I'm a Wanderer
Had a big Red Onion, Mushroom, and Cheddar Cheese Omlet for breakfast, then finished watching Nashville. It was a beautiful day, slightly more humid than yesterday but still sunny, breezy, and warm. I had DVDs and books due at the library, so that was my first stop after I finally headed out around quarter of noon.
Despite the beautiful day, the library was packed. The children's DVDs were a mess, so I started there. I shelved and organized the DVDs and helped the kids find things they wanted. One little boy was interested in Pokemon; he ended up with the Pokemon Ranger movie. A mother and her two toddler daughters requested Mickey Mouse. There were, once again, stacks of adult DVDs to shelve as well. It took me a long time to get all of them done. I didn't take anything out this week. I'm not sure I'll have the time for DVDs and extra books this week.
I kinda just wandered around after leaving the Library. It was well past lunch time, but I wasn't really hungry. (I guess I'm not the only one who eats lunch late. There was an amazingly long line at the McDonald's drive-in on Cuthbert Road.) I rode down to the Dollar General and bought a new shower curtain (the old one was disgusting), then stopped at the 7-11 next-door to the Westmont Acme. I just got a soft pretzel and a Slurpee in an X-Men Origins: Wolverine Wolverine cup. (It was the last Wolverine cup they had, too. They had tons of Transformers, Terminator, Sabertooth, a little of Gambit, and even some Iron Man and Incredible Hulk leftover from last year...but I only found one with Hugh Jackman on it.)
Kept riding down Cuthbert and into Westmont proper after lunch. I stopped briefly at the mom-and-pop video store there, but didn't walk out with anything. Bored, I went in the opposite direction down Haddon Avenue into Collingswood to see if the Variety Store had any of the July WebKinz yet. Nope. Nothing of interest. (And the packs of Series 2 cards cost $3.99! No way.)
By this point, dark clouds were beginning to gather, and the wind was picking up, though it remained hot and mildly humid. I was out of things to do with the money I had, so I just rode home. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching X-Men: The Last Stand and doing more cleaning - swept the porch and scrubbed the kitchen.
(And it's beyond me why most people are so hard on Last Stand. I enjoyed it. In fact, my only real complaint is my only complaint about all three movies - I love these characters so much, I really want to see more of them, especially Kelsey Grammer's awesome Beast.)
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label bike riding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bike riding. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Son of Return of the Farm Market
Began this morning with the usual cereal and Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry and her friends want to enjoy the last of the warm fall weather before the cold sets in, so they decide to go on a camp-out. Huckleberry Pie is thrilled. Ginger Snap, not so much. She's so afraid of the dark, she packs every flashlight she can get her hands on and even builds a light-making machine! Strawberry and the gang try to prove to her that the dark isn't as scary as she thinks, but when they all get lost in the woods, it's Ginger Snap who teaches them a thing or two about there being nothing to fear but fear itself...and overactive imaginations.
I skipped Care Bears in favor of getting an early on today's errands. The earlier, the better. The weather did NOT look good. It was raining pretty hard when I got out of bed, but by the time I headed for the bank, the rain was at least on hold. The bank was surprisingly empty, but I did get there fairly early.
My next stop was the opening day of the Collingswood Farm Market. I was so glad to see all the usual booths again! The bakery with the great bread was gone, but most everything else was there. I picked up celery, honey, plum butter, radishes, spinach, asparagus, Colby cheese, garlic, leeks, and an onion. I made a quick stop at the thrift shop to say "hi" to Erica, then headed out again.
It started raining again while I was at the Farm Market, but by the time I left the thrift shop, it had slowed down again. That was fine by me. I rain into several yard sales on my way to Collingswood. Turns out they were having a huge city-wide yard sale day. Every other house was having a yard sale of some sort. It ended up being rather disappointing. Most of the goods for sale were little trinket items. No good books, toys, CDs, videos, or cassettes. I picked up Johnny Mathis and Moody Blues records, and that was it.
It started showering again around the time I picked up the records. Since I wasn't having any luck with yard sales anyway, I just headed back to Oaklyn. I made a quick stop at the Oaklyn Library first. I didn't take out any DVDs today, but I did walk out with a couple of free comic books. This is apparently Free Comic Books Day. I grabbed Disney's Cars, a Star Wars: Clone Wars title, and two X-Men comics, one from 1981. (I recognized the ads - they looked a bit like the ones in my 1983 Return of the Jedi Marvel comic book.)
It was raining yet again when I finally dripped back home. Since it was still pretty early, I decided to hang around for an hour or so and see if the weather changed. If it stopped raining by around 1PM, I'd go back out for a random bike ride. If the off-and-on rain continued, I'd just hang around the house.
The rain stopped shortly after I arrived home. It was still cloudy but dry by the time I finished lunch, so I headed back out. I mostly just rode around Audubon, Oaklyn, and Haddon Heights. I stopped at Desserts By Design to praise her work on my chocolate birthday cake and bought one of her massive chocolate chip cookies. I then went down the street to Abbie Road. Said "hi" to Bob and bought the live Eagles CD Hell Freezes Over. I used to have that on cassette, but that tape snapped at least three or four years ago. It was a favorite of mine, and I've missed it.
The rest of the day was less exciting. I stopped at several more favorite stores. Didn't pick up anything at Willie the Woodsman and Wife or Act Two Collectibles. Rode down to Haddon Heights, but didn't stop anywhere. I did stop at the CVS on King's Highway and picked up brush pick refills, which they don't have at the Acme. Rode back down the White Horse Pike and browsed at the comic book shop and House of Fun in Oaklyn. Got more freebie comics at the comics store but nothing else (and was glad to see as many women as men in there for once; I didn't feel so out of place).
Despite the fact that the weather was behaving, I still didn't trust it, so I just rode home and spent the rest of the afternoon reading mysteries and comics and baking Cocoa Angel Food Cake. Had a lovely dinner of turkey burger, braised carrots, and a delicious salad with fresh farm market radishes, spinach, and radish greens.
Began this morning with the usual cereal and Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry and her friends want to enjoy the last of the warm fall weather before the cold sets in, so they decide to go on a camp-out. Huckleberry Pie is thrilled. Ginger Snap, not so much. She's so afraid of the dark, she packs every flashlight she can get her hands on and even builds a light-making machine! Strawberry and the gang try to prove to her that the dark isn't as scary as she thinks, but when they all get lost in the woods, it's Ginger Snap who teaches them a thing or two about there being nothing to fear but fear itself...and overactive imaginations.
I skipped Care Bears in favor of getting an early on today's errands. The earlier, the better. The weather did NOT look good. It was raining pretty hard when I got out of bed, but by the time I headed for the bank, the rain was at least on hold. The bank was surprisingly empty, but I did get there fairly early.
My next stop was the opening day of the Collingswood Farm Market. I was so glad to see all the usual booths again! The bakery with the great bread was gone, but most everything else was there. I picked up celery, honey, plum butter, radishes, spinach, asparagus, Colby cheese, garlic, leeks, and an onion. I made a quick stop at the thrift shop to say "hi" to Erica, then headed out again.
It started raining again while I was at the Farm Market, but by the time I left the thrift shop, it had slowed down again. That was fine by me. I rain into several yard sales on my way to Collingswood. Turns out they were having a huge city-wide yard sale day. Every other house was having a yard sale of some sort. It ended up being rather disappointing. Most of the goods for sale were little trinket items. No good books, toys, CDs, videos, or cassettes. I picked up Johnny Mathis and Moody Blues records, and that was it.
It started showering again around the time I picked up the records. Since I wasn't having any luck with yard sales anyway, I just headed back to Oaklyn. I made a quick stop at the Oaklyn Library first. I didn't take out any DVDs today, but I did walk out with a couple of free comic books. This is apparently Free Comic Books Day. I grabbed Disney's Cars, a Star Wars: Clone Wars title, and two X-Men comics, one from 1981. (I recognized the ads - they looked a bit like the ones in my 1983 Return of the Jedi Marvel comic book.)
It was raining yet again when I finally dripped back home. Since it was still pretty early, I decided to hang around for an hour or so and see if the weather changed. If it stopped raining by around 1PM, I'd go back out for a random bike ride. If the off-and-on rain continued, I'd just hang around the house.
The rain stopped shortly after I arrived home. It was still cloudy but dry by the time I finished lunch, so I headed back out. I mostly just rode around Audubon, Oaklyn, and Haddon Heights. I stopped at Desserts By Design to praise her work on my chocolate birthday cake and bought one of her massive chocolate chip cookies. I then went down the street to Abbie Road. Said "hi" to Bob and bought the live Eagles CD Hell Freezes Over. I used to have that on cassette, but that tape snapped at least three or four years ago. It was a favorite of mine, and I've missed it.
The rest of the day was less exciting. I stopped at several more favorite stores. Didn't pick up anything at Willie the Woodsman and Wife or Act Two Collectibles. Rode down to Haddon Heights, but didn't stop anywhere. I did stop at the CVS on King's Highway and picked up brush pick refills, which they don't have at the Acme. Rode back down the White Horse Pike and browsed at the comic book shop and House of Fun in Oaklyn. Got more freebie comics at the comics store but nothing else (and was glad to see as many women as men in there for once; I didn't feel so out of place).
Despite the fact that the weather was behaving, I still didn't trust it, so I just rode home and spent the rest of the afternoon reading mysteries and comics and baking Cocoa Angel Food Cake. Had a lovely dinner of turkey burger, braised carrots, and a delicious salad with fresh farm market radishes, spinach, and radish greens.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Spring Is In Full Bloom
Mr. and Mrs. Doria were able to help me with the bike. I brought it to the alley behind the Deli late this morning. They confirmed what I'd been told yesterday and earlier - the tire is bald as an egg, and the wheel really does need to be replaced when I can find one. Mr. Doria had to run some errands at Wal-Mart anyway, so I went with him. I bought a tire and an inner tube. Wal-Mart finally had the brake pads for the mountain bike, so I bought those, too. He showed me how to put the tire on when we got back.
(I kept the old inner tube. Turns out it just had a small tear, probably where the tire popped. Now that I think of it, I believe my stepfather may actually have replaced the inner tube shortly after I bought the bike. I don't think it's the original one. I should be able to patch it and use it in case the new one blows.)
It was such a gorgeous day, I dropped the inner tube off at my house and went for a quick bike ride to Newton River Park. Everything was so green! The grass was green. The new, tiny buds on the trees were green. Some of the trees were just starting to blossom. Daffodils and crocus turned their bright golden and purple blossoms to the warm sun.
After I got home, I went through my spring clothes. There were a few oversized things I could donate, but most of what I own is fine. I know it's still early for shorts, but I don't think I'll be needing turtlenecks and my corduroy pants and skirt again, either. I'll go through the shoes tomorrow.
Work was a pain in the rear. First of all, it's the beginning of the month, with all that entails. Second, today is the last day of our sales week. People were anxious to grab the 10 for $10 Canada Dry six-packs and $1.57 Post cereals before the sale tomorrow. Third, today is also the last day you can get your coupon for a free turkey breast, ham, or lasagna for Easter. (It's not the last day you can use the coupon, though. I think the coupon itself is good until Easter Day.)
One woman wanted to substitute the 12-packs of A&W Root Beer and Sunkist Orange Soda for the six-packs. She claimed she couldn't find any more of the six-packs. We're not supposed to allow substitutions. The manager tried calling the grocery manager, but he was already gone by then. We gave it to her just because there wasn't anyone around to tell us if we could or couldn't...and THEN she fussed that I'd run up one more than she had! I know I rang everything up right. AND she was rude to the cashier behind me!
A bit later, an older man who bought the 10 for $10 liter Pepsi sale actually forgot to pay for his order. He was nice about it and returned to pay, but I felt a bit embarrassed about not catching him sooner.
Mr. and Mrs. Doria were able to help me with the bike. I brought it to the alley behind the Deli late this morning. They confirmed what I'd been told yesterday and earlier - the tire is bald as an egg, and the wheel really does need to be replaced when I can find one. Mr. Doria had to run some errands at Wal-Mart anyway, so I went with him. I bought a tire and an inner tube. Wal-Mart finally had the brake pads for the mountain bike, so I bought those, too. He showed me how to put the tire on when we got back.
