The Pool Is Open

Kicked off a blinding sunny morning with Lemon-Strawberry Pancakes and my Peter Pan record and book version of Alice In Wonderland. First of all, it's got some rather cute songs. There's a pretty and dreamy title song, "Curiouser and Curiouser" as she grows and shrinks, and "The  Queen Has Commanded," a chorus number at the Queen's croquet game with the queen ordering everyone executed while Alice throws in spoken commentary on the strangeness of the whole affair. The other unique aspect of this recording is the book, which more closely resembles a Marvel comic book of the 1970's in its design than anything Tenniel.

The Wonderful World of Make Believe is one of my favorite Johnny Mathis albums. Side 2 kicks off with a lovely version of another Alice In Wonderland title song, this one from the Disney animated film. I also like "Sky Full of Rainbows," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," and the title number from Camelot. 

Headed off to work before the record ended. We were a lot busier than yesterday, with long lines...but everything went much faster, too. Other than a few annoying customers, there were no major problems. It thankfully slowed down enough by 4:30 for me to dash out without a relief or a need for one.

The pool area was full of kids and parents when I arrived. I hurried inside, changed, and hurried back out. Apparently, not only did Jodie invite over TJ and his husband Eric and Rose and her tribe, but friends of hers and their kids, too. She, Craig, Rose, and TJ also made tons of food. There were Jodie's succulent, fall-off-the-bone ribs, chicken and beef on skewers, Rose's grilled vegetables, hot dogs for the kids, baked asparagus, green salad, and TJ's tomato and blue cheese salad. The tomato and cheese salad was incredible, sharp and tart, the chicken and ribs were wonderfully moist, and the asparagus was tasty. Rose and Jodie had fruit bowls outside; one bowl was a watermelon carved in the shape of a shark!

After I ate, I changed into my bathing suit and jumped in the water with the kids. It was cold when you got in, but warm for May when you were used to it. Jodie's friends had two girls and two boys. I chatted with them while listening to them chase each other and hit each other with foam noodles and splash each other. I did have to warn them a few times that pushing each other into the pool isn't funny, and neither is intentionally getting water in each other's eyes. Mostly, though, I had a great time laughing at their antics.

Worked on writing for a while after I got out. Brett's more than shocked that the tyrannical Red King is her boss, producer Mark Goodson, and the feared Red Knight is her almost-ex-husband Jack Klugman. Or, it looks like them. She tries to get a better look by climbing on the horse's legs, but almost gets trampled. Jimmie (Walker) the Dodo yanks her out of the way and drags her into the marshes before she's captured, too.

Finished the night online with more trivia shows. Jeopardy was the first hit quiz show to debut after the scandals subsided. Merv Griffith wanted to put the accent back on what people knew, and not what they could win. Three people answer questions on a topic in graduating numbers, from 20 to 100 in the original 1964 incarnation. When they choose a certain monitor that says "Daily Double," they can wager part or all of the money on their answer. The dollar amounts are doubled in the second round. The third round, Final Jeopardy, has everyone answering one question and wagering none, part, or all of their winnings. The one with the most winnings is the champion.

Alas, there's very little left of the NBC 60's daytime version of the show, but it doesn't seem to have changed much over the years other than adding color. As far as I can tell, the 1974 episode here is pretty emblematic of the original run in general. Art Fleming was the genial host.

Fleming stuck around for a 1978 syndicated revival. This one changed things up by eliminating the low-scoring contestant after the first round and completely redoing Final Jeopardy. Here, if the last contestant standing answers a series of questions in one topic. If they get all five questions correct, they win $5,000. 

The changes to the 1978 version were fairly controversial, especially with people who enjoyed the NBC show. The syndicated revival in 1984 returned to the original format, with Alex Trebek taking over as host. This is the one that's still running in syndication to this day, with rotating hosts subbing after Trebek's death in November. 

My family used to gather around the TV in the late 80's and early 90 as ABC World News Tonight wound down on Channel 6 after dinner. We'd try to guess The Pennsylvania Lottery numbers, then would anxiously wait for Johnny Gilbert to announce THIS...IS...JEOPARDY! and bring in today's contestants. We loved to see who could get the most answers or which categories we were best at. Wheel of Fortune came on after that; we'd see who could get the right letters or guess the puzzle first.

Jeopardy wasn't Trebek's first crack at a quiz show. Far from it, in fact. In the mid-70's, he did two shows that involved contestants answering questions in isolation booths. Unlike the 50's entries, Double Dare and The $128,000 Question were scrupulously watched to make sure they were both on the level. No chicanery here, just people answering tough quiz questions and, in the case of Double Dare, trying to stump a panel of experts with their knowledge. 

My personal favorite quiz show along with Jeopardy has always been Tic Tac Dough. I loved watching it on USA Network in the mid-80's, guessing trivia along with the contestants and hoping they'd avoid that screeching dragon! Like $128,000 Question, this one worked hard to make quizzes safe for big prize winnings again. One gentleman, Thomas McKee, walked off with over $200,000 in prizes (including 8 cars). It was a record in winnings that stood until the era of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Wink Martindale lends his southern charm to the proceedings. 

Trivia Trap is one of the more unique entries in the genre. In this rare Goodson-Todman crack at quizzes, a team of young adults is pit against a team of older folks to see who comes out on top with the knowledge. In this case, the kids won it on a question involving rock music. Bob Eubanks is the mediator in this generational trivia war.

Wish Buzzr would put the 1987 Monty Hall Split Second back on the schedule. As much as I enjoy Body Language, Split Second pairs better with Blockbusters...but I suspect this lightning-fast multiple-choice quizzer may have been a little too dry for morning viewers. Went with an episode from later in the series that didn't look like I caught it during its Buzzr run. 

At any rate, here's some later-day quizzes for your enjoyment...no scandal necessary. 

Jeopardy! (1974)

Double Dare (1977)

The $128,000 Question (1977)

Jeopardy! (1978)

Trivia Trap (1984)

Tic Tac Dough (1985)

Split Second (1987)

Jeopardy! (1989)

Gonna Climb a Mountain

Started off a sunny, hazy morning with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, a peach, and finally getting around to listening to Stop the World, I Want To Get Off! Littlechap (Anthony Newley) has great hopes to become filthy rich in the future. The last thing he expects is to start by getting Evie, the daughter of his boss (Anna Quayle), pregnant. She has two girls, which annoys him, as he wanted a boy. He keeps pushing further and further up the ladder, eventually going into politics, but his marriage with Evie is less than perfect. While on business trips, he dallies with a Russian officer, a German maid, and an American nightclub singer (all Quayle), but it's not until he loses his Evie and gives up his life does he understand how much he really loved her all along.

On one hand, this is one of Newley and Leslie Bricusse's best scores, including the standards "Gonna Climb a Mountain," "Comes Once In a Lifetime," and "What Kind of Fool am I?," and Newley and especially the multi-accented Quayle put them over with conviction. Trouble is, the dated and misogynistic story can occasionally make this rough going today, as in "I Want to be Rich" and "Nag! Nag! Nag!" The great music makes it worth checking out once for fans of Newley or musicals with unusual concepts.

Switched to the original Broadway cast of Kiss Me, Kate while reading and puttering around after breakfast. Alfred Drake and Patricia Morrison headline the first version of this musical tale of battling lovers. Her "I Hate Men" is especially ribald; he does best with the more robust "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily In Padua." And yes, this includes the classic opening number, "Another Openin', Another Show."

