Goin' Up the Country

This time, we started off going north after Lauren got gas at a Shell station down the street, heading through upstate New York and into Vermont. This is one of my favorite trips when I visit Lauren. Vermont is really beautiful. We passed by cows and horse grazing on smooth green fields and corn and pumpkins ripening in the morning sun, over streams gurgling and rushing around stones, and past dilapidated farm houses, weathered silos, and grand hotels made to look like Tyrolean homes. 

Lauren wanted to stop somewhere and use the bathroom. We tried a truck stop, but they had a sign on the door of the main building stating that the bathroom was out of order. She drove into Bennington and stopped at a Walgreens, but they had no bathroom. We finally ended up at a Dunkin' Donuts down the street. Not only was their bathroom fine, but we picked up donuts and drinks. I had green iced tea (which definitely had burnt notes) and a butternut (glazed rolled in nuts) donut. She had an iced coffee and bought a dozen donuts for her parents later.

We finally pulled into the Vermont Country Store at Weston around 11 AM. The Vermont Country Store is a rambling old farmhouse that sells "the practical and the unique." Their wares may be practical and unique, but the vintage holiday decorations, fancy milled soaps, huge bottles of long-discontinued shampoo and conditioners, recreations of older toys and books, kitchen gadgets, local cheeses and baked goods, and handmade linens tend to be pricey. 

There's an upstairs clearance area that sells items on deep discount. I did better here, digging a long-sleeved maroon blouse with a pretty fall leaf print out of the women's racks. Originally priced at $69, the tag said $34; it rang up as $19.99. I also grabbed a bag of coconut macaroons, a cute little stuffed female scarecrow to go with all of my male ones at home, and a small leaf-shaped bottle of maple syrup. Lauren bought a blouse for her, a plaid shirt for her dad, a shirt for her mom, polo shirts for her guy friend Rico, and candy for her and her folks.

Someone finally opened up the old Bryant House Restaurant next-door, behind Mildred's Dairy Bar. It's now known as Leyla's, and apparently it just debuted this past June. The formerly whitewashed building was now stripped down to bare, polished wood floor and ceiling beams and was decorated with what I suspect was local artwork and textiles. They're owned by a Manchester cafe that specializes in food cooked on a wood-fired stove, including pizza. The wild mushroom pizza, real mushrooms and caramelized onions on local mozzarella with a thin, yet soft crust, was amazing. I'd never had such wonderful mushroom pizza. Lauren had a Diet Coke, but I went with a sparkling water that was almost as good.

It was almost 2 PM when we bounced down the country highways to Manchester. This is a slightly larger town that's mainly known for its outlet mall...but it does have one truly unique business in that mall. Pastime Pinball is an interactive museum that showcases pinball machines from Humpty Dumpty, the first machine to use flippers in 1947, to consoles themed around Labyrinth and Elton John from last year that boast fancy LED graphics and elaborate levels and bumpers.  

I spent an hour playing those games, and Lauren was there for even longer. I did best on a nifty version of Ghostbusters from 2003 that included a cool Slimer that "floated" around when you hit him. I swear I remember seeing some of the 80's and early 90's games like High Speed, Space Shuttle, Pin Bot, Diner, The Machine: Bride of Pinbot, The Addams Family, and Fish Tails at the Cape May arcades when I was a kid. Theater of Magic, The Simpsons Pinball Party, Indiana Jones, Spider Man, and Lord of the Rings were among the games at the Wildwood arcades in the late 90's-early 2000's. I played most of the consoles, including the gorgeous LED retelling of the 1939 Wizard of Oz that was down the last time we visited here in 2022. I even gave the awkward sit-down console Night Moves a try.

The third level features other vintage games besides pinball, along with the snack stand. I decided to save my appetite for later and focused on the games. I never was very good at Pole Position, and today was no exception. I couldn't figure out the shoot-the-neon-aliens gun game, either. Tried Pac Man on a table console. I did better at Skee Party from 1950. It plays like the skee ball of today, but instead of rolling balls, the player sends a heavy metal puck into the holes. I got pretty good at it, but I was afraid that big metal puck would fly off the wooden ramp and hit someone in the head!

Lauren was still working her way through the consoles at 4 PM. I left her at this point to walk two blocks and around two circles to the Northshire Bookstore. I can never pass up a local bookstore. This one is housed in what had once been an inn. The children's books are upstairs. The downstairs is given over to everything else, including records, stationary, journals and notebooks, accessories, and adult fiction and nonfiction. I considered a book on the Monkees and a huge paperback pirate novel, but eventually just bought the first Brooklyn Wainright mystery Homicide In Hardback and a book to write down my internet passwords. I've been using the same notebook for over a decade to write passwords. Not only is it falling apart, but half the passwords listed are ones I don't even use anymore. 

At least it had turned into a gorgeous day for hiking between stores. It was foggy when we drove over the mountains this morning. By the time we got to the Vermont Country Store, the clouds had cleared, the sun was out, and it was now far warmer than I anticipated, probably in the mid-70's. It felt great on my back as I dodged heavy traffic and made my way back to the Outlets. 

I met Lauren outside of Pastime Pinball around quarter after 5. We strolled another block past the Northshire Bookstore to have dinner at Christo's Pizza and Pasta. I suspect Lauren mainly wanted the pasta. Her bowl of linguine with oil and garlic was enormous, and she ate the whole thing. My turkey panini with bacon, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and cheese took longer to arrive, but it was delicious when it did come. 

