High Hopes

Began the morning with breakfast and Charlie and Lola. He has to remind his sister that "This Is Actually My Party," and he wants a monster theme, loud music, and a scary cake. Lola would rather he had pink cupcakes, classical music, and a ballerina theme. He's not happy with the changes, but she goes too far when she starts opening his cards and his presents for him. When he argues with her, she decides she has to make things right. 

Hurried to work soon as the cartoon ended. We were steady off and on for most of the morning. That was a bit of a surprise. There's really nothing going on right now besides sports. Maybe everyone wanted to dodge the weather. It started showering lightly around 12:30, which cleared out our customers. Thankfully, it was never heavy enough to make me more than damp. By the time I rode home, the rain was vanishing, though the clouds remained.

Watched Press Your Luck as changed and had a snack. Whammies slammed everyone in this episode. The two women hit two each in the first round. They didn't get the guy until the second, but then they got him three times. He Whammied out on his last turn, allowing the champ to come out on top. Her prizes are likely the reason this was included with Buzzr's Spring Break marathon - trips to New York and Hong Kong.

Rested while watching The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis) is more than a little worried about Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn). Sure, he's one of her best fighters, but he's also ambitious and wouldn't mind having the throne for himself. She praises everyone but him, which angers him enough to leave for his estate. She calls him back to route an uprising in Ireland. 

He thinks she's scorning and ignoring him when she doesn't answer his letters. Turns out the letters were intercepted by Lady Penelope Gray (Olivia De Havilland), who also loves Robert. Elizabeth equally thinks he's ignoring her and calls him back to London. He leads an army against her, then assumes they'll rule together. But Elizabeth isn't the type of woman to share with anyone, and Robert's more likely to lose his head than rule beside her.

Strong acting from everyone here, from Davis playing Elizabeth for the first of two times to Flynn as the nobleman who is too caught up in his own ambition to realize the queen has no desire to let him sit on the throne. DeHavilland gets to play a slightly stronger character than usual in these dramas as the lady-in-waiting whose love for Robert leads her come between him and Elizabeth. Look for half the character actors on the Warners lot at the time as members of the Queen's court, including Vincent Price as Sir Walter Raleigh and Donald Crisp as Sir Francis Bacon.

The Elizabeth and Essex DVD came with several extras, including the Warners musical short The Royal Rodeo. John Payne, still a few years away from his Fox musicals, here plays a singing cowboy whose wild west show delights a boy king (Scotty Beckett) when it visits his country. He and his sidekick Shorty (Cliff Edwards) rescue him and his Aunt Marianne (Lucile Fairbanks) from conspirators who want to take over the country. 

Jessa texted me during work. She apparently had extra tickets to the Phillies-Rockies game this evening and couldn't find anyone to go with her. Did I want to come? Sure, why not? Beat sitting at home, messing around on the laptop. 

She picked me up at 5:30 to catch the 6:05 game. Fortunately, the traffic wasn't bad, not even around the stadium. Once we actually got into the parking lot, it was a different story. The Phillies weren't the only team playing this evening. The Sixers were at the Wells Fargo Center as well, playing the Miami Heat. Jess parked in the back, which means it took a while for us to dodge cars and people heading to both venues.

Citizens Bank Park is huge, with tons of food and shopping options. We walked around a bit before getting in line at a Shake Shack. She wanted a hot dog later, so she just bought fries and the "MVP Shake" - vanilla ice cream with various cookie bits and red, white, and blue sprinkles. I got the Shake with a single burger. 

We sat at the tables next to the booth as the game began. The Phillies couldn't have started off stronger against a team that's currently one of the worst in the National League. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner hit home-runs almost as soon as the game began. The Rockies couldn't get anywhere near them. By the time we'd joined 35,000 screaming fans in the stands, the Phils were up 2-1.

Jess got great seats, too, 108 on the right outfield. I could clearly see all the pitching and current batters. That was actually the last scoring anyone did for a while. At least the game moved quickly. I worried it would drag on, especially given it remained cloudy and windy all evening. Far from it. Pitcher Cristopher Sanchez struck out most of the Rockies up to bat...until a disastrous 7th inning, when he allowed 5 guys to make it through. 

Maybe the weather distracted him. The clouds that had hung on since I got home from work finally burst around 8 PM. At least the rain was neither heavy, nor did it last long. It showered lightly for about twenty minutes. By that point, it was almost the 8th inning, too late to call the game. Thankfully, the Phils managed to hang on and win the game 7-6.

The crowds were a lot of fun, too. Considering tonight is a school night, I'm surprised how many families with kids I saw in the stands. If the kids were ecstatic, the adults around them were even more so, especially once they had a few dozen yards of beer in them. The guys two rows behind us kept yelling at right fielder Nick Castallan. (Frankly, considering some of it wasn't complimentary, I hope he didn't hear them.) 

I got up during the 7th inning stretch to use the bathroom and get a snack. Jessa had done a similar run about two innings before. I liked the nifty souvenir cup she brought back, so I thought I'd get one, too. I also wasn't leaving a Philadelphia sports venue without having a soft pretzel. I found a booth that sold Aaron Nola Coke Zero cups and huge pretzels in the shape of a P.  

It once again took us a little while to get out of there. Jessa stopped for a second bathroom break before we headed out for good. When we got into the parking lot and found Jess' car, everyone was trying to leave at the same time. We pulled out at the same time as two other cars, and everyone was inching along.

Once we got away from Citizen's Bank Park, it was smooth sailing. There was no traffic anywhere going home, not even in South Philly. Jessa's husband Joe even called and gave us the play-by-play on the Sixers game, which was literally in its last seconds. Oh, yeah, and the Sixers also just barely won over the Heat by one point, 105-104, which apparently gives them the seventh seed in the playoffs. 

Power of the Birds and Bears

I was glad to see sunshine streaming through my windows when I awoke this morning. There was a lot that I needed to get done, starting with breakfast. Ran two episodes of She-Ra while I ate. Adora's at "A Loss for Words" when the sorceress Shadow Weaver steals her voice and that of several other peasants who are planning to rebel. She gets help from Bow in getting it back. She wants to rescue her brother Prince Adam - aka He-Man - from the Fright Zone alone in "He Ain't Heavy," but Bow goes after her when an old man tells her about the Moon Mirror that can open portals to other dimensions.