(I kept the old inner tube. Turns out it just had a small tear, probably where the tire popped. Now that I think of it, I believe my stepfather may actually have replaced the inner tube shortly after I bought the bike. I don't think it's the original one. I should be able to patch it and use it in case the new one blows.)
It was such a gorgeous day, I dropped the inner tube off at my house and went for a quick bike ride to Newton River Park. Everything was so green! The grass was green. The new, tiny buds on the trees were green. Some of the trees were just starting to blossom. Daffodils and crocus turned their bright golden and purple blossoms to the warm sun.
After I got home, I went through my spring clothes. There were a few oversized things I could donate, but most of what I own is fine. I know it's still early for shorts, but I don't think I'll be needing turtlenecks and my corduroy pants and skirt again, either. I'll go through the shoes tomorrow.
Work was a pain in the rear. First of all, it's the beginning of the month, with all that entails. Second, today is the last day of our sales week. People were anxious to grab the 10 for $10 Canada Dry six-packs and $1.57 Post cereals before the sale tomorrow. Third, today is also the last day you can get your coupon for a free turkey breast, ham, or lasagna for Easter. (It's not the last day you can use the coupon, though. I think the coupon itself is good until Easter Day.)
One woman wanted to substitute the 12-packs of A&W Root Beer and Sunkist Orange Soda for the six-packs. She claimed she couldn't find any more of the six-packs. We're not supposed to allow substitutions. The manager tried calling the grocery manager, but he was already gone by then. We gave it to her just because there wasn't anyone around to tell us if we could or couldn't...and THEN she fussed that I'd run up one more than she had! I know I rang everything up right. AND she was rude to the cashier behind me!
A bit later, an older man who bought the 10 for $10 liter Pepsi sale actually forgot to pay for his order. He was nice about it and returned to pay, but I felt a bit embarrassed about not catching him sooner.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Balancing Sidewalk and Nature
Rose and I did make it to Yogawood together this morning. Unlike the last time we went together, the class was fairly empty, seven people counting us and the teacher Jill. We did a lot of back bending and stretching the back and torso. I'm still wobbly on those, though my balance is getting better. I really wish I were in better shape. Even after two years of working out, I'm STILL in lousy shape.
I had an early lunch after Rose dropped me off at home. I woke up late and had a really fast breakfast. My first stop after I ate was this week's library volunteering. I hadn't done the children's DVDs in a few weeks, and they REALLY needed to be organized. There were tons of DVDs to put away, too.
It was such a gorgeous day, I just rode around for a while after leaving the library. I took the bike down Cuthbert Road and just kept going, all the way to Cooper River Park. This part of the park is between Collingswood and Cherry Hill, with two highways bordering it. I had a great ride. It was into the lower 60s by that time, about 1PM, perfectly sunny and breezy. There were tons of people out jogging, walking, fishing, or picnicking with their kids.
After leaving the park, I rode down Haddon Avenue and back into downtown Collingswood. I didn't feel like going home, and it was too nice of a day to sit around, so I decided to hop a train into Philly and do something I've wanted to do for a while. Several months ago, I made a list of as many thrift shops as I could find listed online for Center City Philadelphia and their addresses in the hope of checking them out. I hadn't gotten around to it until today. Either I'd forget the addresses, or I'd have another reason for going into Philly.
It was a great day for thrift shopping. The weather was just as nice in Philly, and there were lots of people out and around for a Tuesday afternoon in March. I tried one store on Spruce Street that was strictly used furniture before deciding it would be worth the hike to head for South Street. South Street is downtown Philly's hip mecca of shopping, where the bohemian meets the Society Hill swells.
I love South Street. While it's apparently not quite as funky as it was in past years, it's still a pretty damn cool area. There's tons of hip boutiques, vintage clothes shops, coffee shops, ice cream parlors (I didn't know Haagan Daas was sold anywhere but in tubs at the grocery store!), art galleries, night clubs, and awesome murals. (The one at the fire station was really cool!) I grabbed a Starbucks chai and slice of low-fat Cinnamon Coffee Cake and just watched the passing crowd.
My favorite find was Retrospect, a really cool vintage clothes shop with great prices. The place was surprisingly packed when I got in, and I found out why when I took a good look at the clothes. They sold real vintage stuff - wide legged "hip hop" pants and empire-waisted baby-doll frocks from the 90s, 80s prom gowns with huge puffed sleeves, long full skirts, and big bows in the back, bright polyester blouses and knit sweaters and ponchos from the 70s, even fur coats and paisley-print minidresses from the 60s! They had some other stuff as well - records, furniture, books, shoes, and other accessories. A few of the dresses had light stains on them, but most everything was in near-mint shape. I felt like a kid playing with Mom's dress-ups again. There was even a long pink gown covered with lace that reminded me of the dress our Victorian Barbie from the early 80s wore when my sisters and I were little.
I bought a really cute periwinkle blue sundress from the early 80s (according to the tag). It has spaghetti straps and and a two-tiered ruffled skirt in periwinkle with off-white polka-dots. Much to my delight, though the tag said $15, the dress turned out to be $7, thanks to a 50% certain merchandise sale. Had I known that many things were on sale, I would have gotten far more! I'll certainly go back there the next time I have money.
It was around 5PM by the time I hiked all the way back to 8th Street and the Gallery Mall. I was going to browse around in there, but I was dead tired. I briefly checked out Suncoast before hopping a busy rush-hour train home.
The cruiser bike managed to make it to the White Horse Pike, right near PNC Bank, before I heard a huge pop! I thought it was a car backfiring...but then I saw the air going out of my back tire. The worn-out tire I'd had since I got the bike five years ago finally chose now to give. This is the second time one of my tires busted right after I got the damn thing fixed. And of course, my neighbor wasn't home, and Dad wasn't either. I tried to patch it myself, but the patch kit I bought had lousy directions, and I couldn't figure out how to lift the tire or put it back. I tried to just put the patches on, but the tire wouldn't fill with air.
My landlady Miss Ellie suggested taking it to a nice man who owns an auto repair shop and helps with her car tomorrow. I doubt he can do much, but I'll try. I don't have much of a choice. I don't have the time to run to Wal Mart and buy another tire until Saturday...I work tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday!
Rose and I did make it to Yogawood together this morning. Unlike the last time we went together, the class was fairly empty, seven people counting us and the teacher Jill. We did a lot of back bending and stretching the back and torso. I'm still wobbly on those, though my balance is getting better. I really wish I were in better shape. Even after two years of working out, I'm STILL in lousy shape.
I had an early lunch after Rose dropped me off at home. I woke up late and had a really fast breakfast. My first stop after I ate was this week's library volunteering. I hadn't done the children's DVDs in a few weeks, and they REALLY needed to be organized. There were tons of DVDs to put away, too.
It was such a gorgeous day, I just rode around for a while after leaving the library. I took the bike down Cuthbert Road and just kept going, all the way to Cooper River Park. This part of the park is between Collingswood and Cherry Hill, with two highways bordering it. I had a great ride. It was into the lower 60s by that time, about 1PM, perfectly sunny and breezy. There were tons of people out jogging, walking, fishing, or picnicking with their kids.
After leaving the park, I rode down Haddon Avenue and back into downtown Collingswood. I didn't feel like going home, and it was too nice of a day to sit around, so I decided to hop a train into Philly and do something I've wanted to do for a while. Several months ago, I made a list of as many thrift shops as I could find listed online for Center City Philadelphia and their addresses in the hope of checking them out. I hadn't gotten around to it until today. Either I'd forget the addresses, or I'd have another reason for going into Philly.
It was a great day for thrift shopping. The weather was just as nice in Philly, and there were lots of people out and around for a Tuesday afternoon in March. I tried one store on Spruce Street that was strictly used furniture before deciding it would be worth the hike to head for South Street. South Street is downtown Philly's hip mecca of shopping, where the bohemian meets the Society Hill swells.
I love South Street. While it's apparently not quite as funky as it was in past years, it's still a pretty damn cool area. There's tons of hip boutiques, vintage clothes shops, coffee shops, ice cream parlors (I didn't know Haagan Daas was sold anywhere but in tubs at the grocery store!), art galleries, night clubs, and awesome murals. (The one at the fire station was really cool!) I grabbed a Starbucks chai and slice of low-fat Cinnamon Coffee Cake and just watched the passing crowd.
My favorite find was Retrospect, a really cool vintage clothes shop with great prices. The place was surprisingly packed when I got in, and I found out why when I took a good look at the clothes. They sold real vintage stuff - wide legged "hip hop" pants and empire-waisted baby-doll frocks from the 90s, 80s prom gowns with huge puffed sleeves, long full skirts, and big bows in the back, bright polyester blouses and knit sweaters and ponchos from the 70s, even fur coats and paisley-print minidresses from the 60s! They had some other stuff as well - records, furniture, books, shoes, and other accessories. A few of the dresses had light stains on them, but most everything was in near-mint shape. I felt like a kid playing with Mom's dress-ups again. There was even a long pink gown covered with lace that reminded me of the dress our Victorian Barbie from the early 80s wore when my sisters and I were little.
I bought a really cute periwinkle blue sundress from the early 80s (according to the tag). It has spaghetti straps and and a two-tiered ruffled skirt in periwinkle with off-white polka-dots. Much to my delight, though the tag said $15, the dress turned out to be $7, thanks to a 50% certain merchandise sale. Had I known that many things were on sale, I would have gotten far more! I'll certainly go back there the next time I have money.
It was around 5PM by the time I hiked all the way back to 8th Street and the Gallery Mall. I was going to browse around in there, but I was dead tired. I briefly checked out Suncoast before hopping a busy rush-hour train home.
The cruiser bike managed to make it to the White Horse Pike, right near PNC Bank, before I heard a huge pop! I thought it was a car backfiring...but then I saw the air going out of my back tire. The worn-out tire I'd had since I got the bike five years ago finally chose now to give. This is the second time one of my tires busted right after I got the damn thing fixed. And of course, my neighbor wasn't home, and Dad wasn't either. I tried to patch it myself, but the patch kit I bought had lousy directions, and I couldn't figure out how to lift the tire or put it back. I tried to just put the patches on, but the tire wouldn't fill with air.
My landlady Miss Ellie suggested taking it to a nice man who owns an auto repair shop and helps with her car tomorrow. I doubt he can do much, but I'll try. I don't have much of a choice. I don't have the time to run to Wal Mart and buy another tire until Saturday...I work tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Back on the Bikes Again
Started this morning with the usual Saturday morning cartoons. The Strawberry Shortcake episode was a follow-up to last week's story about Honey Pie Pony and Ice Cream Island. This time, Honey Pie receives an invitation to attend Ice Cream Island's Filly Festival and be the grand marshal in their parade, but an evil horse-napper may spoil the kids' plans. This was the first episode of the revival to feature an actual villain. (Original bad guys Sour Grapes and the Peculiar Purple Pie Man would be revived a year later.) Many parents complained that it didn't fit the lighter tone of the series. I think they're the ones who need to lighten up. A little action never hurt a girl. Not everything can be hearts and flowers.
Just ask the Care Bears, who dealt with one of Grizzle's more forward attempts to take over Care-a-Lot. He dared to do something villains even in adult films don't - just walk in and say "I'm taking over" by sucking off the bears' Belly Badges that allow them to use their magical powers. However, he neglected to look for non-bears. McKenna, the Bears' kid friend, was in Care-a-Lot trying to learn how to share. She wasn't having much luck with it, constantly expecting something for nothing. Share Bear gave her half of her Belly Badge to try to get the general idea across. McKenna was going to take off with it, but she finally decided that the Bears had been too nice to her to abandon them.
I finally got a hold of Michael, my next-door neighbor, after the shows ended. I saw him at work yesterday and he told me he'd take a look at the bikes. I ran a few errands in the neighborhood while he worked on the blue cruiser. Went to the bank really fast to deposit my paycheck, and since he was still working on it when I got in, I walked over to Dad and Uncle Ken's to return the wrench I borrowed last week. Jessa was the only one home when I got in. I had a short chat with her. She's understandably excited about her school trip next week. Her senior class is going to spend a week in Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and Clearwater Beach. She's especially excited about the big Illuminations fireworks and light show in Epcot. I can't blame her there - the version I saw with Dad in 1990 was awesome.
