It's a Wonderful World

Began a late morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Pups Save the Easter Egg Hunt" when Mayor Goodway breaks her arm and can't decorate enough eggs in time. Alex has an extra big egg to decorate...one that turns out to belong to a bald eagle! She flies away with the eggs, Rocky, and Chickaletta, prompting the remaining Patrol pups to go after them.

Switched to Press Your Luck as I got organized. One guy just kept getting hit with Whammies in the first round. The lady and the bigger gentleman did much better. They were just starting the second round when I finally headed out.

Wanted to run to Dollar General for the last of my Easter shopping. Bought light-up bracelets for Olivia and Penny's Easter treat bags and a dinosaur-themed water bottle for Khai's, along with strawberry Jello mix for the cake I'm going to make later in the week. They had the Kind granola bars in again, so I grabbed a box.

Though it was a bit cloudy by the time I was out and about, it was also much warmer, probably into the upper 50's, and the wind had died down to a pleasant breeze. I was fine in a sweater and my light suede jacket. Celebrated the lovely spring weather with lunch at Phillies Phatties. All they had available were cheese and pepperoni pies, so that's what I had. Watched GMA3 on Channel 6 as I ate my slices and sipped a can of Diet Pepsi. Frankly, the dad who came in with the most adorable little girl who couldn't have been more than two was vastly more entertaining. 

I've been wanting to try Heartbeat Nutrition across the street again for a while, but they're only open from 11 to 2 on weekdays (and are closed Wednesday and Thursday). They focus on shakes, iced tea, and juice drinks made from the freshest and healthiest ingredients. I had an Irish Potato milkshake, which I believe was oat or nut milk with coconut, cinnamon, and coconut flavoring. Not bad. The nut milk made it slightly bland, but I love coconut in anything. They're expensive - the shake cost me $10 - but tasty. 

On my way down West Clinton, I saw a narrow white dresser with gray cloth drawers on the sidewalk. The cloth containers were pilled and ripped, but they could be replaced. The actual shelf was in perfect shape. I thought they'd be perfect to hold my socks, underthings, and pads and get the last-named off the floor in my bedroom. 

After I got home and organized my new dresser, I went downstairs to make my big Easter surprise. I thought I'd try my own version of the Acme's candy cookies with pastel M&Ms. I couldn't find the baking powder, so I hoped a tablespoon of Pepsi would give a similar lift and add a nice, sweet flavor. Oh yum! Must have worked, because these wound up being possibly the best cookies I ever made. They spread just enough, and were soft, chewy, and sweet. If it's not too warm for baking and I can find red, white, and blue M&Ms, maybe I'll do these for Memorial Day, too. 

After I loaded the cookies into bags for Easter, I went back upstairs to do job hunting and watch The Singing Nun. I go further into this semi-biography of the Belgian sister who became a sensation with her song "Dominique" at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Singing Nun

Switched to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at Disney Plus after the movie ended. "Mickey's Springtime Surprise" is an egg hunt for all of his friends. Mickey and Minnie give clues that send the others off looking for eggs with decorations that match the shapes described. They have to watch out for Funny Bunny Pete, who is determined to snitch and hide their eggs.

Worked on writing for a while next. Kathleen is tired of winter. She's hoping to start making enough money to buy a home of her own once the weather improves. All of the homes in her town are taken or too expensive. Mrs. Rowland says she can stay there indefinitely, but she wants a place of her own. 

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. The next episode has an offensive answer and is now banned on regular television (though it is on YouTube), so Buzzr skipped to the one after that. We kick off with everyone being flummoxed after Mary Ann Mobley gives the obvious answer to "Chef __" on the Audience Match. Richard Kiel has the best - or at least the most creative - answer to who would make the biggest crater falling out of the sky.

Finished the night working on the review for The Singing Nun while listening to spring-themed records. There probably isn't a better time to listen to George Benson's gentle piano album Winter Into Spring than right now. The opening tracks "January Stars" and "February Sea" are especially pretty.

The Music of Spring is one of two early 60's Columbia Masterworks collections I have that are centered around spring-themed music. My favorite song here is the lively instrumental version of "Younger Than Springtime" by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra and Chorus. We also have a lovely "April In Paris" by Leslie Uggams, Jerry Vale's bouncy "Camelot," "The Sweetest Sounds" by Patti Page, and a charming "It's a Wonderful World" by Vic Damone. 

It's Not That Easy Going Green

My only major plans for today was getting the laundry done. It was so nice this morning, I dropped the laundry bag in Miss Ellie's old cart and walked to the laundromat instead of taking my bike. It was sunny and still chilly and windy, but slightly warmer than yesterday. The daffodils are just about gone, but the lilacs are almost out. I hope the frost they reported for the last few nights didn't do any major damage. Everything looked fine to me.

Thankfully after last week, the laundromat was empty when I arrived. The TV was on the Philadelphia NBC affiliate's 11:30 news show; they discussed Earth Day, flooding in St. Louis, and the capture of the Boston Marathon bombers. A few people did show up later, but by the time it was starting to get busier, my small load was out of the drier and ready to go.

