. It was so dead by 5:30, I was able to shut down and return a few cold items with no one the wiser. 

The Super Bowl wasn't the only reason the crowds thinned by dinner time. It started raining sometime later in the afternoon. Though the rain did lessen as I hurried home, it never quite stopped. I rushed inside damp, traded my lunch bag for the bag with the cookies and Valentine's cards and gifts for Rose's family, and rushed out. 

There were a lot more people at Rose's little party than I figured on. In addition to her husband Craig, his parents, and their kids Finley and Khai, Craig's brother, his girlfriend, and their four-month-old son were down from Maine. The baby boy was so little and cute! He's very alert for his age and spent most of the night looking around at everyone curiously. 

Rose had a huge spread out. I saw a vegetable tray and a fruit tray. Finley and I shared shrimp, and Mr. and Mrs. Wurster brought a huge tray of hot dogs wrapped in pretzels. Rose made popcorn with white and green candy coating, and there were bowls of potato chips and tortilla chips. Craig, who works at a fancy Italian restaurant in Haddon Heights, cooked up barbecue ribs and lasagna noodles with cheese for dinner. 

We had dessert during halftime. As R&B star Rhianna performed her greatest hits in flaming red on a floating platform, Rose brought Craig a chocolate fudge cherry cake from Desserts by Design. His birthday was last month, but apparently they hadn't gotten to the cake until now. His late birthday present was a box of chocolate-covered cherries the size of your average bedroom. That cake was very tasty - and very thick and fudgy! My strawberry-white chocolate chip cookies joined brownies and Rice Krispie Treats made in the shape of footballs. 

I spent most of the time on the couch, with Oreo the black and white mixed retriever cuddled up next to me. Apparently, he likes cuddling. He certainly kept me company. The game ended up being really, really good. The Eagles would get a touchdown, and the Chiefs would run right back and get another one. The Eagles were up 21-14 at halftime after I finally left.

I took a quick shower when I got in, then hurried upstairs to watch the Match Game Classics marathon (married couples were the theme tonight) and finish the game. It remained a nail-biter, with the two tied 38-35 by the last 5 minutes. Alas, the Chiefs kicked one last field goal to push them ahead and win 38-35.

Super Valentine Bowl

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and The New Moon. This is the original British cast, singing most of the songs as heard in the 1928 West End production. This operetta about a French aristocrat who becomes a servant to a wealthy ship owner's daughter in New Orleans was Sigmund Romberg's last major stage hit for almost 20 years. The songs certainly helped, including the yearning duet "Wanting You," the intense "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," the lovely "One Kiss" for the ship owner's daughter, and the sprightly chorus routine "Try Her Out at Dances." 

It was snowing when I rolled out of bed this morning...but as I figured, the snow never stuck to anything but the grass. The roads and sidewalks were wet, but not icy. It wasn't even that cold. I normally would have called for Uber, but I finished at 5:30. I'd never get a ride a half-hour before the Super Bowl. I took the bike and got a little damp going there.

As you can well imagine, between the weather, the game, Valentine's Day tomorrow, and this being a big birthday month, it was mobbed for most of the afternoon. At least we had a little more help this time, especially later in the afternoon. By 4:30, the lines were long gone. As I told a customer, everyone had rushed home to their Super Bowl and Valentine's parties. I was able to leave with absolutely no problems. 

Went straight into dinner when I got home. Made my favorite black bean dip to go with the last of my Triscuits while watching episodes of Match Game '74. Football player Rosie Grier joined in for the first episode, where everyone had some really interesting answers to a question as to why Prince Valliant wears his hair in a pageboy. 

Gene had an embarrassing moment in the second when his microphone cable got wrapped around soap star Trish Stewart's leg and yanked her clean off her seat! She laughed it off, but Brett gave Gene a good smack while Kaye Stevens chewed him out for not being careful, Richard Dawson asked him to pull up a girl for him, and Charles pointed out the fishing is better on the Santa Monica Pier. 

Tried to get that application for the apartment in Stratford off while watching the Super Bowl on NBC.com. This year's game was a heck of a lot more interesting than last year's. The Rams and Bengals played a rough and intense show. They were so rough, they knocked out three players (including one of the Rams' offensive stars Odell Beckham Jr.). The Rams were down during the second half, but they came back in the fourth quarter to just barely win 23-20.

I didn't have nearly as much luck with the application. I looked for information for two hours on e-mail addresses and phone numbers...then couldn't attach my necessary paperwork. It just would not attach to their website, no matter how hard I tried. I'll try again tomorrow. Research reveals other open apartments in the Stratford area that might be worth looking into as well.

Finished the night after the game and the Password Plus YouTube premiers with a triple-dose of Tattletales for Valentine's Day. It was Game Show Host week in 1976 as Bob Barker, Jack Narz, and Richard Dawson all got to take a turn hosting for Bert Convy while he played with his wife Ann. Barker did the first episode I watched, Nartz the second. Betty White and Allen Ludden appeared on an earlier episode in 1974 with Gavin McLeod and his wife Patty and Marjorie and Pat Harrington. Considering they're usually good at this, Allen and Betty only managed to get one question right in the end.

Celebrate the most romantic of all holidays with these lovey-dovey celebrity couples!

Tattletales (1974)

Tattletales (1976)

Tattletales (1976)

And here's even more Valentine's Day blasts from the past!

Disney's DTV Valentine

The Popeye Valentine's Day Special: Sweethearts at Sea

The Smurfs: My Smurfy Valentine

Muppet Babies (1984): My Muppet Valentine

The Bernstein Bears' Comic Valentine

I'm With Cupid, Stupid: Woody Woodpecker Valentine's Day Special

From Disney With Love

Buttons and Rusty In the Honey Bunch

For Better or for Worse: A Valentine From the Heart

A Special Valentine With the Family Circus

Cathy's Valentine

Super Snow Bowl

Not for the first time recently, I awoke to a white world. Snow drifted down slowly, like a gossamer lace curtain over Hillcrest Avenue. It didn't look nearly as bad as last week's storm, but I wasn't taking chances. I called the Acme and said I wasn't coming in today. I worked 12 to 7. The roads may have been all right now, but I had no idea what they'd be like after nightfall. There was also the Super Bowl to consider. Between that and the weather, it would likely take forever to get an Uber driver - if I could even find one - and I wasn't asking for a ride again after last Sunday.