Michael had finished the cruiser bike and was starting the mountain bike when I got in. The chain and gears were loose; all had been tightened and de-rusted. He said I do still need to replace that dented back wheel, though. I know I do. I've been looking for bike wheels everywhere, but no one seems to carry them, not Target, not Wal Mart, not anybody. He suggested checking bikes left on the side of the road or at yard sales with useable tires; I'll look into that.
The news wasn't as good with the mountain bike. Some of the gears were stripped and the brake pads were goners. The brakes are practically useless. I made a quick stop at Wal Mart to see if they had brake pads, but alas, that was one of the few things they were out of in their bike section. After a quick Arby's lunch, I made a big shopping trip at the Acme. I needed to restock some pantry essentials, like jello and canned fruit, after I cleared out old canned goods on Thursday, and my fruit basket and vegetable crisper were getting low.
It was too late when I finally got back in to make a trip to Philadelphia or to Haddonfield like I'd originally planned. I just went for a ride to Newton River Park instead. I had a great ride, despite the lousy weather. It was cold, damp, windy, and cloudy, but my bike soared. There were a surprising amount of people out today, too. I passed joggers, dog-walkers, elderly couples, and parents taking their kids out to get rid of some energy before our next round of rain. I made a quick stop at CVS for mouthwash before heading home.
Spent the rest of the night baking and cooking. I made home-made chicken noodle soup with some of the chicken stock I made earlier in the week. (Alas, I spilled part of it when I took it out of the container, but there was enough left for the soup, which came out quite well.) I also made Hot Apple Muffins from my British baking cookbook and gave four to Michael to thank him for fixing the cruiser bike and at least finding the problems on the mountain bike.
Started this morning with the usual Saturday morning cartoons. The Strawberry Shortcake episode was a follow-up to last week's story about Honey Pie Pony and Ice Cream Island. This time, Honey Pie receives an invitation to attend Ice Cream Island's Filly Festival and be the grand marshal in their parade, but an evil horse-napper may spoil the kids' plans. This was the first episode of the revival to feature an actual villain. (Original bad guys Sour Grapes and the Peculiar Purple Pie Man would be revived a year later.) Many parents complained that it didn't fit the lighter tone of the series. I think they're the ones who need to lighten up. A little action never hurt a girl. Not everything can be hearts and flowers.
Just ask the Care Bears, who dealt with one of Grizzle's more forward attempts to take over Care-a-Lot. He dared to do something villains even in adult films don't - just walk in and say "I'm taking over" by sucking off the bears' Belly Badges that allow them to use their magical powers. However, he neglected to look for non-bears. McKenna, the Bears' kid friend, was in Care-a-Lot trying to learn how to share. She wasn't having much luck with it, constantly expecting something for nothing. Share Bear gave her half of her Belly Badge to try to get the general idea across. McKenna was going to take off with it, but she finally decided that the Bears had been too nice to her to abandon them.
I finally got a hold of Michael, my next-door neighbor, after the shows ended. I saw him at work yesterday and he told me he'd take a look at the bikes. I ran a few errands in the neighborhood while he worked on the blue cruiser. Went to the bank really fast to deposit my paycheck, and since he was still working on it when I got in, I walked over to Dad and Uncle Ken's to return the wrench I borrowed last week. Jessa was the only one home when I got in. I had a short chat with her. She's understandably excited about her school trip next week. Her senior class is going to spend a week in Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and Clearwater Beach. She's especially excited about the big Illuminations fireworks and light show in Epcot. I can't blame her there - the version I saw with Dad in 1990 was awesome.
Michael had finished the cruiser bike and was starting the mountain bike when I got in. The chain and gears were loose; all had been tightened and de-rusted. He said I do still need to replace that dented back wheel, though. I know I do. I've been looking for bike wheels everywhere, but no one seems to carry them, not Target, not Wal Mart, not anybody. He suggested checking bikes left on the side of the road or at yard sales with useable tires; I'll look into that.
The news wasn't as good with the mountain bike. Some of the gears were stripped and the brake pads were goners. The brakes are practically useless. I made a quick stop at Wal Mart to see if they had brake pads, but alas, that was one of the few things they were out of in their bike section. After a quick Arby's lunch, I made a big shopping trip at the Acme. I needed to restock some pantry essentials, like jello and canned fruit, after I cleared out old canned goods on Thursday, and my fruit basket and vegetable crisper were getting low.
It was too late when I finally got back in to make a trip to Philadelphia or to Haddonfield like I'd originally planned. I just went for a ride to Newton River Park instead. I had a great ride, despite the lousy weather. It was cold, damp, windy, and cloudy, but my bike soared. There were a surprising amount of people out today, too. I passed joggers, dog-walkers, elderly couples, and parents taking their kids out to get rid of some energy before our next round of rain. I made a quick stop at CVS for mouthwash before heading home.
Spent the rest of the night baking and cooking. I made home-made chicken noodle soup with some of the chicken stock I made earlier in the week. (Alas, I spilled part of it when I took it out of the container, but there was enough left for the soup, which came out quite well.) I also made Hot Apple Muffins from my British baking cookbook and gave four to Michael to thank him for fixing the cruiser bike and at least finding the problems on the mountain bike.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kitchen Kabaret
Finally got to cleaning the kitchen this morning, after putting it off for almost a week. There was a really terrible rust-brown ring around the sink under the dish pan, and I was tired of staring at it every time I did the dishes. I also dusted, and THAT was a mess. I have no idea where the dust is coming from. Maybe the drafts in the windows are worse than I thought.
I ran Broadway cast album LPs while I cleaned. I opted for a theme - a musical for each decade of the 20th century from the 50s onwards. Did The King and I for the 50s (the studio cast recording with Barbara Cook I found at the thrift shop a month ago). I hadn't listened to the copy of Camelot I bought at Russkoff's yet, so I made that my 60s selection. The original 1973 Grease was my 70s selection, and the 1983 Twiggy/Tommy Tune vehicle My One and Only was the 80s album.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - steady when I arrived, dying when I left. There were no major problems, and my relief was on time.
Far from being too cold to ride, I had one of my best rides to and from work in a long time! Yes, it was cold for this area, in the mid-20s, but the air was crisp and clear, and there was no wind, snow, rain, or anything. It felt good to breath in that clear, dry air! I might have overbundled myself - I was sweating when I arrived at work!
Finally got to cleaning the kitchen this morning, after putting it off for almost a week. There was a really terrible rust-brown ring around the sink under the dish pan, and I was tired of staring at it every time I did the dishes. I also dusted, and THAT was a mess. I have no idea where the dust is coming from. Maybe the drafts in the windows are worse than I thought.
I ran Broadway cast album LPs while I cleaned. I opted for a theme - a musical for each decade of the 20th century from the 50s onwards. Did The King and I for the 50s (the studio cast recording with Barbara Cook I found at the thrift shop a month ago). I hadn't listened to the copy of Camelot I bought at Russkoff's yet, so I made that my 60s selection. The original 1973 Grease was my 70s selection, and the 1983 Twiggy/Tommy Tune vehicle My One and Only was the 80s album.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - steady when I arrived, dying when I left. There were no major problems, and my relief was on time.
Far from being too cold to ride, I had one of my best rides to and from work in a long time! Yes, it was cold for this area, in the mid-20s, but the air was crisp and clear, and there was no wind, snow, rain, or anything. It felt good to breath in that clear, dry air! I might have overbundled myself - I was sweating when I arrived at work!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Out and About
No, this wasn't the nicest day to be out running around, but I really didn't have much of a choice. I had counseling at 1PM, and everyone I know was either at work, school, or the doctor's office. Anyway, it wasn't too horrible of a ride. It showered on and off all day, but never so heavily that I spent the day dripping. I brought an old pair of pants that were WAY too big to me to the Thrift Shop and browsed around the store for a while, then went to the Collingswood Library to look up fairy tales to give me inspiration for the Monkees Role Play Lauren and I are currently working on.
After a Turkey Club Wrap at Saladworks, I went a few blocks down Haddon Avenue to Genesis Counseling for this month's session. Scott and I mostly discussed why I can't seem to look for a job and my fear of talking to the other women in my yoga classes. I know he's right and that I should look for what we have in common, but it seems so hard when they all bunch into groups and start talking about their children, and people who don't have children or husbands or decent jobs might as well not exist.
I don't agree with Scott's idea of trying to look into bookstores again for some extra holiday work. First of all, I have enough to do during the holidays without adding more running around. Second, I tried getting a job in the Philly bookstores over a year ago. I kept going back and going back for months. I put in applications with FYE, Barnes and Noble, and Borders. I kept getting told to "come back later." "Come back in the spring. Come back when the College Students return. Come back in the fall. Come back during the holidays. Come back after the holidays." They made it quite clear that they had absolutely no interest in me. I think Scott's wrong. They just want cute little college students who can work for nothing, not someone who needs a paycheck. Besides, I need a job that will last for more than a few months. I need something permanent.
I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands. It rained lightly again after I got out of counseling, but let up by the time I made it to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session. I organized the children's DVDs and helped several families find titles. One little boy wanted Scooby Doo (and took so long decided which one to take, his mother had to drag him away). An early grade-school-age girl chose Barbie as the Island Princess. After I finished the DVDs, I put the adult DVDs away and stacked children's books that need to be put away on a cart to do later.
It was late at that point and the weather still looked iffy, so I made a brief stop at Super Fresh for fresh carrots and headed home across Newton River Park. I don't think it's rained since then, but it remains cloudy, damp, and too warm for this time of year.
No, this wasn't the nicest day to be out running around, but I really didn't have much of a choice. I had counseling at 1PM, and everyone I know was either at work, school, or the doctor's office. Anyway, it wasn't too horrible of a ride. It showered on and off all day, but never so heavily that I spent the day dripping. I brought an old pair of pants that were WAY too big to me to the Thrift Shop and browsed around the store for a while, then went to the Collingswood Library to look up fairy tales to give me inspiration for the Monkees Role Play Lauren and I are currently working on.
After a Turkey Club Wrap at Saladworks, I went a few blocks down Haddon Avenue to Genesis Counseling for this month's session. Scott and I mostly discussed why I can't seem to look for a job and my fear of talking to the other women in my yoga classes. I know he's right and that I should look for what we have in common, but it seems so hard when they all bunch into groups and start talking about their children, and people who don't have children or husbands or decent jobs might as well not exist.
I don't agree with Scott's idea of trying to look into bookstores again for some extra holiday work. First of all, I have enough to do during the holidays without adding more running around. Second, I tried getting a job in the Philly bookstores over a year ago. I kept going back and going back for months. I put in applications with FYE, Barnes and Noble, and Borders. I kept getting told to "come back later." "Come back in the spring. Come back when the College Students return. Come back in the fall. Come back during the holidays. Come back after the holidays." They made it quite clear that they had absolutely no interest in me. I think Scott's wrong. They just want cute little college students who can work for nothing, not someone who needs a paycheck. Besides, I need a job that will last for more than a few months. I need something permanent.
I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands. It rained lightly again after I got out of counseling, but let up by the time I made it to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session. I organized the children's DVDs and helped several families find titles. One little boy wanted Scooby Doo (and took so long decided which one to take, his mother had to drag him away). An early grade-school-age girl chose Barbie as the Island Princess. After I finished the DVDs, I put the adult DVDs away and stacked children's books that need to be put away on a cart to do later.
It was late at that point and the weather still looked iffy, so I made a brief stop at Super Fresh for fresh carrots and headed home across Newton River Park. I don't think it's rained since then, but it remains cloudy, damp, and too warm for this time of year.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Ponies and Muppets and Childhood Memories
Today was Farm Market Day. I bought those lovely mini MacIntosh apples, pears, carrots, radishes, and a medium-sized pumpkin for Halloween and Thanksgiving at my apartment. I'd never be able to get a big one home on my bike, and I don't carve them, anyway. Besides, my porch faces the river side of the house. It's a lovely view when the leaves are gone, but until the leaves ARE gone, no one can see my place...and even then, the only ones who could really see it are my neighbors on my right. There's only the park to my right, and the people across the river are too far away.