That heavy traffic was getting even worse by 6 PM. We figured it was time to head home. And this time, we did go straight back to Pittsfield, with no unscheduled stops. I even got to see a stunning rosy sunset over the mountains on the Vermont Highway.

After we showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller our finds and Mr. Miller tried on his new shirt, I finished the night watching The Love Boat on Paramount Plus. It's not all fun and fabulous dresses on a high-style cruise to Acapulco for a fashion festival. The clumsy assistant (Richard Gilliand) of an old-fashioned designer (Dick Shawn) tries to keep "The Model Marriage" to his daughter (Debra Clinger) a secret. He finally gets his own chance to shine when the designer's dresses end up shrunk in the washer. The married owners of a modeling agency (Anne Baxter and McLean Stevenson) argue over whether "This Year's Model" (Camilla Sparv) is too old to be in the big on-ship fashion show, while Captain Steubing (Gavin McLeod) falls for her. 

A handsome industrial thief is a "Vogue Rogue" who is supposed to be stealing a fashion queen's (Elke Sommer) new designs, but falls for her instead. The head of a major perfume company (Robert Vaughn) searches for the right woman to advertise his new scent "Original Sin." Julie is feeling a bit dowdy among all those glamorous beauties, but she discovers her inner model when a friend who is getting married claims it's "Too Clothes for Comfort" and wants Julie to take her spot in the show.  

Downtown In the Berkshires

Started a cloudy morning with a trip to downtown Lee, about 20 minutes or so from Pittsfield. Lauren lives just outside of Pittsfield proper in a recently-built house (she says it dates to 2000) on a country lane. It's so out in the country, there's a horse farm on the other end of the lane! We were greeted by horses grazing as Lauren asked a man working on a house near the road to move his construction equipment.

Lee is one of the many lovely old small towns in the Berkshire area. The main street mainly held cafes, antique and collectible shops, local clothing stores, and a very small Goodwill. We checked out the Goodwill first. They had a decent selection for a store that wasn't even as big as my bedroom at home. We didn't end up leaving with anything, though.

Our other stop in Lee was a lovely collectibles shop. We didn't buy anything there, either, but I did enjoy browsing. Their selection was similar to the Barrington Antique Center, in a far smaller and better-organized store. For some reason, they had a lot of large Mickey Mouse items. I saw two vintage Mickey phones, one that looked like it was more recent, and a Mickey gumball holder.

Since they were near-by, we next headed to the Lee Premium Outlets. Like the ones in Atlantic City, they're outlet stores for both fancy names like Banana Republic and Calvin Klein, and mid-priced stores like the Gap and Stride Rite. The outlets are situated on a hill near Lee...and they're huge! There's tons of stores, and even a food court. Also, unlike the outlet malls at Atlantic City and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, they're all in the same area, only separated by narrow roads. The other two outlet malls are spread out across busy highways and main streets that make it a pain to get from store to store.

We explored a couple of stores today. Our first stop was Bath and Body Works. I liked their new fall soaps, but not the sales that required you to buy five items or more. Lauren bought perfume sprays for her mom. I left empty-handed.

Didn't get anything at Dress Barn, either. I need sweaters, casual pants, dress pants, and a good winter dress or skirt. While they did have plus sizes, the sweaters were mostly huge, chunky knits, not a good idea with my weight. I couldn't find any dresses or pants in my sizes, and I just didn't see any skirts I liked. Lauren bought a new pair of dress pants for work.

I did better at Eddie Bauer. This store did have plus sizes, just mixed in with the regular sizes. After some digging around, Lauren and I both bought nice light-weight knit cardigans. She got leaf green. I got teal. I like sweaters for layering on errand runs in the spring and fall, when it'll often be in the 50's and 60's when I head out...and sometimes get into the 70's by the time I make it home.

We had lunch at That's a Wrap, a sandwich shop in the food court. We got there just as the lunch hour was beginning, and they weren't too busy. Lauren had The Berkshire (turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and apples) on a grilled pannini. I had the Thanksgiving Preview - cranberry dressing, turkey, stuffing, and lettuce on a whole wheat wrap. Yum. Tasty but very messy. We both got tiny cups of pasta salad with slices of olives hiding at the bottom.

After hitting the bathroom, we headed out. The heavy, dark clouds were slowly gathering, even as we made our way to historic Lenox. They were a lot busier than the Outlets or Lee were. There was apparently an art show going on in town.

We weren't interested in art. Our main reason for visiting Lenox was The Bookstore, a small shop on a side street surrounded by art galleries and boutiques. They mostly specialized in classic literature from local authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne. They did have a fairly decent children's selection. I was finally able to find Emily's Quest, the last story in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Emily of New Moon series, which I'd been looking for all over the place in Camden County.

We mostly just walked around Lenox after that, taking in the beautiful architecture. Most of the downtown seemed to have been built between about the 1770's and the early 1900's. The library in particular was a beautiful old building, I'm guessing dating to the town's founding in the 1700's. We strolled past residential homes and a cute little park with a small playground and baseball field. We took in a little toy store, The Gifted Child, on our way back. They had a nice selection of mostly games and educational items, but I also saw Calico Critters and a few Barbies.