Did some writing around 1:30, but I had a hard time focusing and kept wandering to other things. After Vader lets Palpatine go, Ahsoka turns up at his office. He's disappointed that her road blocks haven't caught The Jedi Knight (Luke) yet via their roadblocks. She sarcastically points out that he hasn't, either. She needs to figure out exactly what he's doing about the Jedi Knight and report it to Patricia, so she asks a few more quesitons...

Jodie called around 4 and asked me if I was going to come over for a swim. I was already changing, even as I talked to her. It was still hot, humid, and sunny, but not anything out of the ordinary for early August. Jodie and Dad were outside on the pool patio, chatting with Jodie's dad and Dana's sister. Dana had been taking a nap. She joined us later after a nice dip for a barbecue dinner. I had grilled burgers with sliced tomatoes; there were also hot dogs and a massive steak. Took home tomatoes, a burger, and buns after we ate.

Did some Lego Star Wars next. To my frustration, I couldn't get far. Couldn't find the last few blue pieces on "Dagobah" or "Escape From Echo Base," no matter how hard I tried. I'll give it another shot tomorrow.

Finished the night by pulling out the boxes with my photos. Several books and sites suggest having photos of  you at different stages of your life out where you can see them, so you can remember who you were then. I thought I'd try it. I only have two frames avalible, and of those, I could only dig out a cute shot of me as a toddler, holding up a rose-print tin of crayons to Mom (who is likely taking the photo). I'll go through the Christmas pictures tomorrow and see what I can find.

Barbecues and Cartoons

Kicked off Memorial Day with excerpts from Colliers Harvest of Holidays. All of the material in Colliers reflects it's origins in the Civil War, including the one short story, Light Bread and Apple Butter. A starving Union soldier does work for a woman and her daughter who have been alone on their farm since her husband went to war, even though she said she'd give him apples for free. Most of the other pieces were poems or hymns, like Barbara Fretchie and The Blue and the Gray.

I also did the last couple of chapters from Happy Birthday Addy! After having to deal with some nasty prejudice in Philadelphia, Addy's thrilled to learn that the Civil War has ended. Like many born in slavery, she doesn't know when her birthday really is. Proud of the war's end, she chooses April 9th as her big day.

Today was my second early work morning in a row. While I did check the bathrooms to make sure they were clean (they were) and did a small cart of returns, I was mostly outside with the carts. Maybe it's just as well. We were busy for most of the morning. The one time I ran across a manager, he grouchily ordered me to clean up some litter without so much as a "please," "thank you," or "how do you do." I would have been happier to help him if he wasn't rude about it.

Needless to say, I was very happy to hurry home. It wasn't a day to be lingering outside. Though the heavy rain ended well before I went to work, it sprinkled lightly on and off all morning, and the clouds and cool temperatures would remain for the rest of the day.

Ran a couple of wartime shorts while eating a quick lunch of peanut butter and raspberry jam on a hot dog roll. Donald Duck debuted about five or six years before the war started, but his brash personality proved to be far more in temper with the times than laid-back Mickey's. He starred in eight war-related shorts between 1942 and 1944, six of which I ran today. "Donald Gets Drafted" and "Sky Trooper" has Donald joining the Army, mainly because he thinks being an Air Force flyer would be a great way to meet girls. Sergeant Pete would rather drill him than actually let him in the air...and when he does put him on a plane, the results are explosive for both.

"The Vanishing Private" is my favorite of Donald's Army shorts. It's the only one where he really gets the best of Pete in the end. Donald is a camouflage painter who's covering a new cannon. He takes Pete's orders to make the artillery "hard to see" literally when he stumbles across an invisibility paint. He first uses it on the cannon...and then accidentally on himself when Pete has a fit over the disappearing cannon. The amused duck leads Pete on a merry chase all over the base to catch "the little man you can't see."

"Der Fuehrer's Face" was the Oscar-winning animated short of 1942. Don dreams himself into a surreal Nazi Germany, where he's forced to work making shells for bullets...and almost cracks from the strain. Some stereotypes in the beginning aside, I can see why this one won awards. The imagery and use of color is amazing, especially towards the end, when Don loses it. The catchy theme song was a surprise hit for comic orchestra Spike Jones and His City Slickers.

Worked on my story for a few hours after lunch. I mainly went back and revised and cleaned up a few places. Langdon leads Leia, Charles, and Cedric to the stables, but they're too late. Fettson bursts out of the gates in his armored paddy wagon, Henry imprisoned within. They can't catch him on the ground...but the Falcon might be able to in the air. Langdon insists that the Falcon isn't ready, but Leia goes to get it anyway.

Headed out around 4 for a Memorial Day barbecue at Dad and Jodie's. Rose and her boys and Dana were already there when I arrived. Jessa and Joe and a couple of neighbors, including Khai's buddies Chloe and Bree, came around later. I saw Jodie twice today at the Acme buying groceries. Along with the burgers and hot dogs, she had pasta salad, Bacon-Caesar Salad, corn on the cob, her vinegary cucumber salad, and baked beans and weenies. The neighbors brought a Buffalo chicken dip, a bag of blue and white corn chips, and a vegetable tray with hummus and Triscuits. Rose had lemon cupcakes to go with the mini versions Jodie picked up at the Acme.

I had the pasta salad, lettuce salad, corn, blue corn chips, vegetables, two burgers, and two lemon cupcakes. Tried the Buffalo dip, but it was way too spicy for me! The hummus was more my speed.

I mostly kept an eye on the kids. Chloe, Bree, and Khai first played with Khai's Pokemon miniatures. When they got bored with that, they dumped out the plastic bin of Beanie Babies that used to belong to Jessa. There's so many of them, Chloe was literally able to make a mattress out of them at one point.

Watched the second half of The LEGO Movie while the kids threw stuffed animals around (despite their parents repeatedly telling them not to). This salute to creativity introduces ordinary LEGO construction worker Emmett (Chris Pratt), who has only ever followed the instructions to build normal skyscrapers. When he gets a strange orange cap stuck on his back and a wise old man (Morgan Freeman) declares him to be "The Special" who will save them all. He's doubtful at first. He doesn't seem to have the ideas that all the Master Builders from the various lines have. He does posses one ability they lack - the ability to work with others on a job from start to finish.

Went home around quarter after 6. Played Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars for an hour or so before hitting the shower. Further explored the main ship hub and discovered several more levels, including one for Sith (dark magic users) only, collecting lots of studs on the way. I also discovered at least two more levels and a game are waiting to be discovered, after I've gotten enough bricks.

Went backwards to "Battle of Geonosis." This is a Jedi-only affair, as Mace Windu leads a squadron of knights to blow up machines creating battle droids. Once I found the right vehicles to shoot the buildings down, this one was a lot of fun. (And the first round I got True Jedi on.) Tried the Anakin-Obi-Wan round again, but didn't get far. I finally looked it up online tonight. I'll try again the next time I play.

Finished the night with the remaining wartime shorts from Donald and others. "Fall Out, Fall In" has a weary Don on a long march with the rest of his troupe. First he can't eat because his tent is giving him trouble, then his noisy troop keeps him awake. He's "Commando Duck" when he's sent to contact the (stereotyped) Japanese. He somehow manages to wipe...no, wash...out the enemy.