It was nice to be able to just ride around and check out yard sales today. It was nice weather for it, too, windy and chilly but soooo very fall, with that lovely wood-burning scent in the air. There were tons of yard sales today. Most of them were disappointments. I went back to the place I found the genuine 50s and 60s dolls and toys at, the one I got my cool 60s mohair bear from in the spring. I saw a mechanical teddy bear that moved and made sounds like the panda I found in front of the thrift shop two years ago, but he was too big to carry on my bike, so I moved on.
I rode around for almost an hour looking for yard sales. There were three or four in Oaklyn alone today. I went behind the school, near a park and playground, and found Maple Street, where I made my best (and only) find of the day. They had a table filled with kids' videos from the 80s. Among the familiar Winnie the Pooh, Disney Sing-Alongs, and Christmas specials were four that stood out. I'd never heard of, much less seen, the 1974 special Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, though I'm quite familiar with the story of the little girl and the newspaper man who convinced her - and all of New York - that Santa and the Christmas spirit exists. They also had the two remaining mid-90s Muppet Babies videos I didn't have.
My favorite find was a true piece of 80s culture. The My Little Pony toy line made its animated debut in a half-hour special in 1984. Though it starts cute, with frolicking pastel-colored horses, pegasus, and unicorns, it quickly becomes much darker than most people today would anticipate. This is surprisingly dark and disturbing for what's supposed to be a cartoon for little girls. Four of the ponies are captured by a strange lion-like monster and are turned into dragons by a demon. There's a surreal Busby Berkley-esque "dance" number by the Sea Ponies about midway through that really has nothing to do with anything.
It's that darkness, though, that makes this one of the best of the Little Pony cartoons. The villains here are far more menacing than in most girls' shows of this type, and the songs actually aren't that bad (including that crazy Sea Horse song). Tony Randall plays Mr. Muchick, the forgetful elf-like wizard who provides the MacGuffin that saves the day. I think Sandy Duncan was Firefly.
Originally titled Firefly's Adventure on video and renamed Nightmare In Dark Castle when it was shown as part of My Little Pony and Friends in the late 80s, the full version has never been on DVD and costs as much as $20 on eBay and Amazon.com. The video is in lousy shape, but it runs, and a dollar sure beats $20 with shipping. There was a second Pony special a year later, Escape From Katrina, that I remember being just as good and is also hard to find in full on video.
After all that, the rest of the day was comparatively quiet. I watched Firefly's Adventure and the Muppets until it was time to go to work. Work was busy today, mostly due to a lack of help and to it simply being a lovely weekend, but I was able to get in and out with no problem, and other than a few mildly cranky customers, my day went quickly.
Today was Farm Market Day. I bought those lovely mini MacIntosh apples, pears, carrots, radishes, and a medium-sized pumpkin for Halloween and Thanksgiving at my apartment. I'd never be able to get a big one home on my bike, and I don't carve them, anyway. Besides, my porch faces the river side of the house. It's a lovely view when the leaves are gone, but until the leaves ARE gone, no one can see my place...and even then, the only ones who could really see it are my neighbors on my right. There's only the park to my right, and the people across the river are too far away.
It was nice to be able to just ride around and check out yard sales today. It was nice weather for it, too, windy and chilly but soooo very fall, with that lovely wood-burning scent in the air. There were tons of yard sales today. Most of them were disappointments. I went back to the place I found the genuine 50s and 60s dolls and toys at, the one I got my cool 60s mohair bear from in the spring. I saw a mechanical teddy bear that moved and made sounds like the panda I found in front of the thrift shop two years ago, but he was too big to carry on my bike, so I moved on.
I rode around for almost an hour looking for yard sales. There were three or four in Oaklyn alone today. I went behind the school, near a park and playground, and found Maple Street, where I made my best (and only) find of the day. They had a table filled with kids' videos from the 80s. Among the familiar Winnie the Pooh, Disney Sing-Alongs, and Christmas specials were four that stood out. I'd never heard of, much less seen, the 1974 special Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, though I'm quite familiar with the story of the little girl and the newspaper man who convinced her - and all of New York - that Santa and the Christmas spirit exists. They also had the two remaining mid-90s Muppet Babies videos I didn't have.
My favorite find was a true piece of 80s culture. The My Little Pony toy line made its animated debut in a half-hour special in 1984. Though it starts cute, with frolicking pastel-colored horses, pegasus, and unicorns, it quickly becomes much darker than most people today would anticipate. This is surprisingly dark and disturbing for what's supposed to be a cartoon for little girls. Four of the ponies are captured by a strange lion-like monster and are turned into dragons by a demon. There's a surreal Busby Berkley-esque "dance" number by the Sea Ponies about midway through that really has nothing to do with anything.
It's that darkness, though, that makes this one of the best of the Little Pony cartoons. The villains here are far more menacing than in most girls' shows of this type, and the songs actually aren't that bad (including that crazy Sea Horse song). Tony Randall plays Mr. Muchick, the forgetful elf-like wizard who provides the MacGuffin that saves the day. I think Sandy Duncan was Firefly.
Originally titled Firefly's Adventure on video and renamed Nightmare In Dark Castle when it was shown as part of My Little Pony and Friends in the late 80s, the full version has never been on DVD and costs as much as $20 on eBay and Amazon.com. The video is in lousy shape, but it runs, and a dollar sure beats $20 with shipping. There was a second Pony special a year later, Escape From Katrina, that I remember being just as good and is also hard to find in full on video.
After all that, the rest of the day was comparatively quiet. I watched Firefly's Adventure and the Muppets until it was time to go to work. Work was busy today, mostly due to a lack of help and to it simply being a lovely weekend, but I was able to get in and out with no problem, and other than a few mildly cranky customers, my day went quickly.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Gettin' Ready
I didn't sleep very well last night. My mind was on everything I wanted to do this morning. I eventually got up earlier than planned...and finished all my chores earlier. I went to the Acme and picked my paycheck (paychecks, actually - we get two when we go on vacation) and a few odds and ends for snacks for the bus. I also got to say goodbye to a few co-workers I didn't see yesterday. After I left the Acme, I went to Wal-Mart and bought cameras, a new pair of shorts that were only 3 dollars, wet wipes and a small pack of tissues for the trip, and a new computer mouse. The Acme hadn't been hugely busy, but Wal-Mart was, with a fairly long but fast-moving line. I then went up to the PNC Bank on the Black Horse Pike to deposit most of my paychecks, then to the Walgreens a few blocks down to get Lauren her thank-you gifts. I got her the WCares WebKinz Lil'Kinz Cow and another item.
It was sunny and windy when I got out this morning. By the time I got out of Walgreens, it was noon, and getting hotter by the minute. I could see large, fat white clouds in the sky, too, but they were hardly threatening...yet. I headed home for lunch. I'd wanted to take a nice walk that afternoon and give Uncle Ken and Dad some of my Blueberry White Cake and return Mark's computer mice, but it was just too hot. Actually, it was in the upper 80s - not as bad as it could be (it was supposed to get up to 93 today), but far worse than it has been recently. We just aren't used to the heat anymore. It was a bit humid, too. Uncle Ken was the only person home at his house. I gave everything to him and wished him a happy trip (he and Dolores are going away next week and will be gone when I come back), then just went home and spent the rest of the day finishing the pirate historical novel The Golden Hawk, watching the Beatles movie Help!, and packing.
(Incidentally, Lauren told me she has a laptop in addition to her regular computer that I can use to go online with when I'm there, so I'll be able to update this blog regularly while I'm on vacation this year.)
I didn't sleep very well last night. My mind was on everything I wanted to do this morning. I eventually got up earlier than planned...and finished all my chores earlier. I went to the Acme and picked my paycheck (paychecks, actually - we get two when we go on vacation) and a few odds and ends for snacks for the bus. I also got to say goodbye to a few co-workers I didn't see yesterday. After I left the Acme, I went to Wal-Mart and bought cameras, a new pair of shorts that were only 3 dollars, wet wipes and a small pack of tissues for the trip, and a new computer mouse. The Acme hadn't been hugely busy, but Wal-Mart was, with a fairly long but fast-moving line. I then went up to the PNC Bank on the Black Horse Pike to deposit most of my paychecks, then to the Walgreens a few blocks down to get Lauren her thank-you gifts. I got her the WCares WebKinz Lil'Kinz Cow and another item.
It was sunny and windy when I got out this morning. By the time I got out of Walgreens, it was noon, and getting hotter by the minute. I could see large, fat white clouds in the sky, too, but they were hardly threatening...yet. I headed home for lunch. I'd wanted to take a nice walk that afternoon and give Uncle Ken and Dad some of my Blueberry White Cake and return Mark's computer mice, but it was just too hot. Actually, it was in the upper 80s - not as bad as it could be (it was supposed to get up to 93 today), but far worse than it has been recently. We just aren't used to the heat anymore. It was a bit humid, too. Uncle Ken was the only person home at his house. I gave everything to him and wished him a happy trip (he and Dolores are going away next week and will be gone when I come back), then just went home and spent the rest of the day finishing the pirate historical novel The Golden Hawk, watching the Beatles movie Help!, and packing.
(Incidentally, Lauren told me she has a laptop in addition to her regular computer that I can use to go online with when I'm there, so I'll be able to update this blog regularly while I'm on vacation this year.)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
New Woman
I went to pick up my soft-lens contacts after a steady-to-busy, generally problem-free work day. It was a bit of a pain to get them in (my eyes just wanted to blink blink blink), but the lady in charge of contacts was really helpful and nice. In any event, since my contacts are trial lenses and disposables, I'm going to have to go back after my vacation for a follow-up exam. It looks so good, though. So...different. I've NEVER had contacts. I always assumed I was too clumsy and impatient for them, and that my eyes were too bad.
I was so happy after I got my contacts. They don't mask my lazy eye, but I looked so...different. I haven't really seen myself without glasses during my waking hours since I was in third grade.
Since getting the contacts went well, I decided I had enough time (and money) to finally get my hair done, too. I rode up to West King's Highway in Haddon Heights (between Pine Street and Station Avenue) and stopped at Hair Event. Rose went there to get her hair done before she went to Costa Rica. She said they did a great job, and Rose has very long, thick hair that's a lot like mine, but less curly...and manageable. I had my hair layered, trimmed, and thinned, all of which I badly needed. I love my curly hair, but it gets so thick and frizzy, especially in this weather! It looked terrific when I got out, layered with spiral curls. I even left it down, something I seldom do in hot weather.
I received the ultimate compliment when I stopped by Desserts By Design, a bakery in Audubon, for a treat. The owner and head baker didn't recognize me...and not only do I visit her store fairly often, but she's a regular Acme customer!
For once in my life, I'm very happy right now.
I went to pick up my soft-lens contacts after a steady-to-busy, generally problem-free work day. It was a bit of a pain to get them in (my eyes just wanted to blink blink blink), but the lady in charge of contacts was really helpful and nice. In any event, since my contacts are trial lenses and disposables, I'm going to have to go back after my vacation for a follow-up exam. It looks so good, though. So...different. I've NEVER had contacts. I always assumed I was too clumsy and impatient for them, and that my eyes were too bad.
I was so happy after I got my contacts. They don't mask my lazy eye, but I looked so...different. I haven't really seen myself without glasses during my waking hours since I was in third grade.
Since getting the contacts went well, I decided I had enough time (and money) to finally get my hair done, too. I rode up to West King's Highway in Haddon Heights (between Pine Street and Station Avenue) and stopped at Hair Event. Rose went there to get her hair done before she went to Costa Rica. She said they did a great job, and Rose has very long, thick hair that's a lot like mine, but less curly...and manageable. I had my hair layered, trimmed, and thinned, all of which I badly needed. I love my curly hair, but it gets so thick and frizzy, especially in this weather! It looked terrific when I got out, layered with spiral curls. I even left it down, something I seldom do in hot weather.
I received the ultimate compliment when I stopped by Desserts By Design, a bakery in Audubon, for a treat. The owner and head baker didn't recognize me...and not only do I visit her store fairly often, but she's a regular Acme customer!
For once in my life, I'm very happy right now.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Would You Believe...Sun and Rain At the Same Time?