Puttered around online for a while, then read No Ordinary Sound, the first book for the American Girl character Melody, who lives in Detroit in 1963. Since a lot of her story revolves around the Civil Rights Movement, I figured she was more than appropriate for this month. Wrote in my journal after I did a few chapters.

Broke for breakfast. Listened to the original Broadway cast of Hairspray while I had Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes and clementines. Marissa Janet Winkour is Tracy, with Harvey Firnstein enjoying his Tony-winning role as her mother Edna Turnblad. There's a few songs relating a subplot about Tracy landing in jail that were cut from the film. After a protest at the TV studio, all of the women end up behind bars, and Amber and her mother make sure Tracy stays there until Link and the kids break her out. "Without Love" reflected this and had to be re-written for the film.

Returned to the computer to get a few things done as the snow came down even harder. My non-driver's ID ends in late March. New Jersey now allows you to renew it online. After I did that, I finally figured out how to transfer the photos from my old phone to my laptop. That allowed me to reset the old phone and clear out my data, so I can deposit it in the cell phone ATM machine at the Acme. 

Had a banana-raspberry smoothie for lunch. Listened to my Tina Turner greatest hits CD Simply the Best while I sipped my drink and the snow fell heavily behind me. I grew up on Tina Turner. Mom loved her and Ike when she was a kid. She bought Tiny Dancer as soon as it came out. Turner was one of the first women besides my mother I remember admiring.

Returned to writing for a while. Gary Burghoff is raging angry with Richard Dawson for his betrayal, to the point where he breaks loose and throws a punch at him. The others have to drag him away, but he does leave Richard with a bloody nose...and the realization of how badly he's lost the others' trust. Laurie spies her husband Anson in the crowd and tries running to him, but the others cut them off. Goodson wants to send the entire crowd overboard...but Gene won't play that game again...

Got off the computer just in time to catch the start of the Super Bowl. Didn't see Jodie at home, so I had my own party. Forgot to take out the chicken I planned on using to top my nachos, so I made vegetarian nachos with blue corn chips, black beans, shredded cheese, tomatoes, scallions, and broccoli. Oh, yum! It came out absolutely perfect, just salty and crisp enough. 

Wish the game was as much fun as the food. The Chiefs just could not get anything going against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. They got three field goals, one in the first quarter, and that was it. I didn't even recognize the group that played at halftime, some weird, generic pop singer called The Weeknd. The commercials were a little better. Along with the ads for Paramount's new streaming service debuting next month I've been seeing on Paramount-owned Pluto TV, there was an adorable DoorDash Sesame Street commercial and a delightfully goofy Wayne's World reunion.

Finished the night online with sports-related game shows. The granddaddy of them all is Sports Challenge. This syndicated show from the 70's had popular athletes of the time answering trivia questions based around clips from sporting events. I just had to go with the 1972 episode that pit the 1971 Chiefs against the Dolphins. Dick Enberg hosts.

Boardwalk and Baseball's Super Bowl of Sports Trivia is a long-winded name for an ESPN college trivia show filmed at the Coney Island-themed amusement park in Orlando. Same deal here, only it's Chris Berman asking kids from certain colleges the sports questions, without the clips. Alas, neither the show nor the park lasted very long. The show ran until 1989; the park closed in 1990 (though its minor league baseball field existed until 2002). 

Sports Geniuses is another ESPN cousin to Sports Challenge, only with more typical contestants. The earlier syndicated show Grandstand is similar, only with clips and with two family pairs playing each other, rather like Blockbusters. Another ESPN offering, Sports On Tap, switches things up with a more informal sports bar setting and by allowing the guys to bet on who can answer trivia questions. 

Enjoy these sports shows while you recover from the big game! (Look for the original commercials on many of these...as well as for a rather bad tape on Grandstand.)

Sports Challenge (1972)

Boardwalk and Baseball's Super Bowl of Trivia (1988)

Grandstand (1988)

Sports On Tap (1995)

Sport Geniuses (2000)

(Oh, and by the way, the snow finally ended around 3-3:30. We got...probably the advertised 2 to 4 inches. I don't think we got as much as last time, nor did it stick to the ground like it did last week. The roads were slushy enough to make me glad I'd called out, though.)

Wild Night In Miami

Began a gray morning with whole-wheat buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and the Broadway original cast of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoy some of the additional songs by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. "No Matter What" for Belle and Maurice, "Home" for Belle after she's been forced to stay at the Beast's castle, and "If I Can't Love Her" for the Beast are especially nice.

Work wasn't too bad when I got in, but it turned into an absolutely madhouse around noon. I kept ending up in a register for the first half of my shift. As it turns out, it may have been just as well. When I did finally make it outside, the street was wet, and it was humid. It would shower lightly on and off until shortly before I left. I went outside at the right time. At one point around 3:30, an ambulance and a paramedics van pulled up at the main entrance of the store. I have no idea what happened or whom they took away, and given how crazy it was inside, I'm not sure I want to know. It slowed down enough by then for me to round up the overflowing trash outside and sweep inside.

Rushed off as soon as I finished. Dad and Jodie held a small pre-Super Bowl family party at their house. They were just about finishing off the cheese fondue when I arrived. There was enough for me to enjoy chunks of beef, chicken, and bread, baby carrots, slices of peppers, small sliced potatoes, and broccoli and cauliflower florets. Jodie even let me take most of the leftovers home - I'll turn them into soup and stir-fry this week.

Joined Khai, Craig, and Finley in the den after I ate. Rose pulled out a huge plastic bin of tons of Beanie Babies that have belonged to Jessa since the 1990's. There's so many, Khai even buried his sister in them at one point. The kids seemed to be happier hiding under the plastic box. Finley just liked throwing them around. I watched a stirring "salute to America" on the Super Bowl pre-show and the NFL's listing of the 100 greatest players ever in honor of this being their 100th season.

Shortly before the game began, Jodie cleared the cheese fondue and brought out some of the most delicious melted milk chocolate I'd ever tasted. Evidently, a friend of hers who owns a winery has a daughter who runs a chocolate shop and gave it to her. Oh, yum! So perfectly sweet and rich. It tasted even better swirled around strawberries, pretzel sticks, sliced bananas and apples, and chunks of pineapple.