Finally got out around 11 to run errands. I've had a couple of bags of donations in the back room for a long time. Brought the one with all the odds and ends I've cleared out or didn't need and the bag of Ever After High dolls to the thrift shop at the church in Audubon. Picked up the soundtrack for the 1968 Rex Harrison version of Dr. Doolittle and the Johnny Mathis album Swing Softly on LP, the DVDs for Brother Bear and The Inspector General (I can't find the copy of the latter Lauren sent me a while back), and a stuffed manatee.

Headed back to Oaklyn next to do some quick volunteering at the library. They were quiet as can be the entire time. In fact, it was just me and the librarian. I talked to her and took a look at the DVDs. Found the Julie Andrews vehicle Star on the for sale racks. Since there's a new Maze Runner film coming out soon, I took out the two movies in that series. (The Haddon Township Library doesn't have the first one.)

The House of Fun is three blocks from the Oaklyn Library on the White Horse Pike. Headed there next. They were surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon. I think I may have seen one other person there besides the guy at the counter.

I actually made some pretty good finds there. The corner where the vintage stuffed animals had been kept had been better-organized, with most of them now in a bin. A stuffed My Little Pony, like the Bow Tie I found at a yard sale last year, lay on the top. She had a  rainbow-colored mane and tail and purple embroidered parasols against her bright pink fur. Unlike Bow-Tie, she came with her original tag, and her eyes were in perfect shape...but she was also quite dirty, and said tag looked like its previous owner had used it for a teething ring. The remains of the tag indicated that her name was Parasol, and that she loved sipping pink lemonade under the umbrella that gave her her name.

Also did well in the Star Wars department. I'd hoped to find a simple 12-inch Finn to go with my Rey and Poe. Found him hanging on the bottom shelves after some digging. Uncovered a fluffy 12-inch Chewbacca still in his box on a top shelf with other 12-inch Power of the Force collector's dolls.

I didn't get as lucky at the register. The poor kid had no idea what his boss had priced them. He called him 30 times on his cell phone while I waited. Good thing I'm generally a patient person...and his boss had episodes of Count Duckula running on their TV over the counter. I haven't seen the majority of that show in 30 years. I finally told the kid I'd give him 40 bucks for the lot. Chewie was a collector's item, he and Finn were still in their boxes, and Parasol had her tag.

Headed down West Clinton to Phillies Phatties for lunch. It was past 1 by that point, and they were fairly quiet as well. I saw a couple of people come in to pick up late lunches as I ate my slice of cheese, slice of mushroom, and sipped a Mountain Dew Ice (lemon-lime) soda while watching Perdue play Minnesota in college basketball. (Perdue eventually won 81-47.)

As soon as I got home, I pulled out Chewie and Finn. Finn was made out of the same stiff hard plastic as Cassian and Poe. Like Cassian, he was a fairly good representation of John Boyega, and unless I can find a better 12-inch doll along the line, I'll likely keep him. Chewie was held in with twist-ties and took a little longer to get out. Unlike the vinyl Power of the Force Luke, Lando, Leia, and Han, Chewie had wires under his thick fur that allowed him to hold poses. I had him give Han a "hug" to see what it could do. I don't know how well the wires will hold up over time, but I do know that I like his face better than the current Forces of Destiny Chewie, who looks too much like a monkey. I also like that he came with a real fabric pouch, though I wish his huge, thick vinyl bandoleer stayed on better.

Worked on writing for a little while after I got everything organized. Poe argues BB going into the factory alone. Not only is she only 8 years old, but she doesn't know the Factory well. Rose and Chewie go with her. Rose is small, strong, and knows the Factory. Just as they enter, they hear Sir Kylo Ren and his men outside. They're going to take the inventory and burn it in the incinerators! The girls know they have to do something, but they aren't sure what. Maybe the toy soldiers could help...

Headed out around 4:30 to watch the Eagles-Falcons playoffs game at Dad and Jodie's (after finally putting two of the LED lights that Linda Young sent on my bike). Jodie was stirring the ground beef for the tacos when I arrived. I also saw Mark, Vanessa, Jessa (Joe was working at Lincoln Financial Stadium), TJ and a friend of his, and Dana. (Rose couldn't come - Finley still has a cold.) We had the tacos around quarter after 5. There were mini-red velvet cupcakes and a small blue cake that said "Go Eagles!" for dessert.

The Eagles didn't play all that well during the first half. They did manage a touchdown that put them ahead 12-10 by halftime (though the kicker missed the extra score). By the 4th quarter, TJ and his friend were gone, and I was half-listening to the game and while playing a Paw Patrol game I've seen Khai play on Jodie's iPad. I finally got so tired of listening to Dad complain by the end of the 4th quarter, I left a little early. Besides, I badly needed a shower. (Dad had nothing to fuss over. The Falcons lost one last turnover that might have helped. In the end, the Eagles won 15-10 and advance to the NFC Championship game against whoever wins the Vikings-Saints game tomorrow.)

(Unfortunately, the Patriots ended up mauling the Titans 35-14 and also advanced. Yuck. Like they need to go again. I hope whomever wins the Jaguars-Steelers game flattens them.)

Finished out the night online after my shower, watching Brother Bear. This Disney action tale takes us to a native tribe in Canada shortly after the Ice Age. The middle of three brothers, Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix), has just received his "totem," his necklace representing what he needs to learn to become a man. Kenai is disgusted that he got a bear, who represents love. He doesn't think much of bears...and he's even less fond of them when one accidentally gets his older brother Sitka (D.B Sweeney) killed. He kills the bear in returned...but the Great Spirits of their tribe retaliate by turning him into a bear. The healer of his tribe (Joan Copeland) tells him he won't be changed back until he goes over the mountains to find "the great lights." Trouble is, he knows nothing about how to be an animal and is easy prey for traps and other bears. A chatty cub named Koda (Jeremy Suarez) ultimately agrees to take him to the lights..if he brings him to the salmon run with the other bears. Kenai doesn't want to, but he has no other way to get there. As they travel, they find themselves dodging Kenai's younger brother Denali (Jason Raize), who believes Kenai is the bear who killed his brothers. But when Kenai finally figures out who the bear was, he learns an important lesson about what it really means to be a brother and give love to others.