We timed our walk perfectly. It had just started showering lightly as we made it back to the public parking lot where Lauren had her car. As we jumped in the car and Lauren was pulling out, the shower picked up considerably. It was coming down pretty well as we headed down the road to the Chocolate Springs Cafe. This unique coffee shop mostly sold fancy chocolates in every flavor imaginable, from sea salt to pumpkin spice. Alas, the chocolate was also very expensive, and quite out of our budget.

We just dodged more heavy showers and school buses as we headed back to Pittsfield, stopping at a row of mail boxes so Lauren could get hers and her parents' mail. Lauren's parents were slicing rutabagas for dinner later in the week when we arrived. They smelled surprisingly good as they cooked.

We spent the rest of the evening playing Mario Party 8 (the computer-controlled Boo beat both of us at Captain Goomba's Boardwalk board) and Kirby's Return to Dream Land (we got through the first two worlds - I especially enjoyed playing the huge, mallet-wielding King Dedede). We watched vintage 80's wrestling featuring one of Lauren's favorites, the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, while eating chicken noodle soup, cottage cheese, and slices of turkey deli meat for dinner. After that, I hit the shower while Lauren listened to online big band and 20's jazz radio stations.

Right now, we've still got the station on, making pleasant background music while we chat online. Tomorrow, we'll take in a farm market at her local mall and drive into Vermont to explore the Vermont Country Store.

Summer at the Market Place

Started a hot, sunny day with a quick Three Stooges short while I had Multi-Grain Cheerios with blueberries for breakfast. The Stooges did several western-themed shorts, the earliest being "Horses' Collars." The Stooges are detectives who head west to help a young lady regain the deed to her ranch, which is being held by unscrupulous bandits. When they get in a tight spot, it may take Curly's fear of mice - before the other two bring the cheese out - to save them.

Got the laundry done first around 11:30. It was pretty busy for a Monday, though I was able to get a washer and drier with no problems. I didn't really have a ton to wash, anyway. I only do towels once a month. I was in and out in less than an hour.

I hurried and put everything away, then went right back out. My first stop was Dunkin' Donuts for a Coolatta treat. They have a cookie theme going this month. I went with a Chips Ahoy Coolatta. It was pretty much a Vanilla Coolatta with bits of chocolate chip cookies and cream, but it was cold and sweet and tasty on a hot July day. I gulped it quickly as I headed down the White Horse Pike and across Cuthbert to pick up the bus to Cherry Hill.

The bus was a little late, but not too bad. Since I went to the Cherry Hill Mall with Lauren last month, I opted for the big-box shopping plazas Market Place and Town Center. Pei Wei Asian Cuisine is one of the first stores you see when you come in off the highway. I haven't eaten there since Rose and I went together in January 2010, a few months before Khai was born. They're a dark, simple store with heavy polished wooden tables and chairs. I had the chicken lettuce wraps, two of my favorite Vietnamese Spring Rolls (I love me some spring rolls), and iced tea. Yum. The chicken came on a bed of crunchy rice noodles. The spring rolls came with this reddish dipping sauce that was a little on the hot side. It was messy, but quite tasty.

The main reason I wanted to go to the Market Place was to hit their Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I had two 20% off coupons I wanted to use, one of which was expiring today. The main thing I got was a nice lunch bag. I've been looking around for a new one for months now. My old orange one I bought from the Acme is getting frayed on the edges and is dirty as heck. Surprisingly, given the back-to-school stuff looked like it was just being pulled out, they didn't have much to choose from. I finally found a nice tote-shaped one, with long straps and a pretty teal-brown-and-tan Indian-inspired flower pattern. I also picked up toothbrushes, contact lens cases, a bag of Camp Fire Key Lime-flavored marshmallows, and used the other coupon to treat myself to a fancy box mix for Coconut Macaroon Brownies.

I didn't have nearly that much luck on my next couple of stops. The guy at Dick's said they didn't carry the simple Reebox Classic sneakers I bought the last time I needed errand-running sneakers anymore. I know I saw them at Moorestown. He told me they recently got rid of a lot of shoes and that Reebok is now concentrating on Europe. (Or maybe they're concentrating on online stores? I later found them at Amazon, though I may wait to pick them up until next week.) Couldn't find the second season of Sailor Moon at Best Buy (though they did have the first on Blu-Ray) or their USB sticks.

(I later discovered that the second season of Sailor Moon will be released tomorrow. Oops! I thought it was out last week. No matter. I'll either get it online or at the House of Fun, or I'll wait to hit the Moorestown FYE and Barnes and Noble.)

Hiked down to Barnes and Noble next. They had lots of Ever After High dolls, but the newest ones in stock were for last fall's Spring Unsprung and Through the Woods lines. They had none of the new Signatures I was looking for. (I may have to stick to buying those online as well.) I did end up with two hardbacks off the clearance shelf, the western Little Century and one of the more recent Maisie Dobbs books, Leaving Everything Most Loved.

My last stop was DSW Shoes. They did have both the good walking sandals and the sneakers I was looking for. I wasn't crazy about their prices, though. The Clarks were mostly $70 or more, and the one pair that I liked that were on sale were out in my size. The simplest pair of leather-upper New Balances were $50. I just spent $50 on one pair of sneakers in June. I'm not doing it again for a while.