The chocolate finally brought Dana, Jessa, and Jessa's puppy Midnight in. Finley loves Midnight and chased the little black fluffball all over the kitchen. Finley grabbed Jessa's old stuffed snake and used it to play tug with Midnight, to both their amusement.

Unlike last year, the game was as good as the company. One team would score, then another would run back and score again. It was 10-10 at halftime, when I followed almost everyone else out the door. Thankfully, Fox does stream live online, and I was able to finish watching the game at home. And I'm glad I did! The 49ers pulled ahead after halftime 13-10, then got a touchdown shortly after, making it 20-10. That finally woke up the Chiefs. They really kicked it in the 4th quarter, including two close-call touchdowns. In the end, the Chiefs got one last touchdown that won them the game, 31-20.

And in the other major event of the day, Phil the Groundhog didn't see his shadow, and considering how warm we've been this winter, I'll believe that early spring prediction.

Showdown In Atlanta

Started off the day with my first of two early work shifts in a row. To my surprise, it was once again on-and-off steady. Everyone must have been waiting to shop until right before the big game. Not to mention, it was simply too nice for shopping. It was sunny, bright, breezy, and far warmer than it has been, probably in the mid-40's. I did the outside trash and recycling and occasionally gathered baskets or bagged, but I mostly alternated between shelving loose items and helping the guys outside with the carts.

Went straight home, changed, and had a nice, simple lunch of yogurt, peanut butter, honey, a banana, and Breakfast Squares while listening to my Queen's Greatest Hits Vol 1 CD. Keefe got into 70's hard rock in the late 90's-early 2000's, thanks to his love of the soundtrack from A Knight's Tale and a teacher in elementary school who was as big of a fan of Led Zepplin as him. He called the Greatest Hits CD his "pump-up music." He used to listen to it right before a football or basketball game. I've taken to thinking of them that way, too. Songs like "Another One Bites the Dust" and "We are the Champions" sure get your heart moving, anyway.

Headed out to the laundromat as the CD was ending. To my surprise, they weren't bad, either. They were just starting to clear out as I arrived. Just as well. I had a huge load that included towels. I half-worked on notes and half-listened to the Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was on. (Bruins won, 1-0.) By the time they'd switched to golf, my laundry was in the dryer.

As soon as I got home, I finished Queen, put everything away, and got some writing done. Luke arrive just as Han and Leia finish arguing, with a strange little monk on his back. Han can't figure out why Luke brought this ancient short guy. The monk's name is Friar Yoda, and he demonstrates his skills by leaping onto Han's back and riding him across the bridge, to Han's general annoyance.

Broke to take a fast shower at 6. The Super Bowl was at 6:30. The game was just starting as I got out and got dinner together. I was going to make my favorite Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip...but I was out of black beans. It became Southwestern Shredded Chicken Dip, replacing the beans with canned chicken and the fresh oregano with spinach and dried oregano. Had it with blue corn chips. Not bad. The mellow flavor of the chicken actually paired pretty well with the tangy dip. Made the pumpkin bread from the Acme mix for dessert, which wasn't bad, either.

Wish the game had been as good as the food I made. It was the dullest, most spectacularly boring Super Bowl I have ever seen in my entire life! It's probably just as well that Dad got sick and he and Jodie couldn't have a party. This was nothing to celebrate. The Rams and Patriots just would not let each other score. There were constant penalties. One team would get close, only to lose the ball to the other team. The Patriots did manage to score a field goal in the first half, making it 3-0. They got a touchdown by the end of the second half and finally won, 14-3.

I streamed the game on the CBS All Access channel...which means there weren't even that many good commercials. If it wasn't uplifting, it was advertising a show for CBS or Amazon Prime. The best thing I saw all night, besides Maroon 5's decent half-time concert, was a hilarious commercial for the NFL's 100th anniversary that had 50 active or retired star players chasing a ball all over a fancy party and wrecking total havoc. It was vastly more entertaining than the actual game, which was a huge-let down, especially after the genuinely exciting Eagles-Patriots game last year.

We are the Champions

Began a cloudy, damp morning with banana pancakes and my Queen's Greatest Hits CD. My brother Keefe was a huge fan of Queen in the late 90's-early 2000's. He used to call his copy of the Greatest Hits CD his "pump up music" for after school sports. Figured it was certainly appropriate for the day of the Super Bowl!

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing. King Han explains what little he remembers of what happened to him. He'd tried to fight off Vader's beetle armies, but they got their spider grunts to bind his wings and limbs with their silk. He was dragged before Vader and forced to his knees. Vader started chanting a strange incantation...and he knows nothing else before he awoke in Leia's arms.

They ultimately come to the conclusion that Han's not in good enough shape to fly. He and Leia take off on Chewbacca's back, with Luke following.

Broke at quarter at quarter after 1 to eat lunch, listen to my Earth, Wind, and Fire greatest hits LP, and get organized. As soon as I could, I grabbed my cake and rode over to Dad and Jodie's house. It had started to rain while I was writing. Though the rain wasn't heavy at that point, Dad still insisted that he would drive me to work, and the bike would stay in his garage. The rain was supposed to get worse later.

To my surprise, work wasn't insanely busy when I arrived. It was steady, but not nearly as overwhelming as I figured it would be. The carts were really bad, though. Not only was it much busier in the morning, before the rain started, but several people called out. The flu's been horrible this year. I spent the first two hours of my shift and the last half-hour doing carts and got soaked. Also did the indoor trash and bathrooms, gathered baskets, and bagged.

Dana, Jodie's son Jesse's fiancee, picked me up at 6:30. The game had just started when we got in. Dad and Jodie had a full house. Along with them, Dana, Mark and Vanessa, Rose and her family, and Jessa (Joe was too nervous to watch the game with other people and opted to stay home), there were several neighbors and their kids and at least one set of grandparents.

Jodie had a pretty good-sized spread out. The main courses were turkey and ham sandwiches. She'd picked up cole slaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad from the Acme. Rose brought cupcakes from Shop Rite (that she'd had to wait quite a bit of time for) to go with my marble cake. Appetizers included two types of hummus, pita chips, olive spread, artichoke and spinach dip, black bean dip, Buffalo chicken dip, crackers, shrimp cocktail, some strange spicy cheese balls, a spicy seafood dip, sliced French bread to spread dip on, and Rose's yummy Philly cheesesteak wedges (crescent rolls filled with sliced beef, sauteed peppers and onions, and cheese).