I actually find this Disney action comedy-drama to be underrated. I think this a very touching tale of what it means to be a sibling and have real compassion. The opening sequence in particular, as we see the brothers' daily lives, is interesting, fun, and well-handled. I'm also a big fan of the music by Phil Collins, especially "I'm On My Way" and the hit "Look Through Your Eyes." Some nice animation too, especially during the transformation sequences.

The big problems start once Kenai becomes a bear. The dialogue here is far too jokey and modern for a story set among primitive man and strains way too hard to be hip. While Koda didn't bother me (I mostly found him to be cute), many critics have sided with Kenai that he's a bit too talkative and annoying.

I love bears, so I'd probably like this under any circumstances. It's not the best movie of Disney's troubled early 2000's era, but it's not as bad as many critics claim, either. If you ever run into it, or have older kids who love action and animals and can handle the drama, it's definitely worth a look.

Road to Vacation

Was up with Lauren very late last night. I slept in this morning, then finally had Zucchini-Apple Pancakes for breakfast. Ran two vacation-themed Monkees episodes as I savored my meal and did the dishes. Mexico's "A Nice Place to Visit" in the second season opener, but the boys aren't sure they want to stay there when Davy falls for the girlfriend of a bandit. The other three dress as bandits when the group kidnaps their British friend. They're "Monkees In Manhattan" in the late first season when they're invited to New York to star in a new rock musical...but the show may never get off the ground if they can't first find a way to stay in their hotel room, then get the show a backer.

Headed out to the laundromat as soon as I finished breakfast. I had to get a big load done if I wanted to finish my packing. I'm glad I showed up when I did. About ten minutes after I stuffed my clothes in the washer, the room started to fill with families and older people getting their things done. I listened to Olympic Women's Basketball (the US walloped China 105-62) and worked on story notes.

I went home, put everything away, packed what I needed for the week, and headed right back out. I wanted to use that $5 WaWa gift card I got from the Haddon Township Library before they closed and I left town. A lot of the shelves are missing items, and the displays are gone, but I still was able to pick up a roast beef hoagie on a whole wheat roll, a bag of baked multi-grain chips, and their amazing Chocolate Banana Smoothie.

When I got home, I ate my hoagie and chips and watched most of Road to Rio. Musicians Hot Lips Barton (Bob Hope) and Scat Sweeney (Bing Crosby) stow away on board a luxury liner bound for Rio after they accidentally burn down a circus. Scat's a sucker for a sad story from a weeping female, and despite Hot Lips' admonishment, he finds himself stopping an heiress named Lucia (Dorothy Lamour) from jumping overboard. Lucia is being hypnotized by her scheming aunt (Gale Sondergaard) who is after her money. The more she blows hot and cold, the more baffled the two performers are. They do sneak her off the boat and make her part of their act with a trio of Brazilian singers...but even then, she stops the performance and reveals the singers don't speak English. The two follow her to her family's home in the country to find out what her aunt is really after and save her from a loveless marriage.

Not one of my favorite Road to...movies, but it does have its moments, especially on the boat and in the finale. Bing also gives us two standards, the lovely "But Beautiful" and the jaunty "You Don't Have to Know the Language," the latter with the Andrews Sisters. This was actually the biggest hit of all the Road movies at the time, in fact the top hit of 1948. Doesn't hold up as well today, but it's still cute if you're a fan of the Road series or Bing and Bob.

I hadn't gone swimming since Dad's birthday party a few weeks ago. I desperately needed it. The pool was empty, to my surprise, when I arrived around 3. Rose and Khai were at a birthday party for a friend of his at Chuck E Cheese's, and most everyone else is on vacation. I had it totally to myself the entire hour I was in it. It was soooo warm! The thermometer tied to the ladder on the deep end said 95 degrees. I think that's the warmest Dad's pool has ever been. It was like bath water. And no wonder - it was hot and hazy and humid again today, still in the upper 90's. The patio chairs were so boiling hot, I couldn't sit in them. I took my shoes off sitting on the faux brick patio.

Went inside to say "hi" to Dad and Jodie when I finally managed to climb out of the pool. They were both working on their computers while listening to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes on USA. Jodie told me either Craig or Rose will drive me to Cherry Hill tomorrow, and I really needed to call Rose when I got home.

Which I did. As soon as I got into the shower and got organized, I rang her up on my cell phone. She couldn't talk long. She was on her way to another party with Khai. We did confirm that she'll be there tomorrow at 11:45.

Did some writing after I finished lunch. Ben explains to Luke and Leia how Empire Industries tore down many of the older and more venerable businesses on the west side of town to make room for newer hotels and condos. The twins are disappointed that many of their favorite haunts in the past are now gone forever and vow to help their uncle fight to keep more businesses from falling to the company.

Broke for dinner around 6:30. I made a simple meal of a cheddar cheese omelet and fruit salad while watching the end of Road to Rio. Ran a few black-and-white Mickey Mouse shorts while I cleaned up from dinner. Some "Wild Waves" carry Minnie out to sea. Mickey rescues her, then cheers her up on land with the help of some friendly beach critters. Mickey competes in the cross-county event of the "Barnyard Olympics." Pete's in there, too, and would do anything to get ahead of his rival and impress Minnie and Clarabelle!

Finished the night with Lego Star Wars. I looked up online how to get through "Lego City." Turns out I missed two metal items I couldn't destroy with blasters or lightsabers. Bounty hunters have to set bombs to get rid of those. Good thing I'd just splurged and bought Greedo. For once, I didn't mind if he shot first! He and Darth Maul got through it in about 25 minutes, better than the 40 it took me last night, though not as good as some experienced players online.

That's the last bonus round I'll be doing for a while. You need 50 gold bricks to get into the last bonus game, and I only have 43. I'll be going to Free Play for a while to earn more money and more bricks when I get back from vacation.