I considered doing more shopping, but there weren't too many other places for me to go. Justice, the little frozen yogurt shop, and the small toy store all seemed to be gone. I'm not a fan of Talbot's prices or their limited plus size selection. I ended up on the green lawn behind shrubbery to rest and get organized before I caught the 5:30 bus. Turned out that everything I bought from Bed, Bath, and Beyond fit in the lunch tote, much to my delight. The only things that stayed in a plastic bag were the two books. (I also tried the key lime marshmallows. Wow! Boy, were they lime-y. They really tasted like tangy key lime pie.)

The bus was a little late, nothing that horrible considering it was the second half of rush hour. I was back in Oaklyn by 6 and taking out both recycling canisters by quarter of 7. Watched an episode of F-Troop as I ate salmon cakes and cucumber-tomato salad for dinner. Aragorn (Larry Storch) thinks he has "Indian Fever" when he keeps seeing a Native warrior who isn't from the local friendly tribe in his window. Everyone at the fort thinks he's crazy...until their Indian friends reveal that there is a much tougher tribe on the war-path that wants to take on the fort!

I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'

Started out a fine, sunny April Fool's Day with some baseball-themed laughs from the Peanuts gang. Everyone thinks that Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, since she's by far the worst player on Chuck's notoriously loss-prone team. When Chuck does finally trade her to Peppermint Patty for Marcie, he discovers there are worse players out there - Marcie doesn't even like baseball and only plays because her best friend does.

I headed out as soon as I finished my Cheerios and grapefruit breakfast. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, probably into the upper 50s-lower 60s, with a nice breeze and warm sun. It's looking so much greener than it did even a week or two ago. New grass can be seen poking from the dry, yellow patches. The daffodils are finally starting to poke their heads above the ground.

I did the Oaklyn Library first, but I wasn't there for very long. For one thing, this is the day Oaklyn's seniors watch a movie there. I listened to Summer Stock as I organized the adult DVDs. Mainly, though, the kids' section is still in the midst of serious reorganization. I don't know why the director wants to organize everything by theme or genre rather than alphabetically or by the Dewey Decimal System like most libraries, but whatever. She may be trying to minimize space in the already small building. I was in and out after 20 minutes.

Another reason I didn't want to hang around was...it was just too nice of a day to spend messing around in a library. I went straight to Haddonfield, enjoying the increasingly warm afternoon. I had no problems getting there this time. I did have to dodge quite a few potholes, but even the largest piles of snow and ice are long gone. The snow we had last week didn't even last a day.

I came up Haddon Avenue and landed at the Bistro, which is where I ended up having lunch. It was 12:30 by this time, and both the outdoor and indoor dining areas were packed with college students, high schoolers and their parents, elderly couples, and executives and assistants from the local medical offices on their lunch break. I enjoyed that wonderful Pear Spinach Salad I had last spring on my Haddonfield counseling day trip, the one with the big pieces of bacon, sliced pears and cucumbers, blue cheese, caramelized walnuts, and chicken on a bed of spinach. It was just as delicious as it was last April. I wasn't the only one who loved it, either. The two medical executives next to me also ordered it (along with cups of soup).

Since I still had at least 40 minutes before counseling, I strolled down Haddon Avenue for a while. I ended up at the small book store. I didn't see any adult books I couldn't live without, but I do love their children's section. After reading over several of the kids' books for Easter, I finally found three for my nephew Khai's birthday on the 20th - a Thomas the Tank Engine counting book, a National Geographic for Kids easy reader on dinosaurs, and the classic Golden Book The Pokey Little Puppy.

Headed to counseling next. I told Mrs. Stahl about my busy month, the changes to my story, my frustrations with my customers and Rose, Mom's new job, starting the communications class, and my hopes and plans for the summer. In addition to Lauren's visit, I'd like to make some day or short overnight trips to easy-to-reach fun places in the area like Wildwood, Ocean City, the Shops at Marlton, and the Moorestown Mall (the only major area mall I've never taken a look at).

Another thing I want to look into is going to the theater. There's tons of local theater groups, starting with the Ritz Theater down the street from me on the White Horse Pike. (And they could use a new fan - I read in the Courier Post that they're having financial problems.) The trouble is, most shows are at night, when I work, and most matinees are on Sunday afternoons, which I rarely get off. It should be a bit easier to get to shows once we get into summer and the sun starts going down later. I may see if I can find at least one movie theater that's on a bus route as well. It'll be a lot easier to do the work for my communications class when the people I communicate with on a regular basis aren't so hostile.

Basically, she said "try to either look up or call the neurophysicists, get to the theater or a group whenever you can, and save for trips and your vacation." I have my birthday coming up in two weeks to look forward to as well. I haven't decided what I'll do for that yet. Maybe I'll go into Philly, or write Amanda and see if she wants to visit.

It was too nice of a day to go straight home after counseling was done. I browsed in a few stores in Haddonfield and on Haddon Avenue going to Westmont, including one cute little gift/antiques shop that had really funny cards based around vintage photos. Stopped at Primo's Water Ice on my way through Westmont and treated myself to a small cup of Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was the 4PM rush hour by the time I arrived. There were lots of parents and kids treating themselves to water ice and ice cream on their way home from work and school. A mom with two cute grade-school-age kids licked at soft ice cream cones as I worked my way through my water ice.