For once, the game was as good as the food. Despite the Eagles still being called underdogs, neither team dominated the game. One would get a touchdown, then the other would run back and get one. The Eagles started strong off the bat with a touchdown after both teams had field goals and were winning by half-time.

The little girls, especially Emily, were really excited about the Justin Timberlake halftime show. I like some of his music, but I'm not a huge fan. I thought it was actually kind of fun. At least the guy is a pretty darn good dancer. I also loved the genuinely touching tribute to Prince towards the end. (Prince was a native of Minnesota, where the Super Bowl was played this year.)

The Patriots tried the same come-from-behind stuff after halftime that won them the Super Bowl last year. I ended up in the living room, chatting with Jessa while the adults yelled over touchdowns and Rose and Craig calmed their tired children in the den. The Patriots were up by one point when I finally got tired of listening to Dad complain that they were going to lose and went home in a misty rain.

I rolled in just in time to hear the Eagles make another touchdown. Though the Patriots' coach Bill Belcheck challenged it, it was ultimately ruled good. That and Tom Brady's only fumble of the night helped keep the Patriots out of the end zone...and ultimately won the game for the Eagles, 41-33.

Wow. This is...wow. I can't believe this. The Eagles won their first Super Bowl. The Eagles won their first major football championship period since 1960. My mind is blown. Or maybe I'm just tired. I'm so excited. I'm just...this is so thrilling. It's the culmination of a truly wonderful season. I celebrated at home chatting with Lauren and listening to the soundtrack album for Purple Rain.

In other news, one of the early commercials was for Solo: A Star Wars Story. I absolutely can't wait for this! First of all, as I mentioned with Last Jedi, I'm not a purist. I'm open to different ideas and actors and different ways of telling the same story. Second, I couldn't give a fig about backstage drama. If the movie is good, that's what matters.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Super Bowl Trailer

Battle In the Lone Star State

Began the morning with work. Work was as crazy as you might expect on Super Bowl Sunday. It's the beginning of the month, too, and we're generally busy on Sunday regardless of what's going on. I spent the first half of my shift cleaning the bathroom and bagging, and the second half rounding up carts.

I was originally going to make whipped topping for my Sprite Cake, but finally decided I'd make buttercream with what I already had at home instead. Just ended up going straight home. It wasn't the nicest day for lingering, anyway, cloudy, windy, and cold.

When I got in, I went right on the computer. Worked on the story for a little while. After Leia finishes her story, the other girls tell theirs. Rey regails them with tales of the ghosts in the Tower of London. Jess relates a ghost story from her family's native Philippines. Kaydel tells them about another ghost, this one the spirit of a former Ziegfeld showgirl who now lives in the New Amsterdam Theater.

Leia's just getting the girls down to bed when they start hearing scary noises and seeing strange creatures outside. They're freaked out. Leia isn't convinced, but she agrees to take them outside to look anyway...

Put on one of my 70's Have a Nice Day! CDs while making Lemon-Lime Buttercream Icing for my Sprite Cake. I took a standard buttercream frosting recipe and replaced the vanilla with lemon extract and lime juice. I had just enough powdered sugar left to make icing to cover the cake. Headed out around quarter after 6 for Dad's.

While they did have some people over, it wasn't as huge as last year. Jodie had beef stew and chili for dinner (I had the latter), along with buffalo chicken dip, Mexican cheese dip, French bread, Tostitos lime chips, and shrimp cocktail. Along with Dad and Jodie, I saw Rose and her boys, Mark and Vanessa, and Joe and Jessa.

The game looked like it was going to be a blow-out at first. The Falcons dominated the first half. Tom Brady threw some really terrible passes, and the Patriots couldn't hold on to the ball or dodge the Falcons' running game. It was 21-9 at half-time. After enjoying the Lady Gaga half-time show (I like her "Poker Face"), I headed out.

Ended up listening to the rest of the game at home. I'm glad I didn't stick around. The Patriots took over the second half, finally tying it by the end for the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. Unfortunatly, the Falcons couldn't hang on, and the Patriots finally won, 34-28.

Journey to Super Bowls Past

For once, I got up with enough time to not only have a decent breakfast of Banana Pancakes and half a grapefruit, but to work on writing, too. Kathleen follows Darren in his demon form to the tangled Technicolor garden surrounding the villa. There, she encounters a strange old woman who may know what the evil Lady Sylvia is after and why Darren took off...and a way to get in the villa.

Work was, once again, busy as heck and not much fun. I don't know what got into people this weekend. Our customers remained rude, obnoxious, and demanding. One man fussed noisily over not getting his cereal on sale, despite the fact that the sign clearly stated that you needed to buy four boxes of cereal to get the sale. People were in a hurry. People didn't want to bag or really do much of anything. I was ready to tear out my hair - or tear them all to shreds - by the time my relief arrived.

At least we were still doing samples. I had a rather nice little lunch. In addition to the roast beef, Italian organic soda, mini chocolate chip cookies, and French bread and salsa from yesterday, this time, they added bits of crab cake and rolled up deli meat and cheese.

I couldn't wait to get out of there. When I got home, I changed into regular clothes and my Eagles jersey and rested for about a half-hour before heading to Dad's. Jessa said yesterday that Dad and Jodie invited Rose and her boys and Mark and Vanessa over for some food and a quiet little get-together to watch the game.

Nothing is ever quiet on either side of my family. Mark and Vanessa were there when I arrived, but so were Jesse, Dana, Erica, and several neighbors, including one couple with an adorable baby son. Rose, Craig, and Khai arrived just before the game started. Another set of neighbors came over during the beginning of the first quarter, these with Khai's buddies Mary and Emily. Jessa and Joe arrived later. Jesse and Dana announced their engagement (after dating seriously for five years). They won't be getting married for another year or two, until Dana is out of college.