V for Philly Victory

Started a sunny but very windy morning with a little bit of Tiny Toon Adventures after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ended. "Cinemaniacs" from the first season has Babs and Buster doing some (literal) theater-hopping as they check out three shorts spoofing popular movie franchises. "SuperBabs" has fun with the DC Universe as superheroine Babs saves Acme Acres from being inked out. Plucky, Hampton, and a rare speaking Furball go on a "Duck Trek" to avoid Gossamer Monster on a very hairy planet. "Pasadena Jones and the Secret of Life" has Buster channeling Indiana Jones as he dodges Montana Max and searches for that all-important artifact.

Work was busier than it has been the rest of this week. Though many people probably went to the big parade honoring college basketball national champs Villanova in Philly, others opted to take advantage of the sun before the rains come to get their shopping done. I mostly did returns, but I did have to duck into the register a few times.

Got my schedule during break. I'm working short shifts on Sunday and Monday, then I have a regular day off Tuesday, and then...vacation! It's running through the 19th. I'm not doing anything major besides a mall run, the usual chores, a lot of writing, counseling, and enjoying my birthday on Thursday. I was so busy through most of March, between work and everything going on here, I desperately need the week off.

I had a ton of grocery shopping to do today! They were running a lot of really good sales. Jenny-O Lean Ground Turkey was only $1.99! I couldn't resist that, even though I have ground turkey in the fridge. Chicken drumsticks were on sale, too. Took advantage of the continuing clearance of the older Acme generic brands to pick up a 12-pack of AA batteries at a good price. Had a ton of restocking to do, especially baking items - sugar, chocolate chips, bubble bath, tissues (I was almost out), pears (the ones I had last week were so darn juicy!), grapefruit, bananas, condensed Acme/Safeway generic Cream of Chicken and Tomato soups, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, aluminum foil, muffin cups, and peanut butter. Since I'd gotten a coupon for Wheat Thins Chips in one of the Monopoly game pieces, I thought I'd give them a shot.

When I got home and finally got everything put away, I did a quick writing session. Vader doesn't exactly take his daughter and a lowly criminal out-foxing his men well. He uses his magic to choke the man responsible to death. Another officer tell him the huntsmen he's called (the equivalent of bounty hunters in this universe) has arrived. They're scum, but as Vader points out, they're useful scum. They know Han better than the Imperial Army does. Meanwhile, Vader's master, King Palapatine, has arrived to talk about young Skywalker...

Finished the night with a quick leftovers dinner and an episode of Good Eats. The Wheat Thins are a rare treat for me. I almost never buy crackers in a box. Alton Brown provides three alternatives in "Going Crackers." The graham crackers look especially tasty. I need to look around for graham flour the next time I'm shopping for baking items.

The Spring Awakens

I slept in again. Had a late breakfast while watching a couple of swashbuckling Backyardigans episodes. Pablo is "Robin Hood the Clean," who comes to Filthingham to save the villagers from from the very dirty Mayor Stinkypants (Austin) and teach him how much fun bathing can be. Pablo and Tyrone are "The Two Musketeers," making balloon animals and running from the Queen's Guards (Austin and Uniqua), but who is that hippo girl who wants to join them?

The laundromat was busy when I arrived around 12:30, with at least two or three families doing their laundry. Thankfully, they mostly seemed to be using the dryers at that point. I did get a washer with no problems. I had a very big pile of laundry to do, including towels. Listened to the news gush about Villanova's big win in the National Championships yesterday before The Chew came on.

As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. It was really a rather nice day, very windy and rather chilly for April, but sunny and bright and actually not as bad as I thought it would be. (It could have been a lot worse. Lauren told me Western Massachusetts got three inches of snow over the weekend.) It was pretty late by the time I finally got going, past 2:30. I dodged traffic on Cuthbert and headed for Westmont.

First stop was Friendly's for lunch. They have a couple of specials going, among them a $9.99 meal that includes free ice cream. I had the basic All-American Burger (cheap fake patty on a brioche bun with lots of mayo, cheese, and veggies) and very hot fries. Decided I'd try something unusual for dessert. Friendly's ice cream specials this month have a candy bar theme. I couldn't resist the Candy Bar Ice Cream Sandwich, caramel-candy ice cream between two Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts, rolled in flaked Take 5 bars. Wow. Can we say "decadent?" Very, very sweet and rich. Brilliant idea, though. I might try it sometime, maybe with lighter-tasting fruit-based Pop Tarts and vanilla or fruity ice cream.

There was nothing going on at the Haddon Township Library when I arrived. They must have gotten those new shelves in. The kids' DVD spinning racks were stacked on top of one another. They were out of order, and I couldn't find the CDs at all. I organized them as best I could. There were no new releases to shelve, and only one audio book. I didn't take anything out this week. I want to concentrate on cleaning and writing.

Ran to a couple of different  places next after leaving the Library. The Westmont Acme was insanely busy with rush-hour customers when I got in at 4. I just grabbed toilet paper and batteries there. (Also got to say hello to a manager who once worked at the Aububon Acme.) CVS and Rite Aid were a lot less busy. I grabbed Dawn dish washing liquid on sale at CVS. Stopped at Rite Aid for a new Minute Maid Mixed Berry Sparkling Juice and what I really wanted, the DVD copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted today. It was their last copy, and at $19,99, it was a little pricey but not horrible. I probably could have gotten it cheaper at Amazon, but this was Star Wars. I didn't want to wait.

Spent the rest of the evening at home, working on fanfiction. I even ate dinner while working. Vader interviews the snooty Hux in his own fashion about the Rebels who attacked him (i.e, he nearly throttles him to death). Hux tells him about the group who robbed him and how close they were while begging Vader to spare him - his wife is with child. Vader does, but only because he wants him to order a trap be laid for the Rebels In the Woods. He has sensed Luke's strong Force magic and is determined to train him and Leia in the Dark Force Arts...but first, he has to get that meddling Han Solo that they're so close to out of the way...

Let It Be Sunny

It was still beautiful and warm when I woke up this morning. This week's Brunch With the Beatles covered the Beatles in 1970 and 1971. This being the time of the Beatles' break-up, the only group releases were "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" (along with the odd "You Know My Name, Look Up the Number"). Solo efforts included "It Don't Come Easy" from Ringo, "Uncle Albert" and "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul, "Instant Kharma," "Power to the People," and "Jealous Guy" by John, and "What Is Life?" and "My Sweet Lord" by George.