It was an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous day today, sunny, windy, and in the lower 80s when I got up this morning. I slept in again and headed over to the Acme for my paycheck and to run some errands in the late morning and early afternoon. I went quickly to the Audubon Post Office branch to deliver the inadvertent extra copy of Yankee Doodle Dandy that Amazon.com sent me to Lauren, and then went over to FYE, trying to avoid looking at the former International House of Pancakes being demolished in between. (I ate in that place about two years ago and I didn't see anything wrong with it then...) I didn't like the price of Get Smart: Season 1 at FYE, so I went to see if Wal-Mart had it. They did, and I ended up with Get Smart and some other things I really needed. I stopped at Acme for this week's grocery shopping, then headed home.
After lunch, putting the groceries away, and finishing The Pirate Movie, which I'd put on last night, I went back out again for a long bike ride. I had to go to the bank anyway, so I just continued on after I deposited my paycheck. I finally ended up in Barrington, a town a few miles away. Like Audubon, Collingswood, and Haddon Heights, it's a lovely little small town with an attractive historic district. I went to a little coffee shop for a Pumpkin smoothie and half of a chocolate-walnut blondie, then went exploring. I found this awesome, huge antique store near the White Horse Pike. Geeze, that place was a labrynth! It was an awesome one, though. It had two floors, and both floors were crammed with everything from Victorian furniture to 80s Happy Meal toys. After I finally found my way back to the first floor (the second floor being a hive of tiny, barely-move-around-in-them, jammed-to-the-gills rooms), I ended up with a Golden Book my sisters and I had when we were little, Mickey Mouse: The Kitten Sitters, and a book for a Nancy Drew-esque 30s Stratemeyer series called the Dana Girls, The Secret of One Tree Cottage.
Heavy black clouds had gathered while I was in the Antique Center, and they finally burst as I made my way home. And I mean, really burst. It poured in huge drops. I had to stop not once, but twice to avoid the squall, once under an awning at the shops on Pine Street, another time under a huge old tree between Audubon and Haddon Heights. At one point, it was even pouring and sunny at the same time! By then, I'd finally said "what the heck" and headed on my way. I made another brief stop at Doria's Deli for brown sugar (theirs is cheaper than the Acme's), and headed on my way home. (Incidentally, despite seeing more clouds, it hasn't rained again. That must have just been a freak summer shower.)
I spent the rest of the evening having tilapia for dinner and watching Get Smart. Good old Max. Somethings NEVER change...like spy spoof still being funny. It was a bit of a surprise seeing the black and white pilot - it actually made this frequently over-the-top show seem a bit more realistic, but on the other hand, made it look a tad bland (and like other 60s shows) as well.
It was an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous day today, sunny, windy, and in the lower 80s when I got up this morning. I slept in again and headed over to the Acme for my paycheck and to run some errands in the late morning and early afternoon. I went quickly to the Audubon Post Office branch to deliver the inadvertent extra copy of Yankee Doodle Dandy that Amazon.com sent me to Lauren, and then went over to FYE, trying to avoid looking at the former International House of Pancakes being demolished in between. (I ate in that place about two years ago and I didn't see anything wrong with it then...) I didn't like the price of Get Smart: Season 1 at FYE, so I went to see if Wal-Mart had it. They did, and I ended up with Get Smart and some other things I really needed. I stopped at Acme for this week's grocery shopping, then headed home.
After lunch, putting the groceries away, and finishing The Pirate Movie, which I'd put on last night, I went back out again for a long bike ride. I had to go to the bank anyway, so I just continued on after I deposited my paycheck. I finally ended up in Barrington, a town a few miles away. Like Audubon, Collingswood, and Haddon Heights, it's a lovely little small town with an attractive historic district. I went to a little coffee shop for a Pumpkin smoothie and half of a chocolate-walnut blondie, then went exploring. I found this awesome, huge antique store near the White Horse Pike. Geeze, that place was a labrynth! It was an awesome one, though. It had two floors, and both floors were crammed with everything from Victorian furniture to 80s Happy Meal toys. After I finally found my way back to the first floor (the second floor being a hive of tiny, barely-move-around-in-them, jammed-to-the-gills rooms), I ended up with a Golden Book my sisters and I had when we were little, Mickey Mouse: The Kitten Sitters, and a book for a Nancy Drew-esque 30s Stratemeyer series called the Dana Girls, The Secret of One Tree Cottage.
Heavy black clouds had gathered while I was in the Antique Center, and they finally burst as I made my way home. And I mean, really burst. It poured in huge drops. I had to stop not once, but twice to avoid the squall, once under an awning at the shops on Pine Street, another time under a huge old tree between Audubon and Haddon Heights. At one point, it was even pouring and sunny at the same time! By then, I'd finally said "what the heck" and headed on my way. I made another brief stop at Doria's Deli for brown sugar (theirs is cheaper than the Acme's), and headed on my way home. (Incidentally, despite seeing more clouds, it hasn't rained again. That must have just been a freak summer shower.)
I spent the rest of the evening having tilapia for dinner and watching Get Smart. Good old Max. Somethings NEVER change...like spy spoof still being funny. It was a bit of a surprise seeing the black and white pilot - it actually made this frequently over-the-top show seem a bit more realistic, but on the other hand, made it look a tad bland (and like other 60s shows) as well.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Summertime, and the Livin' Is Easy
I had a nice, quiet day off. I slept in this morning and worked on editing this month's Monkees Role Play. I didn't spend a lot of time in Collingswood before or after counseling. I don't have a lot of money left. I briefly visited Erica at the thrift shop and browsed the Collingswood Variety Store (which now has Toucans and Crocodiles for those of you who may be looking for those rare, just-released WebKinz). At Genesis Counseling, I mostly chatted with Scott about joining Yogawood, Mom's problems with Skylar, Dad, and Anny, and looking into library science. Scott said he mentioned my interest in library work to friend of his who are librarians, and they said it's actually fairly popular right now.
It was truly a gorgeous day, sunny, 85 degrees, and not humid at all. After my counseling session and a quick stop at the Collingswood WaWa for a treat (they have the soda fountain with the flavored syrups now), I rode home, had lunch, and went over to Uncle Ken's to do the laundry and have a swim. Uncle Ken and Dolores are home; they were resting and watching TV when I came in. Jessa was watching The Suite Life of Zach and Cody and eventually joined me in the pool after I put my laundry in the drier. The pool felt really, really good today, as warm as bath water and twice as therapeutic. I'm glad Jess joined me for once, too. We had a nice chat about the great weather we've had this summer, the upcoming Olympics, and our families. (Dad and Jodie are in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a music festival and some Campbell's business on Jodie's part.)
I'm hoping for more days like this for the rest of the month. I'm going to do some research and see if I can find some other cheap or free things going on near-by that I can go to. There's a Craft Show and Fair in Collingswood on Saturday. I may see if I can get there after work.
Oh, and Lauren and I finished the latest Monkees Role Play tonight! It started shaky, but we really had fun with it once we figured out where the plot was going. Look for it sometime this weekend!
I had a nice, quiet day off. I slept in this morning and worked on editing this month's Monkees Role Play. I didn't spend a lot of time in Collingswood before or after counseling. I don't have a lot of money left. I briefly visited Erica at the thrift shop and browsed the Collingswood Variety Store (which now has Toucans and Crocodiles for those of you who may be looking for those rare, just-released WebKinz). At Genesis Counseling, I mostly chatted with Scott about joining Yogawood, Mom's problems with Skylar, Dad, and Anny, and looking into library science. Scott said he mentioned my interest in library work to friend of his who are librarians, and they said it's actually fairly popular right now.
It was truly a gorgeous day, sunny, 85 degrees, and not humid at all. After my counseling session and a quick stop at the Collingswood WaWa for a treat (they have the soda fountain with the flavored syrups now), I rode home, had lunch, and went over to Uncle Ken's to do the laundry and have a swim. Uncle Ken and Dolores are home; they were resting and watching TV when I came in. Jessa was watching The Suite Life of Zach and Cody and eventually joined me in the pool after I put my laundry in the drier. The pool felt really, really good today, as warm as bath water and twice as therapeutic. I'm glad Jess joined me for once, too. We had a nice chat about the great weather we've had this summer, the upcoming Olympics, and our families. (Dad and Jodie are in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a music festival and some Campbell's business on Jodie's part.)
I'm hoping for more days like this for the rest of the month. I'm going to do some research and see if I can find some other cheap or free things going on near-by that I can go to. There's a Craft Show and Fair in Collingswood on Saturday. I may see if I can get there after work.
Oh, and Lauren and I finished the latest Monkees Role Play tonight! It started shaky, but we really had fun with it once we figured out where the plot was going. Look for it sometime this weekend!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Give My Regards To Haddon Avenue
I began my only day off this week with library volunteering. I was a busy little bee today. I put children's books left randomly on shelves on a cart to be put away later, I organized the "A" picture books, and I did the children's DVDs. (The B picture books weren't quite as bad.) Despite the gorgeous, warm-but-not-humid day, the library was quite busy, mostly families with young children hoping to find entertainment for tomorrow and the weekend. The library was having it's own problems as I left. Their Internet had gone down, and according to an e-mail they sent out later, remains so.
Instead of heading towards Super Fresh, I went in the other direction. I wanted to look at Walgreens and see if they had any of this month's WCares WebKinz, as well as some more Care Bear Cousins. It took me a while to find the WebKinz, which were in a different spot closer to the front this time, but I walked out with a rare Lil'Kinz Bassett Hound, Bright Heart Raccoon, and Lotsa Heart Elephant.
Since I was in the area and not in a major hurry, I decided to further explore Westmont's end of Haddon Avenue. (The other end is the Collingswood Historic District.) If Collingswood is decidedly turn-of-the-20th-century and Oaklyn's West Clinton Avenue has a sleepy 30s Andy Hardy vibe, Westmont feels like I should be cruising around in a muscle car, blaring Tin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town." The mix of 70s shopping centers, 90s storefronts, and 20s small stores (and the Westmont Theater) has a gritty semi-urban 70s vibe to it.
I stopped at a few stores. The book store was closed for the week, but I did pick up a patriotic-themed cardboard tiara and a bag of red, white, and blue stars to tape on my windows from a party store and peeked at the delicious goodies at McMillian's Bakery. I was sweating bullets by that point, so I headed for Rita's Water Ice for a Coconut Cream regular-sized ice.
The bike didn't feel right as I tried to take off down Haddon Avenue, and when I got off, I realized why - the front tire was flat! After my neighbor fixed the back tire only days ago! I'd taken the blue stationary bike today instead of my mountain bike. I wanted to test it after it was fixed, and the stationary bike has a basket. (I still haven't found one for the mountain bike.)
I was lucky to find a good-sized Ace Hardware and an auto repair/tire store two blocks down from Rita's. I bought the new inner tube from Ace and took the bike next door. The mechanic who owned the store and his granddaughter were nice enough to fix it for me...including after he accidentally punctured the inner tube I'd bought after discovering the tire was split. I ended up buying two inner tubes and a new tire, but the mechanic, his daughter, and the photographer who came by to do a photo inspection of the shop and helped out after he revealed he'd once worked in a bike shop, all finally got the bike back on the road. It worked well enough to get me home. (I just now have one white-walled tire and one black. Ace didn't have any white, and I was in no position to be picky.)
After I got in, I grabbed my laundry and went straight over to Uncle Ken's. I read The Elusive Pimpernel, talked to Dad, Jodie, Vanessa, and Rose, and had a fantastic swim in a super-warm pool. Rose is getting ready for her trip to Costa Rica. Everyone else is getting ready for tomorrow. We're going to head down to visit Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her family as soon as I get in.
Oh, and meet Kinsey the Lil'Kinz Bassett Hound! I thought a mystery book name was appropriate for a dog who comes with a "Detective Desk." Kinsey is named after Kinsey Milhone, the heroine of Sue Grafton's Alphabet series, a long-time favorite of mine. Kinsey came with her awesome Detective Desk, a Green Lava Lamp, and a Magic Carpet. She's now under the watchful eye of Linda the Collie in their Library Condo. The WCares finally paid off for me, too - I got a WCares mult-colored "Tubbie Tummies Bear" and an armoire, along with a recipe and 237 Kinzcash. I gave Kinsey the bear for her room. I have no idea where to put the armoire.