On my way home, I thought I'd try something. Every yard, park, and patch of grass in South Jersey has at least a few sprouts of spring onions, long grass-like bulbs. When you pull them out, they look like mini pearl onions with scallion ends. I used to bring them home all the time as a child so Mom could use them in cooking. Mom didn't always appreciate it; she'd complain when I'd bring home too many, or that she couldn't figure out what to do with them.

I knew what to do with them. I plucked a bunch from the side path that leads to my apartment, along with some fresh dandelion greens. I washed them thoroughly, then chopped the onion and added it to tuna, light mayo, chopped celery, and dried tarragon. I put the tuna mix on a bed of spinach and dandelion greens for Simple Abundance Tuna Salad (named after the book I got the idea from).

Ran cartoons themed around Earth Day, Arbor Day, and conservation of our natural resources throughout the morning and early afternoon. The Lorax is the little orange man who speaks for the trees, but the greedy Onceler won't listen to him and continues chopping them down and destroying the forest, until both learn a sad lesson in the damage unchecked "progress" can do. The Sailor Soliders learn a similar lesson when evil magic turns the creatures of a threatened local park and the park's caretaker against them in the first season Sailor Moon episode "An Unnatural Phenomenon." The Pink Panther has his paws full trying to keep a camper who ignores his signs from making a mess of Mother Nature in the early 70s short "Keep Our Forests Pink."

Tiny Toon Adventures did several episodes on saving the planet and its creatures; I chose two from the later first season. In "A Whale's Tale," Buster and Babs save a baby whale from a clueless Elmyra and his mother from a female poacher who wants to use her blubber for cosmetics. "Pollution Solution" has Plucky trying to keep Elmyra from tossing her cans into his pond, Buster and Babs stopping a nasty rich executive from destroying the rain forest to build his front lawn, and GoGo the Dodo coming up with a creative way of getting the backwash from Montana Max's factory out of Wackyland.

The Peanuts take conservation of the Earth into their own hands, paws, and wings in It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. Sally wants to put what she's learned about Arbor Day and trees in school into action. The gang finds the perfect lot for a garden...Charlie Brown's baseball field! Chuck isn't thrilled with their beautification project, until it looks like it might actually help them win a game.

I went to work not long after the Peanuts and Pink Panther finished. Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - busy when I came in, quiet when I left. The time went quickly, and there were no major problems. I was in and out after picking up cherry tomatoes (on sale for a dollar), eggs (still a dollar - might as well stock up), and buttermilk.

Beautiful Day...but There's Heat On the Horizon

Once again, I got stuck spending a relatively gorgeous day at work. As with yesterday, it was dry and warm but not above the average for the time of year. A nice, brisk wind and some clouds kept temperatures in the mid-upper 80s, where they belong in early July in Southern New Jersey.

At the very least, work was painless. It was pretty much the same deal as yesterday - busy only during the lunch and after-work rush hours, dead otherwise. I don't expect much else for the rest of the month. Most people have probably gone on vacation or are hiding from the heat in their homes or backyards. My relief was late and the guy in self-checkout had to come in for me. Otherwise, there were no really major problems.

I thought a session at the gym would help me relax after a seven-hour work day. It was surprisingly busy, given how empty they've been lately. There turned out to be a class at 5:30. A personal trainer worked with a young woman around that time as well. I did a good, solid workout on the bike while watching Action News, then worked on the leg weight machines. Due to the class, I stretched in the personal training area.

My original plan was to eat out, but I realized that I don't really have much money left. There's a ton of leftovers in my fridge, too. I just rode home and had leftovers in my living room. Waved "hi" to Mark and his son on the way. Looked like they were working on the area under the porch, where the hose is, and the garden today.

Long Day's Journey Into Balance

Did the morning class this week. I wasn't going to have time for the afternoon class, and anyway, I wanted to talk to the teacher, Karin. Surprisingly, given the cool and sunny weather, it was busier than the afternoon class but not nearly as full as the morning classes usually are. We worked on different standing poses that would allow for risk and pushing our edge.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Karin after class (she had an appointment in Philly), but I did chat with some of my fellow classmates. One is an artist with kids whose husband runs a restaurant; she barely sees him. The other is a journalist who had come from Southern California for a job...only to lose it last year. We had a good chat about difficulties finding a job, especially when you don't know a lot of people. (The girl from Hollywood left her whole family back there, and it was a big one.)

I felt a bit better when I arrived home. I had a quick leftovers lunch while finishing Max & Ruby. The rabbit pair both learned a lesson in "Max's Bath." Ruby wants Max to take a bath after his messy lunch. Max would rather keep eating lunch...and knocking his sticky snacks into the bathtub when his sister's back is turned.

"Max's Bed Time" was rather sweet, and definitely one I can relate to. Max will not sleep without his favorite red rubber elephant. Ruby loans him her toys, but he wants his own...even if he has to search all night to find it! I sleep with a lot of stuffed animals myself. I know I'd miss them if I couldn't find them.