I called Mom after I finished my Banana and Pineapple Pancakes. Mom was a bit harried - she was trying to get work done in her yard. She wished me a happy birthday, and I told her I cashed her check, and about my plans for tomorrow. We discussed my brother's visit (he spent most of it either with his old friends, his dad, or playing with his nephews), her starting her new job at the Ferry in a few weeks, and about how we can both relate to customers driving us crazy (and I shouldn't let it bother me so much). She also gave me a great idea for Rose's birthday present, which I still hadn't gotten around to getting. Rose is so hard to shop for!

After I got off with Mom, I finished my pancakes and headed out to do the laundry. I don't usually do chores on Sundays, but I didn't want to do my laundry tomorrow or wait until Friday. It wasn't that busy, mostly with college students and working mothers who can't do the laundry any other day. I read The Three Musketeers and listened to Action News and the NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers (which Indiana apparently won, 102-97).

When I got home, I ran some birthday-themed programming while putting my clothes away and quickly eating leftover soup for lunch. Ruby's hoping for a surprise party from her friends in "Surprise Ruby," but it turns into a real surprise when Max makes her follow him with her beloved birthday tiara. "Ruby's Birthday Party" with all her friends is a lot of fun...but Max would rather eat cake than play games. Max wants to use the paper from "Ruby's Birthday Present," but Ruby would rather keep them for her scrapbook. Max finds an even better use for it.

Mickey Mouse had just as much fun at his first of three birthday parties in 1931. "The Birthday Party" is a basic "everyone sings and dances" black and white short that does feature Mickey's fun with a xylophone and his and Minnie's charming duet to "I Can't Give You Anything But Love."

It was a lovely day to ride to work, windy but still very warm, probably in the mid to upper 70s. Despite the nice day, we were very busy for most of the afternoon. It didn't really slow down until almost a half-hour before I finished. I was in and out with no problems.

March Madness and Other Spring Stories

We opened on an absolutely gorgeous, sunny spring day with this week's American Top 40 re-run. Late March 1984 would have been a rather exciting time for my family. That was when Mom announced that she was pregnant with a third daughter, who would become my youngest sister Anna. The hits that eventful early spring included "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins, "Hello" by Lionel Richie, "Miss Me Blind" by Culture Club, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, "Automatic" by the Pointer Sisters, "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, and the German smash "99 Luftballons" by Nena. That week's #1 song was the title tune from the year's blockbuster movie musical, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins.

After the American Top 40 ended, I quickly changed two of my dolls into Easter outfits. Samantha and Felicity were fine in what they were wearing. Molly now sports her cute aqua Polka-Dot Outfit, with navy ribbons in her pigtails. Jessa is more eclectic; she wears Kit's floral skirt from her "meet" outfit with a magenta t-shirt, white socks, and Samantha's black plastic Mary-Janes.

Started out for a few errands in the Oaklyn area after I finished with the dolls. First on my list was a quick stop at CVS. I forgot one Easter card last week for my landlord and his wife Andrew and Linda. Tried Reese's White Chocolate Egg there - I'd never seen the single pack at the Acme. Not bad, but lacking the sweet/salty taste of the milk chocolate version.

I walked by Dad's on my way to CVS, but there was no car in the driveway. There still wasn't when I went by there again, but I decided to see if anyone was around anyway. Yes, Dad was home, preparing to work in the yard and the pool area. He's having the pool completely remodeled this spring. It needs new concrete around the perimeter of the pool, and it's starting to leak. He says the firm he hired will start next week. Jodie was doing some last-minute shopping at the Acme; she arrived shortly before I left.

Dad and Jodie are having Easter dinner at their house this year. It sounds like the same deal as their Christmas Eve party. The guest list includes Rose and her boys, Mark and Vanessa, several neighbors, Jessa and her boyfriend Bobby, Jodie's sons Jesse and TJ, Jesse's girlfriend Dana, and a few members of Jodie's family. As it turns out, they're not having dinner until 4 - no one is up to a lot of holiday traveling this year.

Headed to the Oaklyn Library after leaving Dad's. This time, I mainly concentrated on the children's books. The Library was almost completely empty. There were only two women working on computers and the librarian. The day was too nice for hanging around inside. I wasn't there long, either. I was out again around 12:30.

Made several quick stops next. WaWa didn't have heavy cream. Family Dollar did have trash bags and dry-erase bags...but the store was so busy, and the line was so long, I decided it wasn't worth the effort of waiting for them. I'll buy them from Acme or Rite Aid later in the week. I checked out my first yard sale of the season on the end of West Oakland Avenue. There wasn't much left by 1, but I did buy two cookies from a pair of enterprising little girls.

Since it was two blocks down anyway, I tried Aunt Berta's Kitchen as a special Easter treat. Aunt Berta's is a popular soul food restaurant and catering service on the White Horse Pike, a block from Capitol Pizza and the laundromat. No wonder they've gotten good reviews from everyone I've talked to who tried them. The salmon cakes and stewed collard greens I ordered were delicious. The salmon cake had a perfectly soft center and dark, crunchy fried shell. The greens were the right amount of salty/sweet. There were thick slabs of cornbread, too. The salmon cakes were so big, I took one and a slice of cornbread home for lunch later this week.

I do wish the service had been a little faster, but it is the day before Easter. The catering part of the business is probably swamped with orders. I watched Ohio State beat Wisconsin in a game from earlier in the March Madness tournament - Ohio State was playing later today. (They eventually lost to Wichita State, 70-66.)

Though it was still a pretty nice day when I finished lunch, my legs were getting tired from all the walking, and I had things I wanted to do at home. When I got in, I ran cartoons and started cupcakes. I've made an Orange Coconut Mousse Pie for Easter dinner for the last few years. While that was tasty, this year, I wanted something that was easier to transport and better for kids and young adults who would have been eating sugar all day by 4PM. I used that Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix I bought yesterday, added buttermilk, sliced strawberries, applesauce, and mashed bananas, and made Strawberry-Banana Cupcakes.

As soon as the cupcakes were out of the oven, I was in the bath. I needed a bath. This was a fairly busy week. I've really come to enjoy my baths. I read Simple Abundance and just enjoyed the (relative) peace and quiet of a busy spring day.