After a brief stop at Walgreens to look at their Easter section (they always have the best seasonal aisle), I headed straight home via Newton River Park. Given the beautiful weather and the time of day, the park was the busiest I'd ever seen it. I wound my way around joggers, dog walkers, parents with kids in strollers, and old people out for a ramble. The playground was so filled with little kids in colorful clothes, it more closely resembled a carnival.

When I got in, I got an idea. Miss Ellie planted violets in the side garden in 2010, about two years before she died. I really enjoyed raking up the leaves and seeing those lovely little green shoots reaching for the sunlight. I grabbed one of the rakes and went downstairs and around the back of the house to the side garden, which is situated between the house and the hill that goes up to the park.

I was delighted to see tiny green sprouts coming up out of the dirt as I raked. I don't know if they're violets, but something is still there. The sun, which had disappeared while I was in Haddonfield, came out as I finished raking. I think Miss Ellie somehow knew, too.

Spent the rest of the evening in my kitchen. I made Chocolate-Oatmeal Hermits from the Cooking Light Yearbook I bought from a yard sale a few years back, then had baked seasoned chicken thighs and honey-glazed carrots for dinner. I ran two favorite late 80s comedies as I worked.

Mannequin is one of the more bizarre comedies made during an era noted for strange concepts. Johnathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is a Philadelphia sculptor who can't seem to find a good outlet for his creative impulses. He keeps getting fired from job after job...until he lands at Prince & Company, a fading downtown department store, after seeing the mannequin he built in their window. Turns out the mannequin is Emmy (Kim Catrall), a cursed Egyptian princess who has traveled through time looking for the right man. Emmy is just as creative and upbeat as Johnathan, and they proceed to make window displays that are the talk of downtown Philly. Johnathan's growing love for a window display dummy makes him look increasingly suspicious to everyone else, including the store security office (G.W Bailey) and flamboyant window dresser Hollywood (Mesach Taylor).

If you can get around the plain odd idea, this is a really cute romantic comedy-fantasy, and a nifty little taste of the mid-late 80s in Philly. Locals might still be able to figure out still where a lot of scenes were filmed, including the Wanamaker Building (now Macy's) standing in for Prince & Company. (I heard a Boscov's stood in for rival store Illustra, which isn't surprising given the 80s vibe of most Boscov's.) Not for heavy action enthusiasts or those who can't handle the 80s in general, but if you love the concept or the cast or the era, you may like this.

Moved to Troop Beverly Hills as I cleaned up from dinner. We skip ahead two years from 1987 to 1989 and cross the continent to the title city. Phyllis Neffler (Shelly Long) may be rich and a good shopper and have great taste in elegant wide-brimmed hats, but her life is a mess. She and her husband (Craig T. Nelson) are in the midst of a messy divorce. Determined to prove that she can do more than shop and bond with her daughter Hannah, she takes over Hannah's Wilderness Girls troop. These poor little rich girls aren't the type of kids who bake cookies and make hooked rugs, and they've scared off every other den mother they've had...until Phyllis takes over. Phyllis and the girls try to prove to militant, bullying head Wilderness Girl Velda Plundor and her overly competitive "Red Feathers" troop that there's more than one way to be a Wilderness Girl...and that the most important thing is a girl is in tune with her environment, whether she lives in the wilderness or the wilds of Beverly Hills.

This was one of my favorite movies when I was about the same age as Hannah and the troop. I still like it, but as with Mannequin, it's very much a time capsule of its era. I honestly don't think Phyllis, the girls, or Beverly Hills in general would be played nearly as positively today as they are here. Not to mention, the outrageous fashions, on the kids and the adults, are something else - check out all of Phyllis' variations on the Wilderness Girls uniform. I especially love Phyllis' amazing hats. This is also 100% a girl and woman's movie - guys don't need to apply. I suspect this would probably still go over well with pre-teen girls today who can get around the dated premise and enjoy the story and colorful costumes.

And speaking of comedies, I hope your April Fool's Day really tickled your funny bone, too!

Balance and the Writers

Spent a rare morning at home. Usually on my days off, I head out right away, but today I wasn't doing anything until 1. I slept in a little bit, then tried the Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies recipe from the Pillsbury Cookie cookbook my sister Anny gave me at Christmas. I had some raisins leftover from the Irish Soda Bread a few weeks ago. The cookies came out beautifully, crunchy and sweet...and I had just enough time for a quick lunch of leftovers before heading out to Collingswood for my first meeting of the day.

I met Jody Staton at her home in Collingswood, a few blocks down from Vitality Fitness and the Post Office. She turned out to be a slender, sweet older woman who lived in a big, lovely brown house with white trim. I think I've passed it a couple of times on yard sale jaunts. She had whole long shelves filled with tons of books, including lots of books on writing in her small but attractive office. I borrowed three on beginnings, middles, and endings, and we had a nice chat about writing and our lives over cups of tea. I'm glad I caught her when I did. Apparently, she and some family are taking a road trip in her car to Florida and New Orleans in a few days. She's a brave lady. I had a hard time with short road trips to Upstate New York with my family when I was a kid, much less all the way down south.

After I left Jody, I rode over to the Collingswood Library for this week's volunteer session there. I thanked FA and the upstairs librarian for suggesting Jody to me. Turns out she's a longtime Friend of the library and library patron. I didn't end up doing much there. Shelved a few DVDs downstairs and some nonfiction upstairs, then read a book on Rogers and Hammerstein musicals for a half-hour.