Mickey Mouse may have been too benign for the 40's, but he did do a war-related short in 1929. "The Barnyard Battle" pits him and his fellow farm animals against a platoon of tough Hun cats. He may be a skinny rubber-hose mouse, but he still manages to take them on and come out on top.

The Pink Panther has less luck in Vietnam in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, who was swayed by the glamour of the recruiting posters, Pink was swayed by the power. He proceeds to drive his sergeant crazy with his antics, when they aren't both out-running an angry mascot dog.

And I salute all those who fought and died in all wars on this Memorial Day. I hope yours was as much fun as mine ultimately was.

Party With the Family

It was still sunny when I woke up this morning, and hot, but not quite as bad as yesterday. A nice wind helped. I made Blueberry Pancakes while listening to patriotic records in honor of Memorial Day Weekend, starting with Yankee Doodle Mickey. This cute record from I'm guessing the late 70's-early 80's features a young Molly Ringwauld joining the Disney characters and the Disneyland Chorus to perform folk songs, hymns, and a rousing original, "The Liberty Tree." I love the Armed Services Medley, with Mickey representing the Air Force and Marines, Goofy taking the Army, and Donald, of course, representing the Navy.

Worked on my story for a little while after breakfast. Leia is starting to awaken. Her head is pounding, she's in an unfamiliar room, and she's dressed like a vampire's fantasy. She sees Han there, but she can tell something isn't right...especially since he's trying to shut her out of his mind...

Headed to work after a very quick lunch. Work was...surprisingly dead for both a Sunday and the day before a major holiday. I did work on rounding up carts for the first half of my shift. That nice wind really helped. By 3:30, it was so dead, I spent the remaining hour and a half shelving as much of the three carts filled with returns as I could. There were no major problems anywhere, and I was in and out.

Went straight home, changed into regular clothes, then went right to Dad's. The clouds had started to come out as early as half-way through my shift. They were growing rapidly darker as I pulled in. I came right on time. Jodie had just pulled out the first round of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and ribs. There was macaroni salad, Italian pasta salad with vegetables, that really vinegary cucumber salad Jodie likes, deviled eggs, and (later, when they remembered it was in the oven), asparagus. Dessert included Rose's tangy key lime bars (with spray whipped cream, for those interested), strawberries dipped in white chocolate and toasted coconut, chunks of watermelon, and blueberry pie. I had a little of everything but the macaroni salad (the Italian pasta salad was enough) and the blueberry pie.

Khai and Chloe, for once, gobbled their dinner. Chloe's brother Blake ate even faster. They all wanted to get back in the pool. I followed them out after they ate. Khai took it upon himself to shoot me with his Super Soaker the moment I arrived. I wish he hadn't done that. I hadn't stopped to put on my bathing suit when I came home. Thankfully, there were lots of grown-ups around to set rules - Rose and Craig, Jodie's sons, Dana, Erica, Mark and Vanessa, several neighbors. (Dad stayed inside. He's in the midst of chemotherapy and isn't feeling anywhere near his best.)

I finally opted to sit down and stick my feet in. Ahh, that felt nice. The water was much warmer than it usually is in May, probably due to the really hot weather we've been having. I watched Khai and another boy shoot each other and had an animated chat with Chloe about what toys we liked, which Star Wars movie was our favorite (mine is The Empire Strikes Back), and what the pool was like when Rose and I used to go swimming when we visited during our childhood.

It showered lightly on and off while I was talking to the kids. The rain started picking up by around 7:30. It was time for me to head home. Thankfully, it waited until over an hour after I got in to start pouring. It's been pouring ever since. This is supposed to be the remnants of a tropical storm. Surprisingly no thunder or lighting yet, but lots and lots of rain. It's supposed to continue tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Memorial Day With Family

First of all, I salute all those who have fought and died for our country on this Memorial Day.

Second, I began a hot, sunny Memorial Day with more wartime shorts. Donald Duck appeared in more war-related cartoons than any Disney character during World War II, including Disney's most famous short of that era, the Oscar-winning "Der Fuehrer's Face." Donald's nightmare takes him into a surreal Nazi Germany, working outrageous hours making bombs. Things get crazy during the end when Donald starts to crack from the stress!

Most of Donald's other World War II adventures were far less dire. "Donald Gets Drafted" kicks off the series with Donald finding himself dealing with grouchy Sargent Pete and a pile of ants who make standing at arms very difficult! Donald's "The Vanishing Private" when he discovers an invisibility paint and uses it to get back at Pete. Poor Donald can't get any sleep after a long hike, thanks to a stubborn tent and his noisy troop, in "Fall Out, Fall In." "Home Defense" has Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie working as civilian air craft spotters. Donald takes the boys' stripes away when they play a prank on him. He's quick to forgive when he thinks there's an invasion. "Commando Duck" takes Donald behind enemy lines to wipe...er, wash out the Japanese (and encounter a few obvious stereotypes).

Work was, as you can imagine, very busy all afternoon. It's a holiday and a Monday. I'm still kind of tired and wasn't always up to dealing with all the fussing. Other than that, there were no major problems, and my relief was right on time.

I hurried straight home. Holiday or no holiday, I had laundry that really couldn't be put off. I needed clean work clothes. Thankfully, it wasn't busy when I arrived, and I didn't have a big load anyway. I was able to get everything done quickly as I read and ignored Dr. Phil and his silly patients.

Headed to Dad's as soon as I put the laundry away. I ran three more shorts as I got organized. "First Aiders" has Minnie Mouse using Pluto to practice her nursing skills. Pluto would be happier about it if Figaro didn't keep teasing him and chasing him. The Pink Panther becomes one of the few major cartoon characters to enter the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Between land mines, cranky officers, and crazy obstacle courses, he'll be lucky to make it out of basic training alive! Mickey Mouse is having similar problems in his late 20's vehicle "The Barnyard Battle." World War I has come to the barnyard. Mickey may seem skinny, but he has no problems giving those Hun cats the what-for.

Jodie said she was putting steaks on the grill tonight. This time, it was just her, me, Dad, Craig, Rose, and Khai. Khai spent most of the time in the pool again. He and his mother tossed a translucent plastic ball filled with glittery Mylar shreds into the pool, then raced each other to see who could get it first. I stuck my feet in and laughed when I'd get splashed by their racing around. They were both so funny! When I pulled them out, Rose helped Khai work on his swimming in his froggy float.

We had dinner a little later this time, around 6:30. In addition to the steaks and more macaroni salad, Jodie put out a cucumber salad made with sour cream. It was surprisingly tasty, given I'm not a fan of sour cream. The steaks were delicious too, cooked just right. We had mini-cupcakes from the Acme for dessert. Khai was just going out to chase the Mr. Softee van when I was heading home.

Beautiful Day for a Barbecue

I began today with some rousing American music for Memorial Day Weekend, Disney style. Yankee Doodle Mickey is a collection of various patriotic music performed by the Disneyland Chorus, the Disney Characters, and a very young Molly Ringwauld. Some of the numbers are kind of fun. I like "The Liberty Tree" for the chorus, Ringwauld's exuberant "This Is My Country," and the medley devoted to different branches of the Armed Services. Mickey covers the Air Force and the Marines, Goofy gets the Army, and Donald naturally sings for the Navy.