After my bath, I made a lamb chop with steamed asparagus and Spinach and Greens Salad for dinner while watching various Easter and spring specials. Uniqua becomes a plant-based superhero who fights the dark Gloom Meister (Austin) in The Backyardigans episode "Flower Power." "Spring In Acme Acres" brings thoughts of love with the wrong species, avoiding spring cleaning at Elmyra's, and competing in crazy game shows to the Tiny Toons. Ruby finds all the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid, but her little brother is the one who gets the prize in "Max's Chocolate Chicken." Bugs and Granny try to find an Easter Bunny replacement among the Looney Tunes in Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. Daffy doesn't do much better with a paint brush with a wicked sense of humor in Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement. Yogi is determined to bring the Easter Bunny to Jellystone Park's Easter Jamboree - and save his and Ranger Smith's necks in the process - in Yogi the Easter Bear. And in Here Comes Peter Cottontail, the title character has to travel through a year's worth of holidays in order to deliver enough eggs to become the new head Easter Bunny.

I did two more Easter programs on YouTube. Brother Bear learns about the miracle of spring...and other kinds of miracles...in the early 80s special The Bernstein Bears' Easter Surprise.

Part 1
Part 2

This Silly Symphony from the mid-30s is one of Disney's few attempts at a springtime short. It's cutsey, but it has a catchy theme song, and the color is gorgeous.

Funny Little Bunnies

For those of you who won't be around tomorrow, I hope you all have a great Easter (and Passover, too)!

Philly Phanatics

It took a while to actually get to the game. I called Jodie this morning when I finally got up and about...and my stepsister Jessa called ME at the same time. She originally suggested going to Citizen's Bank Park by train, but that would have taken over an hour! Train is what she knows best. We finally worked out a quicker route via Google Maps...at the same time she called and said she asked our Uncle Ken, who is a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan and has been to many games, the fastest route to the Sports Complex Area.

We did finally make it to the game around 12:30. It was a gorgeous day for a ball game, nicer than the last time we went. While it was still sunny and hot in the stands, it wasn't nearly as warm or humid. There was a cool breeze blowing through South Philadelphia that felt really nice, too. Lauren had the perfect seats - 141, second row, seats 1 & 2, the section in front of the main concourse floor of Harry the K's Bar & Grille. ("Harry the K" being beloved Phillies sportscaster Harry Kalas, who died in 2009.) We had a great view of the whole game (ignoring the drunken idiots behind us who kept making fun of the men and one woman selling beer, bottled water, popcorn, and peanuts in the stands).

Lauren and I had promised we wouldn't spend nearly as much money this time around as we did last year. Lauren bought a slice of pizza and a bottle of soda and got water for both of us in the stands. I bought a gigantic soft pretzel and a program. Otherwise, we wanted to save our money for our trip into downtown Philadelphia next week.

I wish the game was as much fun as the crowd at the stadium. Even I could tell that the Phillies played badly. One of the Red Sox shot a home run into the stands (not near us, alas) two minutes into the first inning! It didn't get much better from there. The Red Sox got another homer later in the third inning that brought home three players. The Phillies improved a little in the second half, but it was too little, too late. The Sox won 5-1.

Citizen's Bank Park was really fun today. For one thing, there were tons of really little kids around. Apparently, they were giving out free Hot Wheels-sized toy trucks to kids under 14. (I loved the adorable little female fan in the Phillies sailor-style dress and her daddy, who sat in the seats across the aisle from us.) Lots of groups were having outings, too. I got bored with the game and feeling hot and walked around during the bottom of the 7th, enjoying the sights around Harry the K's and checking out the Memory Lane Phillies history wall, which I didn't get to do last year.

I briefly rejoined Lauren in the stands, but we finally decided we'd had enough of sitting down. Lauren needed to use the bathroom, and I wanted to call Jessa and tell her the game was almost over. After Lauren finished, we watched the last inning together with the standing crowd. Heavy clouds had moved in around 2:30, and a wilder, cooler wind came with them. It felt really nice up there, as the wind whistled down the concourse and over our backs.

The game ended around 4:30. Jessa picked us up about 15 minutes later. Her boyfriend Bobby joined us this time around. As with last year, the worst traffic was around the stadium area. (Good thing the Sixers play tomorrow night and in Boston. I can only imagine what the traffic's like when more than one team is playing.) Otherwise, it was smooth sailing both ways.

Lauren and I decided we weren't up to anything resembling cooking, or even tossing leftovers together. Jessa dropped us off at the Oaklyn Manor Bar, a few blocks from my apartment. Lauren had a Pizza Cheese Steak. I had Cheese Steak Sliders. (Three deep-fried mini cheesesteaks.) We shared a plate of fries and watched sports games on the TVs around the bar's outdoor patio. (The Miami Heat was losing when we were there, but they ultimately went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Semi-Finals. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Kings couldn't get anything going against southwestern rivals the Phoenix Coyotes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.)

The sun had been in and out since we got back to Oaklyn, but the clouds seemed to be taking over as we finished dinner. That was fine by us. It made for a rather pleasant walk to WaWa for our favorite fountain sodas with flavored syrups. I recreated Dr. Pepper's Berries n' Cream Soda from a few years ago using Diet Dr. Pepper and cherry, raspberry, and vanilla syrups. Lauren had her favorite cherry and raspberry syrup in Mello Yello. The wind had picked up, and it felt absolutely marvelous as we strolled along together.

When we got in, we watched some cartoons and went online. The weather isn't supposed to be great tomorrow, so we don't really have any major plans besides a trip to the laundromat.

Oh, and we both had enough sense to put on suntan lotion before we left and wear baseball caps to shade our faces. My chest and neck got red, but some of that might be leftover from yesterday, and it's nowhere near as bad as last year. Lauren said she bathed in sunblock; she's fine.

Putting It Together

Before I started in on my bed, I did have Strawberry Multi-Grain Pancakes for breakfast while listening to Brunch With the Beatles. "Award Winning Beatles Songs" was the theme today. Grammy winning Beatles songs include "Hey Jude," "A Hard Day's Night," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Sgt. Pepper"'s title song and "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Had a quick chat with Mom during the Beatles show. She'd just gotten out of the shower and obviously wanted to get dressed and moving on her errands. Like me, she plans on spending her week working outside once Mother Nature calms down.