Went for a short walk on Haddon Avenue after I'd gotten bored at the library. I ended up at the Collingswood Used Book Seller. I wish I had the time and money to go there more often. I love that place. I ended up with one of the more recent Garfield comic books (Garfield Large & In Charge), the Barbara Michaels gothic novel The Master of Blacktower, and Assignment: Ceylon, another installment in the Assignment spy series that seemed to have lasted from the 50s through the 70s. I used to see those all the time in the early 90s on various library sale tables, but for some reason, I can't even find that many of them online anymore.

I had just enough time to grab water and a snack from WaWa before heading to Yogawood for the 4PM Gentle Vinyasa class. Fond though I am of Karin, I really do prefer the late afternoon Gentle/Basics classes. They're easier to modify and go far slower. Today, Lee had us work on core and back strength, which meant a lot of twists, crunching, and twists. It's so much easier to keep up with these classes, and there's far fewer people and lots more room to work on poses, too. I just wish I could get to them more often. There aren't any Gentle classes in the morning.

Went straight home after class. I grabbed a jacket, used the bathroom, put my books away, and skipped right back out for my meeting with Cassandra at the TreeHouse Cafe in Audubon. That went extremely well, too. She was a petite, pretty, dark-skinned woman about my age with bright, happy eyes. I got to read part of her new young adult novel A Beautiful Girl and see the process of selecting the cover for her next one. We talked about my nephews and cousins and her middle-school-aged sons, her other job doing taxes, my job at the Acme (and why it drives me crazy), and starting websites to sell her novel and show off my work (and Lauren's).

I was very happy when I rode over Nicholson Road and back into Oaklyn. I don't often get to make one connection in a day, much less two. It's always been really hard for me to reach out and talk to people, even when it might help me. I'm really hoping I can finally begin to network and meet more people who can  help my career...and just be friends I can talk to.

Wonderful Philadelphia

Yes, it was snowing when I got up this morning around 8:30. No, it ultimately didn't amount to much. It may have caused trouble for the morning commute, but by the time I was finally getting dressed at quarter of 10, it was slowing down. For once, it was about the advertised two inches, nothing more, nothing less. By 11, the streets were even clear.

I watched Hans Christian Anderson while having breakfast and waiting out the snow. Unlike most Hollywood "biographies" that present fiction as fact, this one is quite upfront about being a "fairy tale about a spinner of fairy tales." Hans is a sweet-natured cobbler in a small Danish town. He's a laid-back fellow who spends most of his days telling stories to the local kids while the town's schoolmaster and his young apprentice Peter worries about his lack of work and his effect on the kids. When he and Peter are more-or-less run out of town, they head for the bright lights of Copenhagen, where Anderson becomes infatuated with a married ballerina who inspires his most romantic story, The Little Mermaid.

This has long been my favorite by far of Kaye's vehicles. It ran constantly on cable and on local channels in the afternoons when I was a kid. This is the movie that gave me an appreciation for Kaye, Frank Loesseur, and ballet. Loesseur wrote a grand score for this movie between Broadway assignments, including the standards "Wonderful Copenhagen," "Inchworm," and "Anywhere I Wander." Kaye is a wonderfully warm Anderson; ballerina Zizi Jeanmarie makes her film debut as the beautiful dancer. The ballet sequences are fabulous, including the cute "No Two People" and the "Little Mermaid Ballet" in the finale.

Ran to the Acme to pick up my paycheck and do some grocery shopping after Hans Christian Anderson ended. I had no problem coming or going. There was still snow on the ground, but the streets were completely clear, even the back roads. The Acme wasn't that busy, either. Nor did I need much. I mostly just picked up fruit, vegetables, and granola bars. Also needed ground chicken and canned tomato sauce.

I came home, put everything away, had a very quick yogurt lunch, and went back out again. My first stop was a quick one to the bank. After that, I headed for the PATCO to make a Philly trip and use most of my remaining gift cards for Borders and Barnes and Noble. The Borders on the Avenue of the Arts in Philly is the closest free-standing Borders for miles. The Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square doesn't carry DVDs, but that's ok. I've bought a ton of DVDs in the last few weeks and probably don't need more right now.

The Borders wasn't too busy when I arrived. I found something interesting right away - a book on 101 great Hollywood Musicals. To be honest, I was more interested in the pictures and information than the commentary, since it was written by the same guys who wrote my 101 Great Broadway Musicals book and has the same vices...namely, these guys don't seem to like half the movies they call "great," and the other half, no one's heard of. (College Swing? How about the 2007 Hairspray? Or Maytime? Or Hello Dolly?)

Strolled to Rittenhouse Square next. Unlike New Jersey, there wasn't much snow left in downtown Philadelphia. There was just a scattering on the sidewalk to suggest there had been a snow storm this morning at all. The sky was blue, and the breeze was nippy but not freezing. There were quite a few people out and about on Chestnut Street and the Avenue of the Arts around 3PM, including many children walking home from school.

I browsed for much longer here. Eventually bought two American Girl books (Changes for Addy and the Molly mystery Clues In the Shadows), a journal, the second Alton Brown Good Eats book Good Eats 2: The Middle Years, and a TCM book on popular "Golden Age of Hollywood" couples like Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn and Myrna Loy and William Powell. I also had a sparkling blackberry juice in a glass bottle and an apple pastry at the cafe.