As you can imagine, work was crazy for most of the afternoon. A beautiful (if somewhat warmer) day coupled with this being a Sunday and the day before a major holiday added up to very long lines. There were a lot of people who were in a hurry, and rather obnoxious about it, too. I wish people would learn to have some patience. I was grateful when it slowed down enough by 4 PM for me to leave without a relief.

Jodie came through my line early in the afternoon and told me she and Dad were having a barbecue. Sounded good to me. I was too tired to cook by that point, anyway. I went home, got changed, and went back on the bike to Dad and Jodie's.

There was actually a pretty decent crowd at their house when I arrived. Dad just opened the pool last week. Khai already had to go swimming, despite it being too cold for most people...and Rose had to go in with him. They'd just gotten out. I did stick my legs in, but...brrr! It was chilly. My feet were still cold for ages afterwards.

I wandered between groups. I built Lego houses and buildings with Khai and Rose. I received congradulations for my being employee of the month from Jodie's relatives. I talked to T.J (he's recovered physically, but he still has trouble remembering what happened), Jesse, and Dana. I watched Romancing the Stone with Dad, Jessa, and Joe.

We had a delicious dinner. Jodie made the buy one, get two ribs from the Acme. They were as tender as ever. We had grilled asparagus with garlic, potato salad, macaroni salad, and Caeser salad. I had everything but the potato salad. (I've never been a fan of potato salad.) We had a strawberry torte with a flag design on the top for dessert. I headed home around quarter of 7, when I'd finally gotten bored and too tired to hang around.

The First Family Barbecue of the Season

I began a beautifully sunny and warm morning with Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I wanted them to taste at least a little like a chocolate chip cookie, so I added vanilla and a little brown sugar. Yummm. I've really had chocolate cravings lately, and those hit the spot. Had my half of a grapefruit as well. I listened to the original cast of The Scarlet Pimpernel while I ate. There are too few Broadway swashbucklers that don't fall into the operetta category; this is one of them. My Aunt Mary who lives in Manhattan bought it for me when I was in college, and I've owed her one ever since.

Jodie showed up as I was getting ready to go to work. She and Dad were having a barbecue late in the afternoon. She'd just come from grocery shopping at the Acme and the managers told her I was off at 4. Did I want to join them? They'd invited Rose and Khai. Sure! My only plans for later in the day was a walk around the neighborhood and eating leftovers. This would definitely be better than leftovers.

Work actually could have been a lot worse. It was on-and-off busy all afternoon, maybe even a tad slow for Sunday. Either everyone went down to the Shore, or they did all their shopping yesterday for the Kentucky Derby. My relief was on time, and other than some relatively grouchy people, there were no major problems.

I took the back way home via Nicholson Road to once again avoid the road repairs and enjoy the weather. The day couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining warmly. There was a gentle, cool breeze, and not a cloud in the robin's-egg-blue sky. It was as lovely a spring day as one could wish for. Kids rode bikes and played catch. Parents chatted, washed their cars, or did their own barbecues.

As soon as I got home, I changed, made a pit stop, then headed back out to Dad's on the bike. Dana, Jodie's son Jesse's girlfriend, was outside with her dog Helio when I arrived. Rose and Khai were inside, watching TV with Dad. Khai showed me his Batman toys (I loved The Penguin's huge mechanical ride-in penguin) while Jodie set up for dinner. (They were going to wait for Jessa and Joe, but despite claiming they'd be around by 6, they never appeared.)

Dinner was delicious, as always. I had a cheeseburger; there was also chicken. I had the macaroni salad, deviled eggs, and asparagus as well. Jodie and Rose had Jodie's very vinegary cucumber salad. Dana (a fellow choco-holic) and I had slices of an Entermann's chocolate cake from the Acme. (They're half-price there this week.) Jesse had a huge plate of macaroni salad and not much else.

Jesse, Dana, Jodie, and I chatted on the porch for a while after dinner. Dana kept trying to keep Heilo from running off the porch. (No one else thinks he would have gone far, but Dana worries about him getting hurt.) Dana went crazy every time she saw a bee come off the huge azaleas in front of Dad's porch. She kept making Jesse swat at it with a broom. Khai spent most of the evening playing with his friends next-door while his mother talked to his friends' parents.

I gave up waiting for Jessa and Joe around 7 PM. I was getting tired. Lauren and I were up late last night, as always, and I had to work relatively early for a Sunday. I gave everyone a hug, patted Helio, and headed home, enjoying the light breeze and the just-setting sun.

Good News On Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! I hope most of you didn't actually have to work. I did, but I cheered myself up this morning with some more My Little Pony. The last Friendship Is Magic episode was "Rainbow Falls." Rainbow wants her team to make it to the Pony Olympics this year, but her other two teammates are flying-phobic Fluttershy and an enormous, hulking male pony who can barely fly. When another team that's filled with genuinely good flyers wants her to join, she has to decide whether to go with the team that may win, or with her friends.

Continued with My Little Pony as I got ready for work. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is a throwback to the original two My Little Pony specials, which were actually quite dark for the early 80s. The first one, Firefly's Adventure (aka Rescue At Midnight Castle) introduces Meghan, the spunky human girl who befriends the ponies (though ironically none of the ponies from this first special would reappear in subsequent cartoons). Firefly brings Meghan to Ponyland to help them defeat the evil Tirak, who has been stealing ponies to turn into dragons. If he can unleash the Rainbow of Darkness, it'll begin a night that never ends! A magician friend of the ponies gives them a magic light rainbow to help, but can they get it to Nightmare Castle in time?

Work was such a pain, I almost would have rather been in Nightmare Castle. It's the beginning of the month, and we were overwhelmed with people using their government money or buying things for back to school. People were not in the best moods despite the holiday, probably thanks to the hot, sticky, humid weather. People screamed at their kids and each other all day. I was so happy that it slowed down enough by 5 for me to leave quickly without a relief.

I went home and changed into my bathing suit, then went straight to Dad's. Jodie came by at work and told me she and Dad were having a small barbecue. And it was small. It was just me, Dad, Jodie, Rose and her family, Jodie's sons, and a couple of their friends. We had Jodie's delicious, oh-so-tender pork ribs and chicken legs, macaroni salad, Caesar salad with sliced ham, roasted asparagus with garlic, and s'mores brownies for dessert. It was yummy; I had a little bit of everything.

Rose and her family went home shortly after dinner. Khai's local friends had left, and he needed sleep. I swam in the pool with some of the college-age kids for a while, but the pool was a little on the chilly side. I ended up chatting with Dad, Jodie, and her sons and their friends.

There's been a lot going on in the past month! First of all, Jodie finally landed a job. She's working for a marketing corporation, searching for companies to be their clients. Other than the company is dealing with a lawsuit, she says she loves her job and is very happy there.

Second, the kindly older woman who lived in the small apartment attached to Dad's house moved out. Jodie's son Jesse, his girlfriend Dana, and their dog Heilio will be moving in. Sounds like they're going to sell Jodie's house and give away or sell any furniture they can't use. It won't be for a while, as the apartment needs to be painted and cleaned, but they should be in within a few weeks.

Third, my poor Dad has a slipped disc and is in pain. He'll be going into surgery in the next few weeks...but will be out in time to do another job on the 10th.