I also got to admire all the remodeling Dad and Jodie have done. The living room looks great. The faded, dated stenciled paint job was replaced by deep brown wooden walls, a fireplace, more of Pop Pop's (Dad-Bruce's dad) artwork, and a really cool book-themed wallpaper on the doors to the walk-in supply closet. The kitchen was basically left alone except for to paint over the stenciling.

There was tons and tons of food. I lost count of everything I had. I saw black bean dip, shrimp scampi, a broiled version of Jodie's amazing ribs, buffalo chicken dip, tortilla chips, two meat and cheese trays (one with grapes), mini cupcakes from the Acme, a Dutch apple pie, Craig's tasty tomato mac & cheese, a delicious lasagna, Caesar salad, French bread with butter, and bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, among other things. I probably tried a little bit of just about everything. Which was likely a mistake. I'm full as heck now. Jodie even gave me a plate of leftovers to take home.

I mostly played in the den with the kids while the game ran in the background. They chased each other around. We drew pictures first on Dad's dry-erase board, then on actual paper with markers and crayons. (They drew someone called Freddy the Fox pirate from some video game. I drew Han and Leia arguing in the beginning of Empire Strikes Back. I always thought those two were hilarious.) We built houses and more Freddy the Foxes with Legos.

When the amazing half-time came on, we danced to Coldplay and Beyonce and Bruno Mars, along with Craig and Mary and Emily's mom. We talked about our favorite Star Wars characters and what music we liked. (Emily was shocked when I told her Harrison Ford had played Indiana Jones as well as Han Solo. Her mind was so blown, she had to tell every adult within earshot this new tidbit of information.)

I left just as the second half was starting. It was getting late, and I did have to take the bike home. Besides, most of the families and several other folks were going as well. Oh, and incidentally, while the Panthers tried, Cam Newton just couldn't get past the Broncos' defense. The Broncos finally won Super Bowl 50 24-10.

Football Follies

It was cloudy and a little blah when I got up this morning. I combated the grayness with Gingerbread Pancakes and Lost In Boston IV. I love the Lost In Boston and Unsung Musicals CD series. The first three Lost In Boston albums cover songs cut from famous or hit musicals. The one I listened to today, the fourth and final volume, gives us cut songs from off-Broadway shows ("Bad" and "A Little Dental Music" from Little Shop of Horrors), flops ("A Green and Private World" from the infamous Drat! The Cat), and shows that aren't well-known today ("Noah" from Jamaica, "Hots Michael at the Piano" from Working). My favorite numbers are "Thirty Weeks of Heaven," a hilarious tune on traveling the vaudeville circuit in the early 1900s from By the Beautiful Sea, the bouncy "Marking Time" from Pippin, and three devastating character songs from Ballroom, "Who Gave You Permission?", "Suddenly It's You," and "The Job Application."

Goes without saying that work was a madhouse today. First of all, the Super Bowl was tonight. Second, it's the beginning of the month. A lot of people just got money. Third, we're supposed to be getting bad weather again, although this time the forecasts made it very clear that it'll be rain and a little sleet and snow. This time, there was plenty of help to alleviate the long lines. The college boy who was my relief was right on time, and I was in and out with no problems.

When I got home, I changed, then put the Super Bowl on the radio while making salmon with escarole and mushrooms in lemon-wine sauce for dinner. The Patriots were playing the Seahawks tonight...and frankly, no amount of deflating could make me that excited. Both teams have made the Super Bowl at least once (and in the case of the Patriots, many times) in the last five years. Good thing it ended up being a far more exciting and less lopsided game than last year. No one scored during the first quarter. One team would get a touchdown, then the other would turn around and score points. I was really hoping that the Seahawks would repeat. I'm not terribly fond of the Patriots. Alas, they finally pulled through in the final minutes. The Patriots won the game 28-24.

It was just cloudy and cold but not freezing through most of the evening. It didn't actually start snowing until about 20 minutes or so ago. Once again, it's not coming down heavily, and it's not supposed to stick around. They're saying sleet and snow for tonight, then rain and snow tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

All Together Now

Started a cloudy morning with Brunch With the Beatles. "Messages and Meanings" was the theme today. I like it when they do broad themes. They could play any song, as long as it had some kind of a message. Among Beatles songs with messages and meanings were "Hey Jude," "Dear Prudence," "Help!," "In My Life," "Rain," and "All You Need Is Love." Solo efforts with messages and meanings included Paul's "Live and Let Die," John's "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine," George's "My Sweet Lord," and Ringo's "The No No Song."

Called Mom as I finished my pumpkin pancakes. She was enjoying some quiet time to herself before Anny and Skylar arrived later. Dad had gone fishing. She was making Apple Bread to use up some apples that were getting wrinkly. I told her about my busy week and the extra hours yesterday, along with the forthcoming tax return.

I went to work right after Brunch ended. What a mess that was! I can understand the beginning of the month and Super Bowl party crowds. I don't know why anyone was panicking over snow. It's been too warm the last few days for the snow to stick like it has the past month....and unlike the last couple of times it snowed, it's not supposed to get bitterly cold again this week. Even if we get 3 to 5 inches, I doubt it'll linger like the last few rounds did. The lines were very long all day. People were cranky, too. If they weren't fussing over snow, they were fussing over items that were in the wrong place or not being able to mix and match soda brands on sale. Thank heavens my relief was one of the college boys who is always on time. I was able to buy heavy cream as quickly as I could, given the long lines, and hurry home.

When I got in, I changed into my Eagles jersey, then quickly threw together icing for the Buttermilk Confetti Cupcakes I made yesterday. I combined heavy cream, vanilla pudding mix, and powdered sugar. It wasn't bad. Had a bit of a metallic aftertaste, but that was probably the pudding mix. I topped them with orange, black, blue, and green sprinkles to represent the Broncos and the Seahawks, then grabbed my jacket and rode to Dad's.

Dad's Super Bowl party was more-or-less the same deal as the Christmas Eve party, this time with football referee-themed bop bags for the kids replacing the tree in the middle of the den and a south-of-the-border theme for most of the food. When I arrived, I saw Mark and Vanessa, Dad and Jodie, my cousins Karen and Jim and their son CJ, and several neighbors. Jessa and her new boyfriend Joe arrived as I did. Jodie's sons T.J and a crowd of his friends arrived later. Rose, Craig, and Khai came as the game was about to begin.