It was at least 5:30 by the time I finished at Barnes and Noble. I hadn't planned on being there so late! I hiked down to Market Street, then back around to the Avenue of the Arts. Made a very brief stop at FYE to see if they had something I wanted (they didn't - I'll check again after I get my tax return), then went across the street to Borders again. Actually, I was mainly in Borders to go to the bathroom. I ended up buying the second book in that Candy Shop Mystery series, which I hadn't seen at Barnes and Noble.

It was past 6:30 when I finally hit the PATCO at 13th Street. I was so tired when I got in, I opted to have a Mushroom Cheese Steak at the Oaklyn Manor Bar instead of eating at home. They were noisy and busy, and while the waitress was nice, she took forever. I just wanted to eat and go home.

And when I finally did go home, I had a scare with the carbon monoxide detector, which was going off every five minutes or so. Miss Ellie finally called a man to check it. He didn't detect anything and suggested I put the machine outside to air it. I'll change the batteries tomorrow.

Oh, and I got two packages today. One was the Sailor Moon Season 2 set I've been waiting for from eBay for almost two weeks. The other was from Mom. She sent me a thank-you card for her cookies and a present from Keefe's girlfriend Vicki - a lovely, delicate wooden bookmark. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. It's too fragile to actually use as a bookmark. Maybe I'll hang it somewhere.

Lasagna Monday

We both stayed up very late last night and slept very late this morning, too late to do anything big on my last day. It was just as well. It was a very hot day today for Pittsfield, into the upper 80s-lower 90s, and more humid than it has been here. Lauren wasn't up until almost 11.

We hung around and did stuff online for a while before Mrs. Miller called us upstairs to ask if we wanted to help make lasagna. Heck yeah! I love Italian food, and Lauren loves lasagna. (And there's no big orange cats around here to steal them.) Mrs. Miller made the ricotta mixture. Lauren made the ground beef-tomato mixture and did the layering. I "supervised" and did the dishes after they'd finished.

Lauren and I went for a walk in her neighborhood while the lasagna baked. Lauren lives in a typical residential neighborhood about a five-minute drive from Pittsfield's downtown. It was quiet for a Monday in August. The only sounds were the droning of lawn mowers and the squeals of children playing in backyard pools or sprinklers. A few people sat on porches, but for the most part, the streets were empty. The heat must have caused most people to retreat.

We got home just in time for lunch. Lauren and I took our lasagna out to her back patio. She and her parents have a nice, big patio and a huge yard with a nice view of Mount Greylock in the distance. I sat in a wooden rocking chair and she sat in a lawn chair, and we traded stories about high school teachers and the differences between our high schools. The lasagna turned out beautifully, heavy with beef, herbed ricotta, tomato, and mozzarella cheese.

I needed to buy something for dinner tomorrow, so we headed down to the shopping centers a few minutes from her. Our first stop was Barnes and Noble to just browse. It was the one store we never got around to hitting on Wednesday or Friday that I wanted to check out. I just bought a new journal (the one my sister gave me on my birthday is a little more than half-done). Lauren bought two books of math games, two about geekdom, and one of humorous "tickets" for annoying things people do on the road and with cars that should be illegal but aren't.

We wandered around Price Chopper, Lauren's local grocery store, next. Price Chopper is HUGE, with a big liquor store, an elaborate deli with cheeses from around the world and a hot foods bar to rival Old Country Buffet across the street, and a separate section for organic foods. There was plenty to see, from random toys and games in the seasonal section to comparing produce prices to the Acme. (They have better banana prices, but we have better peach and strawberry prices.) She didn't get anything, but I picked up a turkey hoagie on a whole wheat roll and a bag of Pretzel Chips for lunch on the train tomorrow.

We're spending my last night here quietly, chatting and eating the yummy cake Lauren's dad bought from Price Chopper yesterday. Tomorrow, I head home.

Sunday In the City

Slept in today, longer than I usual do. I didn't have breakfast until almost 11! I called Mom while making Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Mom was fine. She'd been sick for most of the week, but was now feeling much better. She apparently intended to spend the day quietly knitting.

While cooler than yesterday and cloudy, it was still relatively warm. I wanted to make a rare Sunday shopping trip, but couldn't decide whether to do the Deptford Mall area or Philadelphia. Mom suggested a walk in Philly, and I finally agreed. It was still too nice to spend the whole day wandering around a mall. I headed to Collingswood after today's Beatles show ended. ("Questions and Answers" was the theme of the day.)

The vending machines for the PATCO Speedline Trains only give you coin change...including dollar coins. Not the best thing to be carrying around Philly. Of course, it turned out that all I had was a twenty dollar bill. I was lucky the people at Cafe Antonio's pizzeria were nice enough to change them to paper money for me. Maybe they did it because I was really thirsty and bought a soda. (The kids and their families who were eating there were amused enough - they called it "pirate's gold.")

Took a surprisingly full PATCO into Philly. In addition to old women on a Sunday jaunt and military personnel on leave, there were large groups of sports fans in Phillies and Flyers jerseys and jackets. Yes, both teams played today. The Flyers, in fact, are in the playoffs but had been having a lot of trouble with the high-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins. (I later found out that both teams won their respective games.)