But the biggest news of all is, my landlord Andrew told Dad that he finally sold the house I live in...to my next-door neighbor Richard! And not only that, but Richard wouldn't buy the house unless I stayed put! Not only do they want me to stay, but Richard is a big guy with a large, strapping family. He's the one who often helps me with my bike and shovels the snow for me in the winter. He and his family will probably be able to take far better care of the house than Andrew or Miss Ellie ever could. I knew something was going on downstairs. I've heard lots of moving around in the bottom apartment, and the junk that's cluttered up the porch for as long as I can remember is slowly disappearing.

I hope everyone else had an equally surprising and fun Labor Day and end of their summer!

Hot Memorial Day

First of all, I salute all of our fighting men and women on this Memorial Day! Especially my late Uncle Ken (World War II), my biological dad Bruce (Vietnam), and two who are serving in the Navy now, my friend Jen Waters and my brother Keefe Jackman.

It was hot and sunny when I finally climbed out of bed this morning, much hotter than it has been, probably in the 80s. Thankfully, it was also dry. I was able to leave my air conditioner off as I had cereal and a grapefruit for breakfast. There was a stiff wind that kept it from feeling worse.

I ran some of my random remaining wartime shorts as I got ready for work and frosted the Pineapple Cupcakes. While Mickey Mouse was largely dormant during World War II, one of his late 20s shorts did throw him behind the lines. "The Barnyard Battle" has Mickey getting humiliated during his physical, only to prove his prowess on the battlefield when he kicks the rears of every Hun cat around.

Given the patriotic tone of most superhero comics in the early and mid 40s, it was only natural that Superman would fight the Axis in the Paramount cartoons, too. Alas, like the Popeye wartime shorts from Paramount, most of these haven't worn well. "The Eleventh Hour" has some marvelous, shadowy animation and a really interesting plot about Superman sabotaging the Japanese, but is marred by some nasty racial caricatures. "Jungle Drums," on Superman rescuing Lois Lane from a Nazi plot to stir up a jungle tribe, also has racial problems, this time with very stereotypical natives. "Secret Agent," the only short in which Lois Lane is absent, has Superman rescuing a gorgeous counter-spy from an Axis spy ring that wants the papers she filched from them.

The controversy surrounding the Vietnam War, coupled with the younger audience for animation and memories of the flood of patriotic shorts during the 40s, made most studios shy away from war as a subject for shorts. The Pink Panther cartoon "G.I Pink" was an exception. Donald was swayed by the glamour of the recruiting posters; Pink was swayed by the power. He gets neither when he finds himself bumbling around Vietnam and getting in trouble with his sergeant, who would rather blow him up with land mines or send the company mascot after him!

Work was down-the-aisles busy when I came in at 12:30. It gradually slowed as more and more people went to barbecues, but it never really died down. There were still so many people when I was done at 4:30, I barely got out on time.

Rose called me when I was on my way home. I stopped on the Black Horse Pike to tell her I was on my way. When I got home, I changed into regular clothes, grabbed the cupcakes, and headed to Dad's house.

Surprisingly, the party wasn't that busy when I arrived. It was Rose, Craig, Khai, Mark and Vanessa, Dad and Jodie, and a couple of neighbors, including one with a little girl who happily played with Khai. I guess a lot of people had to work or went to the Shore. There was tons of food. Jodie and Dad grilled hot dogs, sausage, and cheeseburgers, and provided green salad, baked beans, and macaroni salad. Vanessa brought heavenly grilled chicken that literally fell off the bone. Everyone and their grandmother brought cupcakes. There were three containers of store-bought cupcakes along with mine and a huge chocolate chip cookie pizza. Rose put together two of her favorite flavors and made delicious "Key Lime Magic Bars" - Key Lime Pie cut into bars and topped with coconut. Rich and sweet and gooey goodness.

Most everyone was eating dinner when I got in, but when the kids returned to the pool, everyone else went with them. The kids were the only ones in the pool by 6:30. I stuck my feet in, and while it wasn't that bad when you got used to it, the initial shock was very cold! Poor Khai was in the pool for so long, he was shaking by the time his mother finally dragged him out. (Although that didn't stop the goofy boy from squirting me with water at one point. Maybe I should have worn my bathing suit after all.) The party finally broke up around quarter of 7. Dad and Jodie sent me home with chicken, macaroni salad, and the remaining cupcakes.

I ran a couple of Three Stooges war shorts while I got organized and settled down after I got home. They're "Boobs In Arms" when they join the Army to dodge a jealous husband...only to discover he's now their commanding officer! "They Stooge To Conga" gets violent even for these guys when they try to fix a doorbell and end up discovering a Nazi spy ring. They also get involved with the Nazis in "Back to the Front." After their boat is sunk, they're rescued by what turns out to be a Nazi war ship and have to work together to bring down the ship's crew. "Higher Than a Kite" takes them airborne when they hide in a bomb to avoid an angry general and get literally dropped into enemy territory. They also take to the air in "Dizzy Pilots." If they can't get their revolutionary Buzzard plane to work, they're going to end up on the draft list!

Father's Day In the Pool

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all dads (including those dads whose children are four-legged or feathered).

It was cloudy and cool when we finally got up around 10ish. I made Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast as we watched the remaining Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes we started last night. I briefly called Mom. I was hoping Dad-Bill was at home, but he was at sea, and Mom was dealing with my oldest nephew Skylar. Lauren had more luck with getting her dad on her cell phone while I did the dishes.

The clouds were picking up as we headed to Dad-Bruce's house. He invited us over for a small family Father's Day party, like their Mother's Day party but mostly outdoors. And for once, it was small. It turned out to just be Dad, Jodie, Jodie's Aunt Colleen, some relatives of hers, Jessa, her boyfriend Bobby, Khai, and later Rose. Lauren and I chatted with Dad, Jodie, Colleen, and her relatives until Khai's dad Craig dropped him off. It was spitting off and on as we hit the pool, but it was mostly just chilly.

The pool was in the 70s - not freezing, but not that comfortable either, unless you're an excited three-year-old who loves the water. We played with his plastic trucks and an orange wind-up fish. Jessa, Bobby, and Lauren joined us on the side of the pool later; it was too cold for them to go all the way in. Jess and Bobby splashed Khai, much to his delight. In between, I took Lauren inside to show her the changes since the last time she visited.

We had dinner around 5PM, which is also when Rose finally arrived. Dinner was hamburgers, hot dogs, mild and hot sausage, cucumber salad, regular green tossed salad, macaroni salad, and deviled eggs. There were a Lime Cake made by Colleen and my Key Lime Mousse Pie for dessert. The older adults watched the US Open. Everyone else watched Team Umizoomi, The Fairly Oddparents, and Spongebob Squarepants on Nickelodeon. Everyone ate tons and really enjoyed it.

The sky was just getting darker. It just had to wait to burst until we were walking home. We ducked beneath the train bridge on West Clinton Avenue to wait out the weather. When we got in, I went right in the shower. The sun came out shortly after we got home. It looks like clouds may be building again. We'll see what happens.

Whatever happens, our only real plans for tomorrow is to get laundry done. We'll see what else we're up for.

All Alone In the Dark

I awoke to a beautiful, partly cloudy, chilly fall day. The first thing I did after writing in my journal this morning was call Mom. I needed to talk to someone. Trouble is, she had my sister Anny and her son Skylar with her and didn't have time. She'd call back later.