I spent the next two hours putting my new bed together. It's pretty big for a daybed, and very heavy! I had to move my new bookshelf, the phone stand, and the crate I use for a nightstand away from the back wall. I used to have just the front of the mattress and box spring against the wall, with the rest jutting out into the room. With the closets taking up one wall and the heater along the other, there just isn't anywhere else I could put it. I moved the stuffed animals into the back room while I worked; the AG dolls and Disney Animator's Collection girls watched me from my desk chair.

As it turned out, the bed came with everything but one screw and directions. I keep screws and nuts leftover from previous projects in an old plastic butter container in the antique dresser in the living room. The last section of the head board was put together with a golden piece from I believe one of the Ikea shelves. I call it "The Golden Spike." (I think it actually worked better than the ones they provided.)

The lack of directions was a problem. It took me at least ten minutes to figure out that the nuts were to help the screws stay in the holes. There was also the fact I was doing this alone. I had no one to hold up the metal bed frame so it would stay in place. I eventually used the nightstand and another crate for that job.

It took me so long to figure everything out, after I was finished and the sheet was on, I had twenty minutes to eat lunch, pack dinner, change, and head to work! I managed to make it only slightly late and with no injuries this time. Work was busy when I came in. In addition to the beginning of the month and many barbecues and birthday parties, it was a big sports day. The Sixers played even as I arrived; they ultimately beat the Bulls 89-82. The Phillies played while I was at work, and the Flyers started as I was heading home at 7:30.

I finished putting the sheets, comforter, and stuffed animals on my new bed when I got in. It is so much easier to make an actual bed than it is a mattress and a box spring! With the mattress not jammed between the crate and the phone stand anymore, I can actually get the sheets and blanket on without a struggle. I moved the old mattress and box spring and the phone stand to the porch; they'll be taken downstairs later in the week for trash removal. The phone stand is one of the cheap furniture pieces I picked up from Ames when I first moved to Wildwood in 2002. Not only has it always been a little wobbly, I didn't do a great job of constructing it and actually chipped one side when I was screwing the parts together. (In my defense, I wasn't feeling well at the time. I called out the next day with a nasty flu bug.) The phone is now on the crate nightstand.

All of my stuffed animals fit on the day bed, including the dolls. Good thing, because I haven't figured out where to put their bed yet. That and the bookshelf will be organized tomorrow.

Oh, and while the Phillies blasted the Washington Nationals 9-3, the Flyers lost to the New Jersey Devils 4-2. The latter had better get their rears in gear before their eliminated from the playoffs...

Christmas Day With the Family

Christmas Day dawned sunny and chilly but not too cold in Southern New Jersey. I wrote in my journal first before I made my way to the tree, where presents from my friends Linda & James Young awaited me. They usually give me books, and this year was no exception. I received the second book in the Nick of Time series, The Time Pirate, one of the Dear America series of stories about young girls in different time periods, this one focused on World War II, The Fences Between Us, and a Collier's Junior Classics book of short stories set around various holidays. They also gave me three DVDs. I don't have the Disney live-action movie The Island at the Top of the World or the first season of Night Court (I have the second, but not the first), but I do already have the Warner official copy of 'Till the Clouds Roll By. That last one will probably go to a library. My "stocking stuffer" was a mini version of Marie Grace, one of the two new American Girl historical characters who came out last summer. She traveled with me all day.

Normally on a Sunday, I would have gone into making pancakes and listening to the Beatles show right after finishing with my presents, but today I had a treat. Dad and his girlfriend Jodie had invited me, Rose, and her boys over for a breakfast of something Jodie called "French Toast Casserole." I went over earlier than planned, around 9AM. I had just enough time to round up my remaining gifts and watch Garfield's Christmas Special before Rose and her family drove us over to Dad's.

Jodie's "French Toast Casserole" was apparently something she'd gotten off of Paula Deen's show, and was more-or-less a bread pudding made with eggs and challah bread, with a crusty butter and sugar topping. It was delicious, especially with syrup. Dad, Jodie, my stepsister Jessa, Uncle Ken, and his girlfriend Dolores all had gifts for everyone. Khai loved his new chunky wooden puzzle and train set from Pop Pop Bruce and Grandma Jodie; he loved his big dump truck and plastic drill from Great-Uncle Ken and Dolores even more. Dad ran the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story on TBS in the background all morning. Uncle Ken had Indiana Jones movies on.

I gave Jodie her pudding pie; she said she'd save it for her get-together with her aunt and her family later. I gave Dad cupcakes. Uncle Ken is a big fan of Rachel Ray and enjoyed his cookbook. Jessa got socks in funky patterns. I always give her weird socks. She loves them. She gave me a really cook retro Star Wars tin lunchbox...but instead of containing a Thermos, it came with cookie cutters in the shape of a TIE Fighter (bad-guy ship) and the Millenium Falcon (Han Solo's ship).

While Khai played happily with his new train set and his parents and grandparents cooed over how cute and well-behaved he was, I had a nice chat with Jessa. It turns out that she's off of her job as a cashier at a local car dealership tomorrow, too. We decided to get together tomorrow around noon for some serious shopping at the Cherry Hill Mall and the near-by Barnes and Noble.

Rose, Craig, and Khai left for Craig's mom's house around noon. Dad, Jodie, and I headed for my cousins Samantha and David's home in Chews Landing soon afterwards. Everyone was in high spirits when we arrived. Six-year-old Faith was thrilled to have gotten her first Barbie doll and accessories. In fact, she got the Barbie doll and playset for that Princess Charm School special I rented a few weeks ago. She also raved about her new Barbie-themed scooter ("Now I don't have to borrow Matt's anymore!"), the Disney Princess tent her brothers gave her, and a remote control My Little Pony airplane.

Oh, and she loved the vintage My Little Ponies I gave her. Ethan and Matt seemed to like the toss game I gave them, too. Samantha and David gave me a tin of cookies, like always. Sam makes great cookies. I liked the molasses cookies David's father made, too. Ethan and Matt were especially thrilled with their new Kirby Wii game. Dad somehow got Ethan and Matt's Game Stop gift cards and cards with money mixed up with each other and with another gift card, but I think he did get things settled.