I began my only day off this week with library volunteering. I was a busy little bee today. I put children's books left randomly on shelves on a cart to be put away later, I organized the "A" picture books, and I did the children's DVDs. (The B picture books weren't quite as bad.) Despite the gorgeous, warm-but-not-humid day, the library was quite busy, mostly families with young children hoping to find entertainment for tomorrow and the weekend. The library was having it's own problems as I left. Their Internet had gone down, and according to an e-mail they sent out later, remains so.
Instead of heading towards Super Fresh, I went in the other direction. I wanted to look at Walgreens and see if they had any of this month's WCares WebKinz, as well as some more Care Bear Cousins. It took me a while to find the WebKinz, which were in a different spot closer to the front this time, but I walked out with a rare Lil'Kinz Bassett Hound, Bright Heart Raccoon, and Lotsa Heart Elephant.
Since I was in the area and not in a major hurry, I decided to further explore Westmont's end of Haddon Avenue. (The other end is the Collingswood Historic District.) If Collingswood is decidedly turn-of-the-20th-century and Oaklyn's West Clinton Avenue has a sleepy 30s Andy Hardy vibe, Westmont feels like I should be cruising around in a muscle car, blaring Tin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town." The mix of 70s shopping centers, 90s storefronts, and 20s small stores (and the Westmont Theater) has a gritty semi-urban 70s vibe to it.
I stopped at a few stores. The book store was closed for the week, but I did pick up a patriotic-themed cardboard tiara and a bag of red, white, and blue stars to tape on my windows from a party store and peeked at the delicious goodies at McMillian's Bakery. I was sweating bullets by that point, so I headed for Rita's Water Ice for a Coconut Cream regular-sized ice.
The bike didn't feel right as I tried to take off down Haddon Avenue, and when I got off, I realized why - the front tire was flat! After my neighbor fixed the back tire only days ago! I'd taken the blue stationary bike today instead of my mountain bike. I wanted to test it after it was fixed, and the stationary bike has a basket. (I still haven't found one for the mountain bike.)
I was lucky to find a good-sized Ace Hardware and an auto repair/tire store two blocks down from Rita's. I bought the new inner tube from Ace and took the bike next door. The mechanic who owned the store and his granddaughter were nice enough to fix it for me...including after he accidentally punctured the inner tube I'd bought after discovering the tire was split. I ended up buying two inner tubes and a new tire, but the mechanic, his daughter, and the photographer who came by to do a photo inspection of the shop and helped out after he revealed he'd once worked in a bike shop, all finally got the bike back on the road. It worked well enough to get me home. (I just now have one white-walled tire and one black. Ace didn't have any white, and I was in no position to be picky.)
After I got in, I grabbed my laundry and went straight over to Uncle Ken's. I read The Elusive Pimpernel, talked to Dad, Jodie, Vanessa, and Rose, and had a fantastic swim in a super-warm pool. Rose is getting ready for her trip to Costa Rica. Everyone else is getting ready for tomorrow. We're going to head down to visit Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her family as soon as I get in.
Oh, and meet Kinsey the Lil'Kinz Bassett Hound! I thought a mystery book name was appropriate for a dog who comes with a "Detective Desk." Kinsey is named after Kinsey Milhone, the heroine of Sue Grafton's Alphabet series, a long-time favorite of mine. Kinsey came with her awesome Detective Desk, a Green Lava Lamp, and a Magic Carpet. She's now under the watchful eye of Linda the Collie in their Library Condo. The WCares finally paid off for me, too - I got a WCares mult-colored "Tubbie Tummies Bear" and an armoire, along with a recipe and 237 Kinzcash. I gave Kinsey the bear for her room. I have no idea where to put the armoire.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
I Was So Mad!
This was not a good day. I spent the morning baking Fourth of July Cupcakes for my cousin Samantha's party. I must have put too much applesauce in the batter, because the cupcakes collapsed, and the mini-cake I was going to give to my neighbors to thank them for helping with my bikes fell apart. I'll give my neighbors a card or some cookies instead and cover the cupcakes with whipped topping and sprinkles. I never got to cleaning, either.
Work was a pain in the rear. It wasn't busy when I first came in, but there was a huge crowd during the 4PM-5PM rush hour, and they were obnoxious. I HATE the beginning of the month. These people drive me nuts. They never read signs. They almost never bag. They fuss over every price and give you an attitude when the prices aren't exactly what they want. One woman threw a fit because she wanted one Dear Park water for the $3.99 sale, but the flier and the signs state clear as crystal that you have to buy two of them to get the price. She even blew up at the stock manager who tried to tell her about the flier and the sale. Another group got mad because the Italian meatballs they wanted didn't come up at the price they expected.
I really wish people would learn to leave their attitudes at home. It's not our faults people don't have money these days. Learn to read and count, please, and then maybe you'll be able to figure out these things yourselves.
I was so mad after I got off work, I rode home for a little longer than usual, down Kendall Boulevard and up and back around Atlantic Avenue and Manor Avenue, past the railroad tracks and West Clinton. I didn't want to go home right away; I was afraid I'd hit someone or something, I was so angry. Good thing today was gorgeous, sunny, breezy, and hot but not humid. I had a fast and pleasant ride.
This was not a good day. I spent the morning baking Fourth of July Cupcakes for my cousin Samantha's party. I must have put too much applesauce in the batter, because the cupcakes collapsed, and the mini-cake I was going to give to my neighbors to thank them for helping with my bikes fell apart. I'll give my neighbors a card or some cookies instead and cover the cupcakes with whipped topping and sprinkles. I never got to cleaning, either.
Work was a pain in the rear. It wasn't busy when I first came in, but there was a huge crowd during the 4PM-5PM rush hour, and they were obnoxious. I HATE the beginning of the month. These people drive me nuts. They never read signs. They almost never bag. They fuss over every price and give you an attitude when the prices aren't exactly what they want. One woman threw a fit because she wanted one Dear Park water for the $3.99 sale, but the flier and the signs state clear as crystal that you have to buy two of them to get the price. She even blew up at the stock manager who tried to tell her about the flier and the sale. Another group got mad because the Italian meatballs they wanted didn't come up at the price they expected.
I really wish people would learn to leave their attitudes at home. It's not our faults people don't have money these days. Learn to read and count, please, and then maybe you'll be able to figure out these things yourselves.
I was so mad after I got off work, I rode home for a little longer than usual, down Kendall Boulevard and up and back around Atlantic Avenue and Manor Avenue, past the railroad tracks and West Clinton. I didn't want to go home right away; I was afraid I'd hit someone or something, I was so angry. Good thing today was gorgeous, sunny, breezy, and hot but not humid. I had a fast and pleasant ride.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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. :)
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. :)
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Hot Fun In The Summertime
To heck with what the calender says. The high here today was 94. Mother Nature says it's summer.
The day did not begin auspiciously. I spilled melted butter in my attempt to make my own crepes. Thankfully, it didn't get all over me, just the floor, but it made such a mess that I ended up not having time for crepes after all. I just had Kashi Autumn Shredded Wheat Cereal.
Thankfully, my Saturday errands went much better. It was in the upper 70s when I headed out to the bank and the farm market. The farm market was, not surprisingly, quite busy. I picked up strawberries, celery, leeks, and spinach, and what tasted like a loaf of soft white bread with flecks of bacon.
I got out early enough that I had some time to say "hi" to Erica at the Friends In Deed Thrift Shop and check out some yard sales before the weather became to prohibitive for riding. Unlike last week, the yard sales had some really nifty stuff. I especially loved the one on West Oakland Avenue with all the antique dolls and radios. Those were beyond my budget (and carrying capacity on the bike), but I did pick up a copy of The Art of Walt Disney and an adorable mohair teddy bear from 1962 (according to his tag). A yard sale on Washington Street behind the Oaklyn Public School yielded a DVD copy of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I've been wanting to pick that up for years now, and I know darn well I would have never gotten it in the stores for $3.
By the time I took in one last yard sale on Ridgeway Avenue (and found nothing of interest), it was getting deadly hot. I headed straight home after that and spent the remaining two hours before work reading a book on Russ Colombo and Bing Crosby, You Call It Madness, in my air conditioned living room.
Work mostly went well, but was bookended by two obnoxious old lady customers. The first one wanted almost every item in it's own bag and kept telling me that fifty thousand times. For crying out loud, I heard her the first time! You don't have to constantly repeat orders when I'm right in front of you and not an idiot. I know she wanted everything light.
And the last woman was that annoying lady with the frizzy hair whom everyone in the store hates. She's nothing but trouble. She'll bawl for help from the baggers when she claims she can't lift anything, then give the baggers hell for not bagging every single item exactly the way she wanted it...and THEN bag everything herself, the way they had it in the first place! And because she rides buses and taxis, she has to put her huge containers of toilet paper and paper towel rolls in her own trash bags! (I don't remember doing that when I was in college and used the buses to do my grocery shopping.) The baggers walked away after ten minutes of constant abuse, and I was ready to smack her silly. Thank goodness she was my last customer.
To heck with what the calender says. The high here today was 94. Mother Nature says it's summer.
The day did not begin auspiciously. I spilled melted butter in my attempt to make my own crepes. Thankfully, it didn't get all over me, just the floor, but it made such a mess that I ended up not having time for crepes after all. I just had Kashi Autumn Shredded Wheat Cereal.
Thankfully, my Saturday errands went much better. It was in the upper 70s when I headed out to the bank and the farm market. The farm market was, not surprisingly, quite busy. I picked up strawberries, celery, leeks, and spinach, and what tasted like a loaf of soft white bread with flecks of bacon.
I got out early enough that I had some time to say "hi" to Erica at the Friends In Deed Thrift Shop and check out some yard sales before the weather became to prohibitive for riding. Unlike last week, the yard sales had some really nifty stuff. I especially loved the one on West Oakland Avenue with all the antique dolls and radios. Those were beyond my budget (and carrying capacity on the bike), but I did pick up a copy of The Art of Walt Disney and an adorable mohair teddy bear from 1962 (according to his tag). A yard sale on Washington Street behind the Oaklyn Public School yielded a DVD copy of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I've been wanting to pick that up for years now, and I know darn well I would have never gotten it in the stores for $3.
By the time I took in one last yard sale on Ridgeway Avenue (and found nothing of interest), it was getting deadly hot. I headed straight home after that and spent the remaining two hours before work reading a book on Russ Colombo and Bing Crosby, You Call It Madness, in my air conditioned living room.
Work mostly went well, but was bookended by two obnoxious old lady customers. The first one wanted almost every item in it's own bag and kept telling me that fifty thousand times. For crying out loud, I heard her the first time! You don't have to constantly repeat orders when I'm right in front of you and not an idiot. I know she wanted everything light.
And the last woman was that annoying lady with the frizzy hair whom everyone in the store hates. She's nothing but trouble. She'll bawl for help from the baggers when she claims she can't lift anything, then give the baggers hell for not bagging every single item exactly the way she wanted it...and THEN bag everything herself, the way they had it in the first place! And because she rides buses and taxis, she has to put her huge containers of toilet paper and paper towel rolls in her own trash bags! (I don't remember doing that when I was in college and used the buses to do my grocery shopping.) The baggers walked away after ten minutes of constant abuse, and I was ready to smack her silly. Thank goodness she was my last customer.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
All Around The Town
I began my only day off this week with a trip to Collingswood to drop a few too-big items of clothing at the thrift shop and do today's counseling session. We mostly talked about my inability to focus. I tend to think about the future and the past, but it's hard for me to concentrate on a present that often doesn't seem worth concentrating on. We also discussed my tendency to get upset when things go wrong, especially at work. I don't like it when I can't control what's going on. I know that's not always possible, but it gets so busy, and there's all those people there, and I start to feel bad, though most customers are usually pretty good about it. I also admitted I haven't had the time to get to Yogawood, but I will try again before the next session.
I had a Turkey BLT and a fresh lemonade at The TreeHouse Cafe a few blocks down from Genesis Counseling. I won't be eating there much longer when I'm in Collingswood. Like the Abbie Road used CD store, they're moving to Market Street in Audubon.