I was making Whole Grain French Toast for breakfast when Mom did call back. We talked for almost an hour and a half...but though she had good intentions, it didn't make me feel better. She wants me to call the Foot and Ankle Center and find out what's going on with them...and ask Rose to help. I don't really think legal intervention will be necessary. I don't want to make things worse than they already are. She also suggested picking up a part-time job in another store. She said she'd send money to help pay my rent. It's nice of her, but I feel guilty. I hate having to ask for money.

Mom said I need to learn how to have faith. Faith is very hard for me. I feel like nothing's been going right lately. My feet are both hurt. My uncle is dying of cancer. He's been sick for a while, but it's gotten worse in the past few months. I feel like I'm stuck, and nothing will ever, ever change. I'm stuck in a job that I hate because it makes money. I'm stuck on several stories, including two Monkees fanfics that will likely never be finished because I'm no longer interested in that fandom. I'm not good at talking to people, and I get nervous when I try to sell my abilities. I'm not even sure what abilities I have that are marketable and will make me enough money to pay my rent. And everyone keeps pointing their fingers at the economy and how hard it is for people to find jobs and why should you even bother when no one is hiring?

 We talked for so long, my French toast was very cold by the time I finally got to it. I ate it, but my heart wasn't in it. I finally decided to just head out to Oaklyn's Town Picnic despite my sore feet and worse mood. I needed some kind of a distraction, and the Picnic is free.

I was surprised when I saw barricades set up along Kendall near the Oaklyn School and Washington Terrace. There were tents set up along Kendall and the last two blocks of West Clinton, near the school and the buildings with Leo's Yum Yums and Doria's Deli, among others. The Town Picnic is normally set up behind the school, but this year, as they had with the Spring Fling, it was moved out onto the street.

The new location allowed for more activities and twice as many booths. I got to enjoy two performances by the Ovations Dance Studio on West Clinton, next-door to Phillies Phatties. The first was a creative and fun jazz/ballet routine to "This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas. The second about a half-hour later was a tumbling number done to a live version of "Hallelujah" by one of the performers from Studio LuLu, the crafts and music center on the first floor of the Ovations/Phillies Phatties building.

I wandered around for about an hour. It had already been going for an hour and a half when I got there. There wasn't much free food left by that point, but I did manage to get a pulled pork sandwich, a little cole slaw, a bottle of water, a banana, and a slice of cake. I watched kids play games near the music stage on the School's front lawn. I saw a booth giving out free Halloween costumes, and another signing people for flu shots at CVS. PNC Bank had a wheel; I won a Sesame Street poster and a jar opener. (I actually do need the latter - could have used it opening my new bottle of maple syrup last week.)  There was a long line of kids waiting for the fire truck rides. The Camden County's Police Department's bomb squad showed off their equipment to curious passer-by.

My favorite booth was headed by Oaklyn's Girl Scouts. A whole platoon of young ladies between 4 and pre-teens painted clay stars, gingerbread men, trees, and candy canes, then coated them with glitter. A den mother explained that the ornaments were for Oaklyn's Town Christmas Tree. The Town Christmas Tree is usually trimmed with paper decorations made by kids at the Oaklyn School, but they're easily blown away or damaged in rain and snow. I had to agree with the mother that the clay ornaments should prove to be far more weather resistant! I contributed a star with a purple center and bright red points. (It even had a little glitter - there was glitter mixed in with the purple paint.)

I headed back to my apartment after I finished my star. I went online for a little while to look up some things and check my e-mail. Rose called me around 5:30, with pretty much the same concerns as Mom. I need to start looking for a second job, not a writing job, but a retail job that uses the skills I have now and will pay the bills. I don't really want them to, but Rose insisted on Dad getting my ankle checked out tomorrow. I'd really rather just put it on ice, but I'm not going to argue with a woman who has trained to be a lawyer. I hate bothering people, especially since Rose also mentioned that Uncle Ken has taken a turn for the worse and may not last the week.

Needless to say, I was not up for making a big dinner. I tossed together some of that Knorr Chicken Stock and the leftover ham and vegetables in my refrigerator and made Ham and Veggie Soup.

Oh, and the Philadelphia Eagles seem to have had a better day than I did. They just finished pushing past division rival the New York Giants, 19-17. 

That's the Way that Oaklyn Had It's Picnic

I awoke to a cloudy, windy, nicely fall-ish day. Ran Brunch With the Beatles while making Gingerbread Pancakes for breakfast. The album Revolver was in the spotlight. This was one of the Beatles first excursions into wacky 60s psychedelic sounds, with songs like "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Yellow Submarine," "Tomorrow Never Knows," and "Love You To." The big hits were "Eleanor Rigby" and "Good Day Sunshine." Tried to get a hold of Mom, but I got the answering machine.

Watched some Backyardigans, then headed out to this year's annual Oaklyn Town Picnic. Oaklyn has free food, crafts, a bounce house, live music, and fire truck rides in the grassy area behind the Oaklyn School. There wasn't as much food as last year, no bake sale and not a lot of barbecue. There was enough for me, though. I had a burger, cole slaw, a Cherry Coke Zero, and a slice of store-bought cake.

I still had fun, though. I picked up free Sonic the Hedgehog and Chip n' Dale's Rescue Rangers/Darkwing Duck comics from the Oaklyn Library's table. I put stickers on a tin can filled with beans at Studio LuLoo's craft booth. (Some of the kids were covering glass bottles with glitter, glue, and pieces of colored tissue paper. Very pretty - I loved the one that was all red glitter - but I never would have been able to carry it on the bike with me.) I listened to the local band cover Beatles and Bruce Springsteen songs. I watched the kids gather around two clowns making balloon objects. Little kids got animals. Older boys had swords. Girls had flowers or wands with heart tops. Pre-teens sported wacky balloon hats.

Went straight to work after the picnic. Work was busy for most of the night, right up until 6, after which it died very quickly. So did the Eagles game, from what I heard. The Eagles were apparently winning for the first half, but it fell apart quickly and they eventually lost to the 49ers, 24-23.

Went straight home after work. I made tilapia with mushrooms and onions and a salad for dinner and finished up my new Backyardigans DVD. Of the four episodes on The Snow Fort, the title show and "The Yeti" are new to me. Both revolve around Tasha, Pablo, Uniqua, and Tyrone chasing each other around snowy settings. "The Snow Fort" has the boys as Mounties guarding a giant snowball in the aforementioned fort. The girls are ski patrollers who think the boys need rescuing. In "The Yeti," Tasha, Tyrone, and Uniqua explore the Artic while chasing what they think is a Yeti...but is really Pablo gobbling raisins and goofing around.

I did finally get a hold of Mom right after dinner. She was tired and not in the best mood. There's a lot going on at my parents' house right now. She did suggest getting my foot looked at. I was hoping it would just heal on its own...but the heel and just above it continue to be sore. My feet will hurt so badly when I get home from work, I can barely stand on it. She suggested getting gel inserts for the heel and maybe seeing a doctor.

Windy Day For A Picnic

It was still sunny and bright when I finally got up around 9:30. I wrote in my journal, then made Whole Wheat Pancakes and a pear for breakfast and ran the Brunch With the Beatles show. "The Songs of John Lennon," whose 70th birthday would have been this week, was the them. In the reverse of how they usually do the shows devoted to one of the Beatles, they started with his solo work, including my two favorites from the Double Fantasy album, "Woman" and "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Called Mom after I finished breakfast. She didn't really talk for very long, though she seemed like she was in a good mood. She did say it was cloudy and windy in Cape May County and looked like it was going to rain.