Work wasn't too bad. It was on-and-off busy, not quite as crazy as earlier in the week. Of course, I also worked in the middle of the afternoon. By the time it was getting busy, I was almost done. They wanted me to stay later, but I turned them down. Apparently, there's some big-wig coming tomorrow, and the head manager is going crazy trying to get ready. If he wants to pull everyone from up front to clean the store, that's on him, not me. He's lucky I came in on my day off at all.

I went straight to the gym after work. I'm not really going to have the time tomorrow. I did a really nice session on the elliptical machine. I loved Channel 6 Action News' "Down at the Shore" segments. It looked like they were broadcasting from the Mariner's Landing Raging Waters water park on the Wildwood Boardwalk. I used to go there on occasion when I lived in Wildwood. The guy who was doing the weather for the shore happily tossed his equipment to one of the camera men, then joined the kids sliding down the wide slide that goes into the children's area. Later, I saw him swing on a rope into the kid's pool (doing much better than I ever did on the rope).

It was right before a class, so Lucile Roberts was quite busy. I had to wait for several arm machines. I worked with weights until they were empty. By the time I was finished, the class had started, so I did my stretching in the private training area.

Even with two options closed, it was still really hard to choose somewhere to eat dinner. I finally opted for Chick Fil 'A. I'd gotten my order in when I realized that my wallet wasn't in my backpack. I felt so embarrassed! I had to cancel my order and run back to Lucile Roberts. I got so lucky. The wallet was on the floor near where the class was still going. I grabbed it and hurried out before I really did lose it.

Actually, I'm glad I did cancel that order. I decided that I could get a much better-tasting sandwich and fries combo for the same amount of money or a little more at Applebee's...and I was right. I had a delicious Bacon Cheddar Grilled Chicken Sandwich and yummy steak fries while watching the US Open on one of Applebee's new flat-screen TVs. Applebee's recently remodeled to give it more of a neighborhood vibe. The junky memorbillia on the walls had been replaced by photos of the Phillies, the Eagles, and the Audubon High School's teams, the Green Wave. I also saw two lovely shots of Merchant Street and the clock near the Auction House at night. I sat next to a photo of Audubon High's band that looked like it was taken this year, and one above it that appeared to be a black-and-white shot from the 50s.

After I got home, I sorted through this week's supermarket flyers and coupons, then had slices of Chocolate Mint Feather Cake for dessert while running some Three Stooges shorts. I thought "Three Little Beers" was appropriate, given what I watched during dinner. The Stooges join a golf tournament put on by their beer company in order to win a hundred dollar prize...but let's just say they're not US Open material. "Hoi Polloi" has the trio being trained to be gentlemen to win a $10,000 bet. These not-exactly-fair Stooges are hardly society material, and they prove it by making a mess of their "coming out" dance.

Historic Inauguration

I did get to see bits and pieces of today's historic Presidential Inauguration. I watched about 20 minutes of it before I went to Dad and Uncle Ken's to do my laundry and a half-hour after I came back around 12:30. No, I didn't get to see the parade or Obama be sworn in. Dad and Uncle Ken were watching their usual 24 hours of nothing but thrillers and crime shows, and I didn't want to tell them what to watch on their TVs. If they wanted to miss history, that was on them. And alas, by the time the parade started, I was at work.

I still got to see enough to make me feel like I saw history. I've seen some history on TV before. I was five when the Challenger space shuttle exploded in 1985. Not that I cared at the time; I was more upset that they pre-empted The Price Is Right to cover the explosion and NASA's reaction. I was far more interested when the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989. I still remember seeing all those people yanking away at it clear as day, even on my little black and white TV. And of course, I was in college when 9/11 happened. Ironically, I was in a class on 20th century American history when the Towers were hit. I didn't find out until I went to work at the Stockton Media Center, by which time they were almost on the ground.

As for today, I could have done with fewer talking heads and more actual footage (this is why I don't watch network or cable news more often). I did get to see former President Bush leave Washington for Texas (not a moment too soon, if you ask me) and the beginning of the Inaugural Lunch.

Work was, in the opposite of the last few days, dead when I came in and when I left, but busy during the usual rush hour, by which time most Inaugural festivities were over or nearly so. A lot of people apparently called out this morning, either due to family trouble or the Inauguration, but there was no trouble whatsoever by the time I was there. Other than it was a little windy and icy going home, I had no trouble getting to or from work.

Lights! Camera! Shopping!

There was a bit of excitement at work today, and for once, it wasn't because we were amazingly busy. (In fact, we were dead-to-steady customer-wise for most of the night.) About an hour after my arrival at 3:30, someone asked me why a guy with a TV camera was walking around. I had no idea. I later heard reports of people seen running around the store with checks the size of SUVs. The managers moved the open registers down to near the front door and self-checkout, and we were forbidden from using the intercom for an hour.

It wasn't until my break I found out what all the fuss was about. Someone presented two of our customers with a hundred-some dollar check and a $3,000-some dollar check for an Acme shopping spree, and one of the local TV stations was filming the whole thing for their newscast. I don't remember exactly why they were giving away shopping sprees, other than some of my other customers were a bit jealous they weren't the ones who got the money! ; 0 )