After lunch, I decided to try something a little different before going to the library for volunteering. I seemed to remember seeing a Waldengreens at the corner of Cuthbert Road and Haddon Avenue in Westmont. I normally don't bother with Waldengreens, yet another generic drug store like Rite Aid or CVS, but they're teaming up with Ganz, the makers of WebKinz, for a special charity promotion. The WebKinz sold at Waldengreens in the month of June come with a special code in addition to the usual one. That code will net you special prizes and access to a game at the code shop. The Cuthbert Road Waldengreens only had three kinds of WebKinz, and they were all Lil'Kinz. However, one of the Lil'Kinz they had was the Orange and White Cat. This was the first I'd seen one, and their larger cousins are long retired. I also picked up a Lil'Kinz Cocker Spaniel.
I made another great find at Waldengreens. I discovered a box full of plush Care Bear Cousins while poking around in the toys aisle. Care Bear Cousins are basically the same thing as Care Bears...just with every animal besides bears. The Cousins weren't revived when the new Care Bears show started last year and are now rather rare. I found all of the stuffed versions but Proud Heart Cat (ironically the one I already had). I wanted all of them, but because I was buying WebKinz too, I settled on Brave Heart Lion and Gentle Heart Lamb. The fact that all four turned out to be $5.99 each just sweetened the deal.
I rode further down Haddon Avenue into downtown Westmont. I wasn't there too long because I wanted to get to the library, but I did have the chance to explore a little bit. Westmont is something of a low-rent version of Collingswood. It's still clean, but the buildings are mostly 60s and 70s vintage with the occasional older storefronts in the mix and the remains of the poor Westmont Theater. (Haddon Township is apparently in the midst of figuring out what to do with the "Grand Old Lady." I hope they decide soon. It reminded me of the Shore Theater, a similar old movie palace in Wildwood that was left to fall to pieces and finally met its fate under the wrecking ball a few months before I moved.) I stopped briefly at a mom-and-pop video store, mostly because I hadn't seen one since the last time I visited my folks in North Cape May.
I headed down Crystal Lake Road, passing Westmont's PATCO station (at least I know where that is now) and down to the library. I did the children's DVDs again. The librarians really seem to like the job I do with those. One said she was able to keep the DVDs straight for three days, before bad weather and a busy weekend left them jumbled again. The kids were long out of school by the time I got there, but the sun was also out and I didn't have too many interruptions. I made a quick stop at Super Fresh for tea (I got Twinings Indian Spiced Chai, which was on sale) and Dollar Tree for a shower curtain (I didn't get that - all they had was blue and tan, neither of which would go well in my yellow and sage green bathroom), before heading home.
I spent the rest of the afternoon vacuuming, dusting, and putting up most of the summer decorations (I'll dress the Sailor Moon dolls and Samantha in their summer outfits tomorrow or Saturday). That should finish off the cleaning for this month. I'll wash the trash can and the recycling cannisters next week. I ran out of time today and this weekend is supposed to be too hot to do much of anything. (Yahoo!Weather actually has an "Excessive Heat Watch" for the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey area from now until Monday. Just wonderful.)
Oh, and meet Peter the Lil'Kinz Cocker Spaniel! Yes, he's my third WebKinz Monkee, named for Peter Tork. He came with his Bone Fridge and (rather appropriately) a Green Lava Lamp. As pet #40, he also came with a Super Bed Box; I chose a Big Top Bed for this month's Pet of the Month the WebKinz Elephant. The money Peter came with allowed me to set up my second "front yard," this one an entrance to King the Black Frisian's movie theater/loft room. I used the new Strawberry Glass-Topped Tables and older chairs for outdoor popcorn dining. The Lil'Kinz can play on the Cat and Dog Playgrounds and tubes (the cat stuff taken from the about-to-be-retired Cat Theme) before the movie.
I began my only day off this week with a trip to Collingswood to drop a few too-big items of clothing at the thrift shop and do today's counseling session. We mostly talked about my inability to focus. I tend to think about the future and the past, but it's hard for me to concentrate on a present that often doesn't seem worth concentrating on. We also discussed my tendency to get upset when things go wrong, especially at work. I don't like it when I can't control what's going on. I know that's not always possible, but it gets so busy, and there's all those people there, and I start to feel bad, though most customers are usually pretty good about it. I also admitted I haven't had the time to get to Yogawood, but I will try again before the next session.
I had a Turkey BLT and a fresh lemonade at The TreeHouse Cafe a few blocks down from Genesis Counseling. I won't be eating there much longer when I'm in Collingswood. Like the Abbie Road used CD store, they're moving to Market Street in Audubon.
After lunch, I decided to try something a little different before going to the library for volunteering. I seemed to remember seeing a Waldengreens at the corner of Cuthbert Road and Haddon Avenue in Westmont. I normally don't bother with Waldengreens, yet another generic drug store like Rite Aid or CVS, but they're teaming up with Ganz, the makers of WebKinz, for a special charity promotion. The WebKinz sold at Waldengreens in the month of June come with a special code in addition to the usual one. That code will net you special prizes and access to a game at the code shop. The Cuthbert Road Waldengreens only had three kinds of WebKinz, and they were all Lil'Kinz. However, one of the Lil'Kinz they had was the Orange and White Cat. This was the first I'd seen one, and their larger cousins are long retired. I also picked up a Lil'Kinz Cocker Spaniel.
I made another great find at Waldengreens. I discovered a box full of plush Care Bear Cousins while poking around in the toys aisle. Care Bear Cousins are basically the same thing as Care Bears...just with every animal besides bears. The Cousins weren't revived when the new Care Bears show started last year and are now rather rare. I found all of the stuffed versions but Proud Heart Cat (ironically the one I already had). I wanted all of them, but because I was buying WebKinz too, I settled on Brave Heart Lion and Gentle Heart Lamb. The fact that all four turned out to be $5.99 each just sweetened the deal.
I rode further down Haddon Avenue into downtown Westmont. I wasn't there too long because I wanted to get to the library, but I did have the chance to explore a little bit. Westmont is something of a low-rent version of Collingswood. It's still clean, but the buildings are mostly 60s and 70s vintage with the occasional older storefronts in the mix and the remains of the poor Westmont Theater. (Haddon Township is apparently in the midst of figuring out what to do with the "Grand Old Lady." I hope they decide soon. It reminded me of the Shore Theater, a similar old movie palace in Wildwood that was left to fall to pieces and finally met its fate under the wrecking ball a few months before I moved.) I stopped briefly at a mom-and-pop video store, mostly because I hadn't seen one since the last time I visited my folks in North Cape May.
I headed down Crystal Lake Road, passing Westmont's PATCO station (at least I know where that is now) and down to the library. I did the children's DVDs again. The librarians really seem to like the job I do with those. One said she was able to keep the DVDs straight for three days, before bad weather and a busy weekend left them jumbled again. The kids were long out of school by the time I got there, but the sun was also out and I didn't have too many interruptions. I made a quick stop at Super Fresh for tea (I got Twinings Indian Spiced Chai, which was on sale) and Dollar Tree for a shower curtain (I didn't get that - all they had was blue and tan, neither of which would go well in my yellow and sage green bathroom), before heading home.
I spent the rest of the afternoon vacuuming, dusting, and putting up most of the summer decorations (I'll dress the Sailor Moon dolls and Samantha in their summer outfits tomorrow or Saturday). That should finish off the cleaning for this month. I'll wash the trash can and the recycling cannisters next week. I ran out of time today and this weekend is supposed to be too hot to do much of anything. (Yahoo!Weather actually has an "Excessive Heat Watch" for the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey area from now until Monday. Just wonderful.)
Oh, and meet Peter the Lil'Kinz Cocker Spaniel! Yes, he's my third WebKinz Monkee, named for Peter Tork. He came with his Bone Fridge and (rather appropriately) a Green Lava Lamp. As pet #40, he also came with a Super Bed Box; I chose a Big Top Bed for this month's Pet of the Month the WebKinz Elephant. The money Peter came with allowed me to set up my second "front yard," this one an entrance to King the Black Frisian's movie theater/loft room. I used the new Strawberry Glass-Topped Tables and older chairs for outdoor popcorn dining. The Lil'Kinz can play on the Cat and Dog Playgrounds and tubes (the cat stuff taken from the about-to-be-retired Cat Theme) before the movie.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Stormy Weather
Despite the humidity, on-and-off sun, and threat of storms and (of all things) tornadoes, I headed out for my usual Saturday chores this morning. I was early enough to be able to browse in Collingswood and attend several yard sales after I did the Farm Market and the bank. The Farm Market was as busy as it always is. Like me, people probably opted to come early and avoid the nasty forecast. I didn't really need much today. I just bought strawberries, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, and a shallot for the beet soup I'm hoping to make tomorrow.
I didn't have much luck with the yard sales today. One couple did have records and cassettes, but despite my hovering over him, a guy got there just before I did...and, in full view of me, bought the whole lot before I could look at them!
I did get some good records in Collingswood. I finally found some more children's records at the Collingswood Library. I picked up two more Disney book-and-records (a 1960 version of Bambi and a 1964 retelling of Mary Poppins with lovely, angular full-color pictures), and a short adaptation of A Christmas Carol done by children's record company Peter Pan (I actually remember my sisters and I having Peter Pan records in the early 80s). My favorite find was the 1970 Original Cast Album for Sesame Street, complete with an orange Oscar, a scruffy Big Bird, Gordon with hair, and the first recordings of "Rubber Duckie" and "The People In My Neighborhood." I also picked up what appears to be a mid-late 50s Rosemary Clooney album, Swing Around Rosie.
I made a quick stop at the thrift shop next to say "hi" to my friend Erica. Most of the records they get at Friends In Deed are old obscure disco and R&B singles and leftovers from the days of Philadelphia International Records, but they do occasionally get some genuine cool albums. I picked up Lou Rawls, 70s Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, post-Keith Moon The Who, and Gary Stevens' 22 Good Guy Oldies, a collection of 50s and 60s hits.
I tried a few more yard sales on my way home, getting lost on my way to one, but found nothing of interest. It was getting darker and darker, and the wind was getting worse. I stopped at Doria's Deli around the corner from me for eggs, turkey, brown sugar, and a diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. On my way home, it started to rain lightly. Thankfully, I was inside by the time the thunder and lightning began.
I called Dad and Uncle Ken for a ride, but I got Jessa. Apparently, everyone was either out with friends, out at work, or just out. I finally decided to ignore the rain and ride to work. Though it did rain on my way and I did get wet, the thunder and lighting had passed and the rain itself was lessening. By the time I got out of work, the clouds were receding, the wind was slower, and there was nothing left of the storm but puddles.
Work was on-and-off busy, to be expected on a day when the weather was on-and-off. We had a few annoying beginning-of-the-month customers. One group of ladies kept trying phone number after phone card number in order to get more than three of the Bryers Ice Cream that's on sale 3 for $7. When a card's been in the system for a very, very long time, the phone number will often be lost or deleted. (My card hasn't been in the system for years. I got it when I was about 16. Lord only knows what number I used.) I don't know what they wanted all that ice cream for, anyway. That must have been some party!
Despite the humidity, on-and-off sun, and threat of storms and (of all things) tornadoes, I headed out for my usual Saturday chores this morning. I was early enough to be able to browse in Collingswood and attend several yard sales after I did the Farm Market and the bank. The Farm Market was as busy as it always is. Like me, people probably opted to come early and avoid the nasty forecast. I didn't really need much today. I just bought strawberries, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, and a shallot for the beet soup I'm hoping to make tomorrow.
I didn't have much luck with the yard sales today. One couple did have records and cassettes, but despite my hovering over him, a guy got there just before I did...and, in full view of me, bought the whole lot before I could look at them!
I did get some good records in Collingswood. I finally found some more children's records at the Collingswood Library. I picked up two more Disney book-and-records (a 1960 version of Bambi and a 1964 retelling of Mary Poppins with lovely, angular full-color pictures), and a short adaptation of A Christmas Carol done by children's record company Peter Pan (I actually remember my sisters and I having Peter Pan records in the early 80s). My favorite find was the 1970 Original Cast Album for Sesame Street, complete with an orange Oscar, a scruffy Big Bird, Gordon with hair, and the first recordings of "Rubber Duckie" and "The People In My Neighborhood." I also picked up what appears to be a mid-late 50s Rosemary Clooney album, Swing Around Rosie.