The clouds finally started rolling in as I worked on editing more Bowery Boys stories for our site. It was colder and still very windy as I changed into my work clothes and left a bit early to enjoy Oaklyn's Town Picnic.

The Town Picnic is Oaklyn's big fall festival. I went to it last year, and I was glad I could get there again. It's on the big field behind the Oaklyn School at the end of West Clinton Avenue. There was already a long line for food when I arrived. I had a pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, and a couple of cookies. I've had a rather dry throat for the past few days, thanks to allergies working overtime, so I had some root beer water ice, too.

There were plenty of other things to do at the Town Picnic. Kids stood in long lines for fire truck rides and a bounce house and slide. There was a face painting booth and a craft booth. PNC Bank had a booth and was giving away freebies. I got incense, an orange tote bag, and a pen. I'll give the incense away as a Christmas gift. I donated a dollar to the Oaklyn Library for a raffle for a lovely Halloween-themed quilt. There was a local band playing their own alternative rock tunes. There were football throws and softball catch games.

I went straight to the Acme from the Oaklyn School. I'm glad I got there early. Between the big Eagles-Redskins game this afternoon, the Phillies' last regular season game, myriad parties and fall festivals this weekend, and this being the beginning of the month, it was very busy all day. It was so busy, we didn't really have enough help, even though no one called out. Thankfully, it had slowed down enough by 6 that I was able to leave with no problems.

It started raining slightly on my way home, just big drops that didn't amount to much. The wind had picked up even more, though, and it was cold and dreary. I just left my bike in front of the apartment and headed to Uncle Ken's without even changing, so I could see the game, too.

Turns out I needn't had rushed. The Eagles played a terrible game and ultimately lost 17-12. I did have a grilled cheese, turkey, and ham sandwich for dinner, and I got to say hi to Uncle Ken, Jodie, Dad, and Samantha and David and their brood for a while.

The game was so bad, I came home early and opted for The Dress Circle instead. "The Shows of October" was the theme. Broadway favorites that opened in mid-fall included Cats, High Button Shoes, the Lena Horne vehicle Jamaica, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and one of my favorite Broadway flops, Mack and Mabel.

Town Pride

Awoke to an absolutely gorgeous Sunday, the nicest day I've seen here in weeks. I made Cocoa Whole Wheat Pancakes and listened to WOGL's Sunday Beatles show. ("The Songs of John Lennon" was today's theme.) Called Mom after finishing breakfast. She's fine. She spent the week working and helping my sister, Anny, and her son Skylar move to the Villas, about 25 minutes from their old apartment in North Wildwood. Dad is partially helping Anny pay the rent...on the condition that, after a year, she's either gone back to school or found a higher-paying job than her current one at Big Lots in North Cape May. Skylar had to be pulled out of Margaret Mace School as well and re-started in Memorial School in the Villas.

It was such a nice day, I left early, as soon as Brunch With the Beatles was over. There were two rare Sunday yard sales down the street from me. One was the sale on Woodland Terrace I had to leave in a hurry yesterday due to the rain. No such problems today. I finally picked up two more records (the soundtracks for the first Ghostbusters movie and Good Morning, Vietnam) and a stuffed Blastoise Pokemon from the sale at Woodland Terrace and three children's books for Skylar and my cousin Faith from Manor Avenue.

Oaklyn's "Town Picnic" was behind the Oaklyn Public (Elementary) School from 12 to 4 this afternoon. I've never been able to go to it before. I usually work early on Sundays. I took advantage of my later start to join the festivities. It was a free barbecue/fair put on by the school's PTA. In addition to the usual barbecue fixings, like burgers and hot dogs and cole slaw and baked beans, there were soft pretzels, potato chips, sausage, shredded chicken, and tons of sauerkraut! The baked goods table was piled high with cupcakes in all sizes, chocolate cake, brownies, butterscotch spice cookies, and spice cake. I stuffed myself with a shredded chicken sandwich, cole slaw, a soft pretzel, and lots of those butterscotch spice cookies. (They were really good, rich and moist, topped with icing and what I believe to be butterscotch chips.) There was a woodworking booth, several raffles, live bands, and even a pony ride for the kids.

For some reason, I thought I had to work at 1PM, but I really wasn't due until 1:30. I spent that half-hour reading Time Magzine. I might as well have stuck to Time. Work was steady but not really busy, especially for a Sunday. Between a beautiful, sunny day, the many fall festivals and events (like the Town Picnic) planned for this weekend, and this being the Eagles' week off, we had plenty of help and no long lines. I even spent the last hour doing returns.

I got off at 5:30. That gave me enough time to buy milk, eggs (Eggland's Best was having a rare sale), and Smart Balance butter, and still get home in time to have a nice dinner of pan-fried Old Bay flounder and a salad and listen to the full Dress Circle online. ("The Shows of October" was their theme tonight.) And as of this second, I have tomorrow off...and it's supposed to be even more gorgeous.

Saluting Those Who Served Our Country

I salute veterans of all wars...including the current one...on this Memorial Day. I started off a hot, sunny morning with the Donald Duck Army-themed shorts on the second Chronological Donald Walt Disney Treasures DVD set. Donald appeared in a series of cartoons on life in the World War II army, as well as the famous Oscar-winning propaganda short Der Fuherer's Face, between 1942 and 1944. I watch them every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day - they're pretty much the only war-related items I own.

I worked early today, around 9:45. Don't ask me why it was 9:45 to 3:15 instead of 10 to 4 or something normal like that. I have no idea. Apparently, neither did the Acme. I ended up staying until 4. It wasn't too bad when I came in at quarter of 10, but by quarter after 3, the lines were half-way across the store. We had a couple of call-outs, too.

Jodie came through my line around noon to tell me she and Dad were having a barbecue tonight. Great. I was going to call them and ask them if they were doing anything tonight anyway. When I got home, there was message on my phone for me. Rose had finally called back. She can't do Yogawood this week - something about hurting her leg - but she is willing to get together and chat tomorrow. That's fine. We'll talk over cups of tea.

I changed into a bathing suit and my red-and-white polka-dot sundress, grabbed my pool towel, and headed over to Dad's. He and Jodie had a bunch of their friends over, and they were chatting. I felt a little awkward. I don't know them very well. I was hoping we'd go to Mark and Vanessa's again, like we did last year. I waded around in the pool for a little while, but it was still too cold for me to really go swimming.

At least the food was good. Jodie and Dad made steak, broccoli, sauteed asparagus and mushrooms, Caesar Salad, and ribs so succulent, they literally fell off the bone. I chatted with Uncle Ken, Dolores, Jessa, and Erica, then watched a couple of pre-teen boys goof off in the pool.

The Strawberries and Cream Pudding Pie I brought over was a big success, too. There was only a small wedge remaining in the pan when I left. One of the boys said it was the best thing he'd ever tasted, words that meant more to me than any medal of honor.

Spring Is Here, I Hear

I awoke to a chilly, damp, cloudy first day of spring. Today was also Mom's birthday. I called her after breakfast to wish her a good one. Apparently, Cape May County got a snow squall this morning, though it was gone by the time I called. I don't remember seeing one here. One of my customers at the Acme later reported seeing one as well, so maybe it happened really early. Mom's an early riser.