The game was completely crazy. Everyone assumed that the Broncos, who kicked rear ends all season, would probably win, but Seattle (who has the NFL's top-rated defense) would put up a good fight. The Broncos were the ones who didn't fight. They just could not get past that defense. (Flags on both teams every other second and two challenges didn't help.) Seattle kicked it off by scoring a safety in the first seconds of the game - the fastest points scored in Super Bowl history. The turnovers and touchdowns piled up thick and fast from there on in. In the end, Seattle finally flattened the Broncos 43-8.

The Halftime Show was much better. I never heard of Bruno Mars before tonight, but I think I'm going to have to look up some of his music. He started the show by burning up the drums like I haven't seen in years. I was very impressed. The Red Hot Chili Peppers may have looked different on paper, but they melded with him surprisingly well. It was the best halftime show they've done in ages.

The food was pretty darn good, too. I had chili in a roll (I wasn't going for the sausage after the indigestion I got from sausage last summer), pasta salad with tomatoes, two kinds of deviled eggs (one with paprika on top, one with a slice of olive), a tasty green salad, and Mexican bruschetta - cream cheese spread on flat bread and sprinkled with cheese, peppers, and broccoli bits. There was also potato salad, macaroni salad, shredded pork, and a warm mushroom salad. I tried dates stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon, but they were too spicy, and there was no way I was going to touch Rose's hot pepper poppers. In addition to my cupcakes, dessert included one of those pizza-sized chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and a key lime pie that was really yummy.

I left around 9:30. Half the guests were chatting outside in the 40 degree weather (it got into the upper 40s here today); the other half were yelling at the game. I came to the conclusion that my dolls could play better than the Broncos were at that point, grabbed my coat and my pan, said my good-byes, and headed home.

Big Showdown In the Big Easy

Started off a sunny, snowy Super Bowl Sunday with Brunch With the Beatles. I picked it up around 10:30, when I finally awoke. The theme today was "Beatles Live Performances," including their stints on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was past 11:30 when I finally started working on Chocolate Pudding Pancakes topped with Apple-Pomegranate Flummery for breakfast. The pancakes didn't come out all that well - the batter was sticky, and they didn't cook as well as I would have liked.

I called Mom around 12:30. We mostly discussed this week's wild weather. Cape May County got a little more snow than we did, 4 inches compared to our 1-2. It was very light and fluffy snow, though, light enough for Mom to sweep it off of her wide driveway. The snow was already vanishing from my porch and steps, even as I talked to Mom. During the winter, my steps and most of my porch are in direct sunlight. Light snow vanishes quickly.

Spent the rest of the afternoon puttering around, listening to hard rock albums by the Doors, Bon Jovi, the Who, Queen, and Pink Floyd. I changed the American Girl dolls into slightly fancier winter clothes for Valentine's Day. Samantha is back in her pink and black Talent Show Dress. Jessa wears a red, white, and black Springfield Collection dress and black bolero jacket that doesn't really fit her all that well, but is the only good winter outfit she owns. I put Molly in the AG Revue Jitterbug dress, her red Hula Costume sweater, and those sparkly red tap shoes. Felicity is wearing her Laced Jacket and Brocade Petticoat again.

Work was busy for about the first hour-hour and a half after I arrived. Needless to say, once the Super Bowl started, the crowds ended. I spent two hours at the end of my shift shelving big carts stuffed full of returned items from the last two days. I did get to see a little of the game, including the 49ers' field goal that ended the first half, and the goofy Taco Bell commercial with the elderly people partying.

The Ravens were up 21-6 by the beginning of the second half. When I went in the back to retrieve my bike and coat after the store had closed, they were just barely winning, 31-29...much to my surprise, as it was 10PM, and I'd expected the game to be a lot closer to over than 9 minutes and 58 seconds.

I didn't find out why the game had run so late until I got home. It was flurrying when I got out; this time, there wasn't even enough to do much more than look pretty coming down. I switched on the radio to hear the last few minutes of the game. One of the radio announcers mentioned a black out. Seems the lights went off in the Super Dome during the third quarter, delaying the game by a half-hour...which ended up working to my advantage. The 49ers looked like they might make a comeback, but the Ravens got a hold of the ball in the last minutes, pushing them ahead to win the game 34-31.

Everyone is going to be going absolutely insane around here for the next few weeks. Joe Flacco, the Ravens' star quarterback, is a native of Audubon. He played on their high school football team. The Acme was awash in purple and black this weekend. He ended up being the game's MVP and making some big plays.

Rumble in Indianapolis

I slept in this morning. Got up around quarter of 10. I listened to records and CDs, made Silver Dollar Corn Banana Pancakes for breakfast, and did last month's budget. Yes, I bought a lot, but I also had money and gift cards leftover from Christmas. I tried calling Mom, but I kept getting a busy signal. Her sister Terri was probably chatting with her.

You probably won't be surprised to hear that work was a massive mess all day long. Not only is today the Super Bowl, but it's still the beginning of the month. A lot of people can't do their major shopping any day but now! We had very long lines for the entire afternoon and not nearly enough help. Someone else left at the same time as me, too, and another cashier was done a half-hour before us.

After I finally got off, I rode over to Uncle Ken's to see if anything was going on for the game there. When I arrived, the house was pitch-dark, and there were no cars parked near-by. I know Dad and Jodie are still in the Florida Keys, but I guess Uncle Ken and Dolores are on vacation, too. I just went home.

I listened to the game on the radio instead. Had a pleasant dinner of leftover chicken and broccoli and spring peas. I made Samantha's Gingerbread, replacing the 1/2 cup of sugar with a 1/3 cup apple juice concentrate and slightly lowering the buttermilk and molasses content (especially as I always use dark molasses from the Farm Market). Yum! Other than I burned the edges slightly, it came out absolutely delicious.

I finally got a hold of Mom when I came in. She making her own dinner and couldn't talk long. While her teeth don't feel great, the stitches are out, and she can talk again. She heard from my brother Keefe, who is now in the Navy, this week. Apparently, he's a Section Leader and is in charge of 12 other guys! He'll be graduating from boot camp next month. Mom and Dad are going to fly out to see him. I'm so proud of him. He seems to be doing really well.