I made a quick stop at the thrift shop next to say "hi" to my friend Erica. Most of the records they get at Friends In Deed are old obscure disco and R&B singles and leftovers from the days of Philadelphia International Records, but they do occasionally get some genuine cool albums. I picked up Lou Rawls, 70s Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, post-Keith Moon The Who, and Gary Stevens' 22 Good Guy Oldies, a collection of 50s and 60s hits.
I tried a few more yard sales on my way home, getting lost on my way to one, but found nothing of interest. It was getting darker and darker, and the wind was getting worse. I stopped at Doria's Deli around the corner from me for eggs, turkey, brown sugar, and a diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. On my way home, it started to rain lightly. Thankfully, I was inside by the time the thunder and lightning began.
I called Dad and Uncle Ken for a ride, but I got Jessa. Apparently, everyone was either out with friends, out at work, or just out. I finally decided to ignore the rain and ride to work. Though it did rain on my way and I did get wet, the thunder and lighting had passed and the rain itself was lessening. By the time I got out of work, the clouds were receding, the wind was slower, and there was nothing left of the storm but puddles.
Work was on-and-off busy, to be expected on a day when the weather was on-and-off. We had a few annoying beginning-of-the-month customers. One group of ladies kept trying phone number after phone card number in order to get more than three of the Bryers Ice Cream that's on sale 3 for $7. When a card's been in the system for a very, very long time, the phone number will often be lost or deleted. (My card hasn't been in the system for years. I got it when I was about 16. Lord only knows what number I used.) I don't know what they wanted all that ice cream for, anyway. That must have been some party!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Little Things Mean A Lot
I spent most of today running small errands and doing usual chores. After breakfast and sleeping in, I headed for the Haddon Township Library. In addition to organizing the children's DVDs, I did the R section of the children's picture books. The latter were a disaster area. I may ask to continue on through the alphabet next week - the kids' books really could use it.
I made a very quick trip to Super Fresh after leaving the library for tea. Super Fresh has a better selection of tea at better prices, and I'm going to be needing more now that I'm making my own iced tea in addition to drinking it in the morning. I was in and out of Super Fresh in less than 10 minutes. I only needed the tea, and I wanted to avoid the kids coming out of school.
After I got home, I had lunch and went right back out again, this time in the opposite direction. I went to the FYE behind the Acme to sell my Vintage Mickey DVD (a short collection of early Mickey Mouse cartoons; now that I have both B&W Treasures sets, Vintage Mickey is superfluous), and then headed across the parking lot to the free-standing Staples to get a new computer keyboard. I'd been wanting to do that for months. My old one was sticking and the letters were rubbing off.
Actually, the second trip was partially an excuse to just get out. It was a gorgeous day, 80 degrees and sunny. It did shower very briefly later in the afternoon, but by that time, I was home and in the midst of cleaning my bathroom. (The bathroom was the only thing I finished cleaning today; tomorrow, I'll do the kitchen and the windows, and possibly get to vacuuming.)
I finished up the Mickey Mouse In Black & White Treasures set this evening. I really love those shorts. I don't know what Disney and his animators were on in the early and mid-30s, but there's a vitality to those shorts that Disney would never have again, and some of them (like the horror-themed Mad Doctor or the hilarious Touchdown Mickey) are plain bizarre. Fun stuff.
I spent most of today running small errands and doing usual chores. After breakfast and sleeping in, I headed for the Haddon Township Library. In addition to organizing the children's DVDs, I did the R section of the children's picture books. The latter were a disaster area. I may ask to continue on through the alphabet next week - the kids' books really could use it.
I made a very quick trip to Super Fresh after leaving the library for tea. Super Fresh has a better selection of tea at better prices, and I'm going to be needing more now that I'm making my own iced tea in addition to drinking it in the morning. I was in and out of Super Fresh in less than 10 minutes. I only needed the tea, and I wanted to avoid the kids coming out of school.
After I got home, I had lunch and went right back out again, this time in the opposite direction. I went to the FYE behind the Acme to sell my Vintage Mickey DVD (a short collection of early Mickey Mouse cartoons; now that I have both B&W Treasures sets, Vintage Mickey is superfluous), and then headed across the parking lot to the free-standing Staples to get a new computer keyboard. I'd been wanting to do that for months. My old one was sticking and the letters were rubbing off.
Actually, the second trip was partially an excuse to just get out. It was a gorgeous day, 80 degrees and sunny. It did shower very briefly later in the afternoon, but by that time, I was home and in the midst of cleaning my bathroom. (The bathroom was the only thing I finished cleaning today; tomorrow, I'll do the kitchen and the windows, and possibly get to vacuuming.)
I finished up the Mickey Mouse In Black & White Treasures set this evening. I really love those shorts. I don't know what Disney and his animators were on in the early and mid-30s, but there's a vitality to those shorts that Disney would never have again, and some of them (like the horror-themed Mad Doctor or the hilarious Touchdown Mickey) are plain bizarre. Fun stuff.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Happy Birthday To Me!
Thank goodness after the stormy weekend that I opened my eyes to a gorgeous birthday morning! It was chilly and windy, but nothing abnormal for April in Southern New Jersey. I treated myself to Chocolate Chip Pancakes and strawberries, then watched two Disney birthday-themed cartoons (the 1942 Mickey Mouse vehicle Mickey's Birthday Party and the blockier Pluto's Party from 10 years later) and the original 1980 Strawberry Shortcake special, The World Of Strawberry Shortcake, which was set on the title character's 6th birthday. My ride to work was a bit windy, but otherwise just lovely.
(Incidentally, if there's one thing I'd love to find, it's more children's records. The only ones I have are my two Disney book-and-records. As kids, we had a Care Bears album, a record version of The World Of Strawberry Shortcake, two Raggedy Ann and Andy records, a record of the fairy tales Thumbelina and Hansel and Gretel, two large book-and-record versions of the Disney Cinderella and Snow White, and smaller book-and-records of Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. I can still sing some of the songs from those records and recite bits and pieces of the dialog.)
I worked early today, 8:30AM to 2:30PM, and while it was quiet when I went in, by the time I got out, it was steady but otherwise not a problem. My co-workers were so sweet. Marlene announced my birthday over the intercom, and Anne-Marie, who had the register behind me, bought me a birthday cupcake. :)
I saw my landlady Miss Ellie going in her side of the house when I came home. I told her I'd be glad to work on raking the front yard and doing the garden tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday and Thursday morning. She said the forsythia bush in the front yard needed pruning, too - it's about ready to EAT the front yard, it's so big. (I know. I've run into it many times coming home from work.)
When I came in, I got a quick birthday greeting from my mom, then headed out for a long bike ride around Oaklyn, Audubon, and Haddon Heights. I forgot most of the little stores around here are closed on Mondays, but Willie the Woodsman, the lovely little gift shop on Pine Street in Audubon that carries WebKinz, was open. I bought a WebKinz rabbit and two packs of the cards. The owner recommended a nice Italian restaurant/pizzeria near-by. It was only about 4PM then, so I rode around a while longer.
I ended up on East Kings Highway. I rode past all the fancy, huge mansions and wound up back at the White Horse Pike. There were more little shops and an ice cream parlor, and while the shops were closed, I'll have to remember they're there the next time I'm in that area. I stopped quickly at the big CVS on the corner of East Kings Highway and the White Horse Pike for Sensodyne toothpaste (which the dentists recommended for my poor, sensitive teeth) and wound up treating myself to another new-style Care Bear, a modern version of True Heart Bear. She can be found in the Classic line, too, but I liked her little half-smile, which seemed rather rueful for a Care Bear. (Quite a difference from Oopsy's big, eager grin!)
I made it to the Italian place around 5, by which time I was starving. I had a tasty Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Sandwich with Smoked Mozzerella. It was probably more expensive than it should have been, but not bad. I took home half the sandwich and a few slices of garlic bread. (They also gave me a dish of some spicy tomato-olive concoction to start off with. Whoa! That was TOO spicy for me to take more than a few bites.)
It was quarter of 6 by the time I got out, so I just headed home. I spent the rest of the night playing with my new WebKinz and ordering birthday presents for myself off Amazon.com. Amazon seems to be the cheapest place to get the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. The original Golden Collection was my first animation set and my third DVD set (after the two Monkees TV sets), but they're so expensive I haven't bought one since then. FYE has them for as much as $70! I finally opted for a used copy of Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three, which has two of my favorite Looney Tunes cartoons, Porky Pig's Feat and Robin Hood Daffy. I also bought two of the adorable Strawberry Shortcake fairy tale adaptations (The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel), and several of the Parker Brothers Strawberry Shortcake books of the 80s, some of them for pennies.
Thank goodness after the stormy weekend that I opened my eyes to a gorgeous birthday morning! It was chilly and windy, but nothing abnormal for April in Southern New Jersey. I treated myself to Chocolate Chip Pancakes and strawberries, then watched two Disney birthday-themed cartoons (the 1942 Mickey Mouse vehicle Mickey's Birthday Party and the blockier Pluto's Party from 10 years later) and the original 1980 Strawberry Shortcake special, The World Of Strawberry Shortcake, which was set on the title character's 6th birthday. My ride to work was a bit windy, but otherwise just lovely.
(Incidentally, if there's one thing I'd love to find, it's more children's records. The only ones I have are my two Disney book-and-records. As kids, we had a Care Bears album, a record version of The World Of Strawberry Shortcake, two Raggedy Ann and Andy records, a record of the fairy tales Thumbelina and Hansel and Gretel, two large book-and-record versions of the Disney Cinderella and Snow White, and smaller book-and-records of Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. I can still sing some of the songs from those records and recite bits and pieces of the dialog.)
I worked early today, 8:30AM to 2:30PM, and while it was quiet when I went in, by the time I got out, it was steady but otherwise not a problem. My co-workers were so sweet. Marlene announced my birthday over the intercom, and Anne-Marie, who had the register behind me, bought me a birthday cupcake. :)
I saw my landlady Miss Ellie going in her side of the house when I came home. I told her I'd be glad to work on raking the front yard and doing the garden tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday and Thursday morning. She said the forsythia bush in the front yard needed pruning, too - it's about ready to EAT the front yard, it's so big. (I know. I've run into it many times coming home from work.)
When I came in, I got a quick birthday greeting from my mom, then headed out for a long bike ride around Oaklyn, Audubon, and Haddon Heights. I forgot most of the little stores around here are closed on Mondays, but Willie the Woodsman, the lovely little gift shop on Pine Street in Audubon that carries WebKinz, was open. I bought a WebKinz rabbit and two packs of the cards. The owner recommended a nice Italian restaurant/pizzeria near-by. It was only about 4PM then, so I rode around a while longer.
I ended up on East Kings Highway. I rode past all the fancy, huge mansions and wound up back at the White Horse Pike. There were more little shops and an ice cream parlor, and while the shops were closed, I'll have to remember they're there the next time I'm in that area. I stopped quickly at the big CVS on the corner of East Kings Highway and the White Horse Pike for Sensodyne toothpaste (which the dentists recommended for my poor, sensitive teeth) and wound up treating myself to another new-style Care Bear, a modern version of True Heart Bear. She can be found in the Classic line, too, but I liked her little half-smile, which seemed rather rueful for a Care Bear. (Quite a difference from Oopsy's big, eager grin!)
I made it to the Italian place around 5, by which time I was starving. I had a tasty Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Sandwich with Smoked Mozzerella. It was probably more expensive than it should have been, but not bad. I took home half the sandwich and a few slices of garlic bread. (They also gave me a dish of some spicy tomato-olive concoction to start off with. Whoa! That was TOO spicy for me to take more than a few bites.)
It was quarter of 6 by the time I got out, so I just headed home. I spent the rest of the night playing with my new WebKinz and ordering birthday presents for myself off Amazon.com. Amazon seems to be the cheapest place to get the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. The original Golden Collection was my first animation set and my third DVD set (after the two Monkees TV sets), but they're so expensive I haven't bought one since then. FYE has them for as much as $70! I finally opted for a used copy of Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three, which has two of my favorite Looney Tunes cartoons, Porky Pig's Feat and Robin Hood Daffy. I also bought two of the adorable Strawberry Shortcake fairy tale adaptations (The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel), and several of the Parker Brothers Strawberry Shortcake books of the 80s, some of them for pennies.
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