We ran into Samntha's mother (and Uncle Ken's ex-wife) Jayne and her husband Mario on the way out. They live in Florida now and don't visit as often. I'm glad they'll at least get the card I left for them.

We relaxed at Uncle Ken's for a little while after getting back from Sam and David's. I read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and chatted with Jessa. Jess had gone up to Sam and David's on her own, but she doesn't know Jodie's family well and really had no desire to join us for dinner.

Maybe she was the smart one. Jodie's family is very sweet, but I don't know them well, either. I had no idea what to say to any of them. It was mostly teenagers and college students, including Jodie's sons Jesse and T.J, and middle-aged and elderly people like Dad and Jodie. I did tell Jodie and her Aunt Colleen that I still want to start my own business...but I want to take some non-credit business courses before I do anything major.

I did eat dinner with them. I had turkey, macaroni salad, three stuffed shells, garden salad, green bean casserole (apparently a request of one of Colleen's sons), and a roll downstairs in their huge den. It's so big, it includes full-sized exercise equipment, a bar, a 40-inch TV, a fireplace, and shelves and shelves of old books and toys. NBA games were running all during dinner. (The Miami Heat beat the Mavericks; the Lakers-Bulls game was just starting as dinner finished.)

Though I appreciated dinner, I was really getting bored. Jodie must have realized that. She asked her son Jesse and his girlfriend to take me home right after dinner ended. She and Dad were going to move onto her dad's later. They did just that, and I spent the rest of a quiet evening watching The House Without a Christmas Tree (another, less goofy story about a kid in the 40s who wants something special for Christmas) and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Here's hoping you had a lovely Christmas Day, with all of your own family!

What Goes Around...

I think I finally got it. Whatever has been taking out a quarter of the Acme's employees has gotten to me. I feel lousy. I have headache, I have a stomachache, I feel warm (despite a much cooler, 80-degree day), I have a sore throat, I'm tired.

I had the headache and sore throat this morning, but I took ibruprophin and a throat drop this morning and felt well enough to go for a ride. I didn't want to sit around like I did yesterday. It was just too nice.

I rode down the White Horse Pike, past Oaklyn and Audubon, up to the corner of East Kings' Highway and the White Horse Pike. I explored the small stores and cafes I saw there when I was in the area on my birthday in April. The gift shop was pretty much a larger version of Wilie the Woodsman in Audubon, with almost the exact same selection of WebKinz at a few dollars more. (The clothes were cheaper than Willie's, but I really don't like to dress up my offline stuffed animals. It seems silly. I may eventually buy or make red shirts and trousers for my Monkee WebKinz, and some of the seasonal WebKinz may also get appropriate costumes.)

I also stopped at a little ice cream parlor/cafe called Coffee Garden on the other end of the block. I had a bottled green iced tea that was too sweet and a strawberry scone that tasted of strawberries that had been out for too long. Maybe I'll try the ice cream next time.

In the spirit of adventure (and in an attempt to fill some time, since I didn't work until 4 today), I crossed the busy East Kings' Highway/White Horse Pike intersection and continued down East Kings' Highway. I rode down the highway, dodging cars, phone repair trucks, and annoying little dogs. (What did I say about people not keeping their dogs on leashes, especially on a major road?) I found myself at Newton Lake Park in Mt. Ephram, a town about 15 minutes or so by bike from Oaklyn and less than 5 from the Audubon Acme and Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. It was partly cloudy, windy, and cooler than it has been, but the green trees and lapping lake were refreshing after the road.

I made my way to Mt. Ephram. I've never been there on my own before. It's one of the many little towns on the Black Horse Pike, the busier, northern cousin of the White Horse Pike. Unlike the White Horse Pike, most of the businesses on the Black Horse Pike probably date to between the 30s and the 70s, when America's love-affair with the car was at an all-time high. Rose had warned me that Mt. Ephram could be very rough and nasty, but I had no problems when I was there. It's probably worse after dark.

I found another store that was rumored to have WebKinz. Kerry's Party Store looked more-or-less like the Collingswood Variety Store or a Dollar Tree exploded. Nothing was organized, there were piles of everything on all of the shelves, and things were jammed everywhere. It looked like a mess, but I did manage to find a shower curtain (thought I'd try a nice yellow, magenta, and green floral print). I finally found the WebKinz on a shelf behind the counter. (Probably to keep that rough town from stealing the tags. I've heard about that happening in some places, although I've never seen a WebKinz in the store without a tag.) WebKinz large and small were only $10, but they didn't have anything I wanted.

I made a quick stop in CVS to see if they had any Sensodyne on sale; when they didn't, I headed down the Black Horse Pike to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center, passing the Golden Corral on the way. The Golden Corral is a buffet restaraunt like Old Country Buffet, but much larger. I'll have to go there sometime after work, now that I know it's behind PepBoys.

I ended up in FYE to see if they had The Sword In the Stone: 45th Anniversary Edition in yet. Alas, their shipment hadn't arrived. The kid at the desk was just as disappointed as me; apparently, Sword In the Stone is one of his favorite Disney movies. I ended up with my second venture into 21st Century technology in two days instead, a small MP3 player, one that can be carried around on a clip or a key ring. I thought I'd rip CDs onto it for long trips like my bus rides to New England. It would save an amazing amount of room in my carry-on bag.

I rested when I got home. I still wasn't feeling that great, but since I was able to to for a ride, I decided to go to work. I'm probably lucky it wasn't busy tonight and there was plenty of help for the first time in ages. By the time I got home, I'd added an achy neck to everything else I felt.

Oh yes, and two announcements. First of all, Lauren and I finished the main story of this month's Monkees Role Play tonight and will do the tag tomorrow. Look for it within the next few days, depending on how my head feels.

Speaking of Lauren, congradulations to her other favorite team, the Boston Celtics, for defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and winning their first NBA Championship in 16 years and their 17th title overall. While we're at it, I'll also extend some congrats to the Philadelphia 76ers for making it to the playoffs despite a so-so year. :)