Oh, yes, and the game was pretty awesome, too. The Giants started strong, but the Patriots were (barely) winning by halftime. They kept it up through the four quarter...when the Giants got the touchdown that won them the game and the title, 21-17.

And that scream you heard from somewhere in southern Cape May County? That was probably my stepfather cheering. ;)

Science Fiction Super Bowl Feature

The first thing I heard this morning was banging and cursing, both of which were coming from Miss Ellie's end of the house. Then, I heard the phone. My first thought was that the Acme was attempting to call me in...but then I remembered the generator for the house was making noise again. Miss Ellie told me the guys who were going to fix it would be around between 8 and 12. I assumed they meant 12, not 8! I rolled over, went back to sleep, and didn't get up again until after 10.

When I finally did get up, I made wrote in my journal, made gingerbread pancakes for breakfast, and listened to Brunch With the Beatles. The theme today was "Beatles songs with messages." I've never really been much for paying attention to "messages" in music, but apparently these include "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "Hey Jude," "Dear Prudence," "Act Naturally," the Wings solo hit "Live and Let Die," and one of my favorite Beatles songs, "Revolution."

Worked on the budget after the Beatles ended. This time, I spent a ton on food but not quite as much on other things. That was good - I didn't make nearly as much money last month as I have the past few months. My hours have been terrible for a while now. I think the only reason I had money until my tax return came was my Christmas money.

Headed to work after I finished the budget. It was a gorgeous day for a ride. It was sunny and windless and there was a blue sky above me. It had to be at least in the 40s. Everything was melting. Green patches could be seen on some of the more exposed parts of the grass for the first time in weeks.

Not surprisingly, given this is Super Bowl Sunday and the beginning of the month, the Acme was busy all day. We continue to have problems with the new card policy. One woman refused to sign for a card because she didn't want to give out her phone number, address, or name to anyone! Um, can we say "paranoia?" How does she expect to buy a house or get a bank account or subscribe to anything? I understand that people are worried about identity theft, but come on. Have a little trust here.

My relief was right on time, allowing me to hurry home. I went inside, grabbed the cupcakes I made yesterday, changed my shirt, and headed right back out again. It took me a while to get to Uncle Ken's - the tracks are still covered in snow and blocked by piles of ice - but I did finally get there.

The party was hopping when I arrived...and so was the game. Dad and Jodie are supposed to be in Ft. Lauderdale until tomorrow, but Dolores, Uncle Ken, and Dolores' many children and grandchildren were there, including Mercedes and Blake. Samantha, David, and their kids were there through the first quarter. Uncle Ken's older granddaughter Amber was their with her boyfriend and their daughter Ella and adorable 6-month-old baby daughter Lilly. Lilly was small and slender, with a very round head and pretty almond-shaped eyes. She was sleeping when I came in, but she got up in time for the end of the third quarter.

Dolores saved me a plate of cranberry sauce, home-made stuffing, cole slaw, and Uncle Ken's tasty turkey. (They'd actually had the dinner food around 3:30 because of all the kids.) I tried a spicy buffalo chicken-cheese dip that Amber brought, layered refried bean dip, a cake shaped like a football, a huge strawberry tube cake that was pretty good, shortbread cookies with icing, hard rolls, and a tasty fruit salad with big chunks of melon and pineapple.

I stuck around for the Black-Eyed Peas' performance at half-time. Actually, I preferred Usher, who turned up later in the performance...but I do remember Fergie when she was Sarah Ferguson on one of my favorite shows in my childhood, Kids Incorporated. I don't really listen to the Black-Eyed Peas. Some of their music was ok; some of it seemed a little odd to me. ("Boom Boom Pow?")

As with last year, I went home after halftime. And I was wrong about one thing - the game actually WAS pretty darn good. At press time, the Packers are up 31-25, but I wouldn't put it past the Steelers to get something going...


Oh, and my favorite commercials were the movie trailers. A lot of superhero movies coming out this summer. Thor sounds a tad cheesy. My Marvel-loving nephew Skylar will adore Captain America, and I think the World War II setting sounds unique.

Football Wizards

Pretty quiet morning. I made gingerbread pancakes for breakfast and watched snow and football-related cartoons. Ran two more Donald shorts, both featuring Chip and Dale. One, in fact, was called "Chip and Dale"; it was their first appearance, and their first go-around with Donald. Donald's chopped down their home for firewood, and they want it back. "Corn Chips" is a variation on this short. This time, the chipmunks fall in love with the popcorn Donald's making over his fireplace on a wintry day, and the trio go into a prolonged battle to see who gets to keep the crispy treats!

I switched from snow to football cartoons after Donald and the chipmunks ended. Mickey Mouse isn't the first Disney character I'd put in Peyton Manning's cleats, but he did do a very cute football-related cartoon in 1932, "Touchdown Mickey." (Goofy's an even less likely Howard Cosell!) And Hello Kitty proves that girls can do anything, even be a princely penguin's wide receiver, in a very imaginative version of "Cinderella," "Cinderkitty."

I finally got a ride to work from Uncle Ken. The snow was slowly beginning to melt, but it was still pretty icy. Work was steady, busier than yesterday but nothing like last week. I'm hoping it won't be too bad this week, despite another storm being announced for Tuesday night-Wednesday. Maybe people got all their panic buttons hit last week...

Uncle Ken drove me back to his house for the Super Bowl. It was a full party, despite the weather. We had Dad (who had a toothache), Jodie, Uncle Ken, Dolores, Dolores' children and grandchildren, Samantha and her family, and a couple of friends of Uncle Ken's. Erica and her mother Miss Helen and Rose and Craig appeared later, after the game began. There was tons of food. Uncle Ken baked a chocolate cake for Samantha's sons Matt and Ethan, who's birthdays were last month and last week, respectively. (Ethan just turned 13; Matt is 11.) There was a bread bowl with spinach dip, Uncle Ken's sensational ham, a vegetable platter, cookies, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, a second chocolate cake Erica and Miss Helen brought, and shrimp from Rose and Craig.

I walked back and forth, chatting with everyone. The game went pretty well, too, and halftime was awesome. I'm a huge fan of the British rock group the Who. There's only two left, but those two, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townsend, can still put on one hell of a show. Roger Daltrey's harmonica solo on "Baba O'Riley" was just amazing. And I was thrilled when they played my favorite Who song, "Won't Get Fooled Again," as the finale. Everyone laughed when I sang along, but I loved it.