I bought some coconut on sale yesterday. I was going to make coconut cake, but I already have cake in the freezer, so I decided to make coconut bread instead. I also added pineapple that was in the pantry shelf and a banana that was getting really ripe. It came out very, very tasty. I used the basic Betty Crocker Fruit Bread Recipe, but swapped some of the shortening for buttermilk and mashed banana. It came out very moist, sweet, and crumbly.

After the bread came out of the oven, I felt like doing something outside. I was tired of the same old walk, especially after playing tennis yesterday. I dug around in my living room closet for my field hockey stick and ball and hit that around the park next door. When I got tired of that, I did laps with the ball around the VFW's parking lot across the street (doing my best to avoid the puddle-filled potholes). I had a really nice time. I goofed around and had a little unusual exercise. I really need to start doing stuff like this more often. I have badminton equipment from when Keefe used to visit in Wildwood, a jump rope, and a frisbee in the living room closet. It's time I started using them again.

I went to work about an hour after my field hockey practice. Work was busier than the last few days, but still not nearly as crazy as last week. My hours were lousy, too. While I do have two days off again, I only have 22 hours and work until 8 and 7 the whole week except for Sunday, when I'm off at 5:30.

Headed to the mall behind the Acme for dinner after work. I have at least seven meal choices in that mall (eight if you count Acme). Applebee's would take too long. The Wal-Mart Subway is lousy. Chick Fil'A's had a line going out the door. I wasn't in the mood for burgers (which eliminated Five Guys and Arby's) or pizza (Tu Se Bella). I finally settled on Fat Jack's Barbecue, since they were so good the last time I was there. They were just as good again. I went with the Pulled Pork Sandwich again, this time with the Green Beans n' (shredded) Ham side. The beans were a little garlicky, but still pretty tasty. The sandwich was as delicious as it was two weeks ago. The girls working the counter were really sweet, too. I made sure to leave them a nice tip in the tip jar.

Made a quick stop at FYE next. I hadn't realized season 2 of Get Smart was already out on DVD, but I saw it mentioned online and thought I'd see if they had it. I managed to grab their last copy for about $21. One of the boys behind the counter tried to talk me into getting Twilight. Ugh! Sounds like vampire glop to me. I wouldn't touch that with a 200 foot pole. I hate gloppy romance and I really can't stand mopey pretty boys.

Ended up back at the Acme to do my grocery shopping. Good thing I only need a few things tonight - grapefruit, kiwi, bananas, romaine lettuce, cubed steak, pineapple, yogurt, canola oil (I'm almost out). The Acme wasn't too bad by the time I got back there and I was in and out fairly quickly.

In the Swim

It was raining when I got up this morning, but that passed quick enough that I was able to make it to the Farm Market for the first time in two weeks. (And the last time for the next two weeks - I work too early to make it next Saturday.) I might have skipped it if I hadn't needed so much. I bought bread, blueberries, peaches, green leaf lettuce, leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, a red onion, fresh Colby cheese from a dairy booth, and the first New Jersey blackberries of the season. I then raced home, put everything away, threw together lunch, changed, and went to work.

(It's probably just as well that I only saw one yard sale today on the way to work and there wasn't anything interesting at it. I didn't really have the time.)

Work was busy, probably due to it being the beginning of the month, but we had plenty of help, my relief was on time, and there were no problems.

Jodie came through my line while I was at work and invited me over to Dad's for a small family barbecue. I'd wanted a swim anyway, so I accepted her invitation. After slicing the carrots into sticks and watching a few episodes of Tiny Toons, I changed into my bathing suit and walked over. Our cousin Jim and his son C.J were already there, keeping an eye on C.J as he practiced his favorite pastime - golf! He doesn't have a bad swing for a just-two-year-old.

I was the only one in the pool today, though Jessa sat on the side and chatted with me for a while. I don't know why. The pool was a little bit cooler than the last time I went in, but it still felt great, especially since today wasn't quite as hot but still really humid. It was cloudy on and off all day and actually rained a little bit while I was in the pool, but hasn't rained since then, as far as I know.

Jodie got the grill going and cooked up steak, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw, corn on the cob, cucumber salad, and baked beans for all of us and two friends of Jodie's and Dad's. We ate and watched the Pixar film Cars with C.J. (Apparently, cars are his other obsession.)

4th of July, Newton River Park

First of all, Happy Fourth of July to all Americans! I hope you all enjoyed fireworks and barbecues of your own today. :)

I worked early for the second 4th of July in a row. Work was, to put it quite mildly, total anarchy. According to several Acme employees, the Shop Rite in Brooklawn, not far from Audubon, lost almost their entire meat inventory when their freezers died...and all their customers now had to come to us or not have meat for their barbecues. I can't believe how many people were doing their big shopping trips today! It must have to do with most people having this weekend off. The lines were down the aisles when I bought a 5-lb bag of Domino's Sugar for $1.99. I wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't been the last one left, if the sale hadn't been so good, and if I wasn't completely out of sugar. Customers were cranky, too - it IS still the beginning of the month. Thank goodness I went on break and got to and from work with no problems.

After I finally got out of that mess, I rode home as quickly as I could, changed into shorts and sandals, put the sugar in the sugar container, grabbed my purse and the cupcakes, and headed over to Uncle Ken's. Dad, Jodie, Jessa, and I drove out to Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha's house in Cinnaminson for her barbecue party. I didn't know she had a pool and didn't bring my bathing suit, but I still had fun eating, watching all the older kids jump into the pool, and chasing Samantha's adorable two-year-old daughter Faith around the backyard and playing catch with her. She has a good arm for a two-year-old. Her brothers must be teaching her.

After we got back in, I rested for a few hours and listened to patriotic old-time radio programs. The "50 Best Radio Shows" set I bought in 2004 came with a few World War II-era shows highlighting America and American history. I listened to two episodes of Cavalcade of America, narrated by Burgess Merredith, and began the Norman Corwin special We Hold These Truths (on the Bill of Rights) before I decided it was clear enough to head out to the fireworks.

The clouds had been on and off all day long. We had a shower this morning just before I went to work, but it hadn't rained since then. Of course, the moment I head out to the fireworks, it starts raining...but not enough to put a damper on the festivities. I made a quick stop at the bank to deposit my paycheck in the ATM machine (since it's on my way anyhow), then headed off to Newton River Park.

Since I'd crossed the White Horse Pike to go to the bank, I decided to watch the fireworks in the park this year, instead of at CVS or the bridge between Collingswood and Oaklyn. I walked around for about 20 minutes, looking for a reletively dry place to sit and just enjoying the festive atmosphere. Though most people were sitting in their cars to avoid the rain, some sat on blankets or tarps on the hillside, and there were even large groups of late picnic-ers by the playground.

I finally found a big, fat old stump in an area by the water that seemed to be completely empty. I'd only just sat down and made myself comfortable under my umbrella when I heard a tremendous, heart-stopping BANG! I whipped around to find a glittering cacophony of sound and color soaring over the rooftops of Collingswood. It was absolutely gorgeous, rain or no rain. I especially loved the heart-shaped ones. That's so neat, how they do that, and so different.

It was still raining when the fireworks ended. I wasn't really wet, thanks to my umbrella, but I didn't want to push it after getting soaked last year, so I didn't stick around for Haddon Township's fireworks. It was just as well. There was massive traffic on the White Horse Pike going back, and it took me longer than it should have to get home.