I left with Rose and Craig after the halftime show, so I didn't see the second half. The Saints were behind after the first half, but they apparently made a major comeback and won, 22-17. There will be partying on Bourbon Street tonight, and it won't just be in preparation for Mardi Gras!

Oh, and the commercials that I saw were much better than last year's. My favorite was the guys releasing the whale into the ocean. I have no idea what it was about, but it was funny.

Born to Run

I spent most of the morning on my usual Sunday chat with Mom. Mom herself is fine. Dad was at the dock with Keefe, whom he's paying to help with repairs around the boat. No, it's Rose and Anny who are in trouble.

Rose has had problems with depression in the past. Apparently, Craig found her depressed again. She's been hiding, not going out, not seeing anyone, talking suicide, not doing anything but school...again. She did this when she was in college in Washington DC around 2000-2001. I caught her once. It scared the living daylights out of me. According to Mom, she's now seeing a new therapist and is changing her medication, and both seem to be helping. I hope so. I've lost my grandmother, grandfather, and stepmother, and my favorite uncle has cancer. I don't want to lose a sister.

Anny's not doing great, either. Mom says her boyfriend Mike doesn't think their son Collyn is 100% his, despite the fact that everyone in Cape May County says the kid looks and acts just like him. They're going to have a whole custody battle and DNA tests and everything.

On the other hand, Mom had an excellent suggestion for me - Culinary School. It would be cheaper than trying to go to graduate school for library arts, and there must be a hundred fancy eateries and bakeries in Philly and the suburbs that could use pastry chefs. It would be something I could always do. As much as I love reading and books, I love to bake and cook, too. I've been thinking of writing cookbooks as well.

It was a lovely, sunny, reletively warm almost 50-degree day when I finally headed to work around quarter after 1. The Acme was packed, with long lines at every register and more than half the registers open. No surprise there. Not only is today the Super Bowl, but it's the first day of the month, and people are just getting their food stamps/government money/paychecks. I had no relief and left a little late, but other than that, work was perfectly fine and passed by quickly.

The moment I got off, I rushed home, changed my shirt, grabbed the pudding pie I made yesterday, and headed over to Uncle Ken's for his Super Bowl party. Everyone was there when I arrived - Samantha and David and their kids (who were playing bartender, with a few older kids kicking out little guys, much to their annoyance), Dolores and her kids and their kids (including tiny, almost year-old May), Mark, Vanessa, and Brittany, Dad, Jodie, Jodie's parents, and a couple of Uncle Ken's sports-obsessed buddies.

For once, the game was as good as the company. I only stayed for the first half, but one of the Steelers' running backs made an amazing 100-yard touchdown in the last few seconds of the second quarter, pulling them ahead. There were a batch of nifty 3-D commercials right after the first half (that NBC show Chuck looks almost kinda cute), and the Bruce Springsteen concert was downright amazing. He played two songs from the Born to Run album (which, ironically, I listened to this morning before the Beatles show), one new one, and "Glory Days." The Boss really was boss, with more energy than some people my age. It was a truly spectacular show.

And at press time, the Steelers just pulled ahead of the Cards and are winning 27-23, with just 23 seconds left in the game.

The Road to the Super Bowl

Not surprisingly, work was really busy today. Not only is the Super Bowl tomorrow, but it's the end of the month, and a lot of people will be receiving money and/or food stamps soon. Thankfully, there were no problems, and I was out on time.

There was a problem with the schedule for next week. They'd given me the wrong day off. I asked for Thursday off for counseling, but they gave me Friday off instead. They were able to smooth things out when one of the teenage boys who had the same hours (2PM - 6PM) on Thursday was willing to switch with me.

There was still a lot of ice on the ground when I went to work at 9:30 this morning, but by the time I got out, around quarter after 3, most of the ice was gone from sunny areas. It'll take a bit longer for the ice around my apartment, which is constantly in the shade, to disappear.

I spent the rest of a very quiet evening putting up the Valentine's Day decorations and working on editing the Monkees role play. We just started the next story a few days ago. Look for it in about two weeks!

Giant Super Bowl Sunday

I slept later than I'd planned this morning and was almost late for work, which wasn't a good thing. They needed everyone they could get. Work was an absolute MADHOUSE today, even worse when I left than when I arrived. We were short on help (my break was late) and I got out somewhat late because of the long lines, but other than that, there were no major problems. I grabbed icing and cherry preserves for my Cocoa-Cherry Checkerboard Cake, the last of the Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Shredded Wheat (I love Kashi's Shredded Wheat cereals), and a box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix on sale for a dollar. (I like to keep white cake mixes around for when I get baking urges; they use egg whites and are lower-fat than most cake mixes besides angel food.)

When I got home, I changed shirts, put the cherry preserves between cake layers, frosted the outside of the cake, and headed over to Uncle Ken's for his big Super Bowl party. Everyone was there when I arrived - Dolores and her family, Uncle Ken, Dad, Jodie, Samantha and her family, several neighbors. The breakfast island in the kitchen was laden with dinner goodies - appetizers, brownies, granola cookies, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Dad's famous chili, a meat-and-cheese deli tray, soda, and liquor for the adults who enjoy that sort of thing.

My cake was a huge hit...and so was the game. Unlike most Super Bowls, where one team tends to dominate the entire four quarters and the commercials are often the most interesting things seen all night, the Giants wouldn't give the Patriots' much-vaunted offense a chance to get going. (And the commercials, except for one really cute one involving a Clydesdale and a dalmatian, were a total snooze.) The Patriots were ahead 7-3 by halftime, but I was starting to doze off. After the totally rocking Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert (I really need to find my Heartbreakers Greatest Hits CD), I was ready to go home.

I don't know how coherent Jodie was, but she did tell me in the car on the way home that she and Dad were willing to help me finance school and that they're both afraid I'll end up in worse debt than Rose is now. I'm still going to send in my Financial Aid form, but I appreciate the offer. We'll see what happens.

(I didn't find out until later, but incidentally, the Giants apparently made a huge play in the final moments of the fourth quarter to end the Patriots' perfect season and win the Super Bowl 17-14.)