Today may be a holy day, but Philadelphia was bustling when I arrived. I briefly explored the Gallery Mall, but it was too nice to be inside for too long. Headed to big Macy's on Market Street next. That was a disappointment. Fashion still hasn't improved since my last attempt at spring shopping. There were a few mildly cute early 60's style dresses and button-down blouses and a few ruffled skirts, but it was mostly the same awful empire waists and gypsy blouses and bell bottoms I've seen for the past couple of years. I really hate this. I made no bones to the cashier that I didn't buy a blouse because I thought they were butt-ugly. Could we please, PLEASE drop the fussy ruffled collars, hippie-style Indian embroidery, and the loud, huge neon psychedelic print? I walked out with another pair of jeans like the ones I bought on New Year's Eve, only darker, and that was the only clothes I bought.

Crossed over to City Hall next and made my way to the Avenue of the Arts. The big FYE was a mob scene, and I didn't figure out why until I tried to go upstairs to the DVDs. Seems there was an autograph signing for some hard rock band called Silverback today, which explains the lines of eager teenagers. I took the elevator upstairs instead. Finally came downstairs with the MGM musical Words and Music and a DVD copy of National Lampoon's Vacation to add to the CD of the recent musical Curtains I picked up downstairs. (And I was able to take the stairs on the way out - by the time I finished browsing the DVDs, the kids were long gone.) Words and Vacation were both used and on sale, thanks to a 20% off all used DVD sale coupled with my Membership discount.

Made my way down Chestnut and Walnut next to the big Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square. Alas, I still didn't have much luck with clothes shopping. Talbot and the Ann Taylor Loft had nice clothes but ridiculous prices. Express at the Liberty Place Mall was having a huge sale, but their clothes were more of the same junk I'd seen at Macy's. I have the feeling I'd probably have more luck clothes-shopping at the New Jersey malls.

Barnes and Noble was somewhat better. It was still busy, but not like it was at FYE. I made some decent finds, too. Used the last of my Christmas B&N gift card on a chai latte and a peanut butter cup cookie. The gift card I got from Keefe bought a hardback copy of the just-released new Hannah Swenson mystery, Cream Puff Murder. I also found another mystery series I love and haven't read in ages, Dorothy Cannell's Thin Woman series, along with the Entertainment Weekly Summer Movie Preview. I always buy the Summer Movie Preview, have since high school...especially when I get to ogle Hugh Jackman's amazing forearms.

I noticed as I was paying for my order that it had grown even cloudier since I'd arrived in Rittenhouse Square. Cloudier and much colder, as I discovered when I headed out the door and into the late spring afternoon. The wind was picking up, too. I was only wearing jean capris and a thin red sweater, not the best protection against fickle spring weather. I went straight home on a, for once, not full dinnertime PATCO.

The weather wasn't much better in Camden County. I was able to ride home without incident and make a lovely chicken bake with red potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.

Into the Green Mountain State

We made our trip into Vermont today. There couldn't have been a more lovely day to do it, either. sunny and in the upper 60s-lower 70s. We started out in the late morning and arrived at the Manchester Outlets around 11:30. Turns out the outlets weren't really either of our speeds. Lauren got a full set of lotions and shampoo from Crabtree & Evelyn and I bought a travel-sized shampoo (the one I brought with me is almost empty). Most of the other stores were factory stores for major upscale clothing brands like Brooks Brothers that were way beyond our price ranges, even at outlet prices. We didn't get anything else there.

Our next stop was far more interesting. On our way to the outlets, we passed a bookstore. We decided to give it a go, and I'm very glad we did! The Northshire Book Store turned out to be a massive, 2-story independent book-and-media shop not unlike Barnes & Noble. It was a really gorgeous store, housed in a former inn. Lauren bought a Gene Autry CD for her dad. I got the original cast of the 1971 Broadway musical Follies. We had lunch in the book store's restaurant, appropriately named the Spiral Press Cafe. She had a ham pannini called the Anthem. Mine was called the Johnny Appleseed and had turkey, apples, cheddar cheese, and cranberry mayo (which was actually quite good). Our sandwiches came with chips and gigantic pickle quarters! Lauren doesn't like pickles and traded hers to me for my chips, since I'm not a big chips fan. I like pickles, but those babies were so big, I ate the first and one bite of the second and couldn't finish!

Here's the Northshire's website:

Northshire Book Store

While browsing around in the Outlets, we found a rack of pamphlets for other local attractions in the lobby area. In addition to fliers for the Northshire Book Store and Vermont Country Store, we found one for another intriguing store in the area. We both love stuffed animals, and The Big Black Bear Shop, a store for Lauren's favorite stuffed animal company Mary Meyer, was right up both our alleys. As it turned out, it was on our way to the Vermont Country Store, so we made it our next stop.

The Big Black Bear Shop is a toy store that, yes, mostly sells Mary Meyer stuffed toys. It also sells other playthings and a few kids' books. There's even a small museum devoted to the Mary Meyer company and making stuffed animals. The bright, colorful store was filled with so many wonderful animals, it was hard to choose! I finally found an adorable tan puppy, Buster, on sale for $3.00. Buster was the name of the Pound Puppy I had as a child, and I miss him. Lauren picked up a sea-green octopus named Ollie, a floppy cheetah named Speedy, and a fluffy white Christmas bear in a red and yellow striped stocking cap and scarf.

Here's the Big Black Bear Shop's site:

The Big Black Bear Shop

After a few wrong turns, we finally made it to the Vermont Country store an hour before closing. We took pictures of each other in front of the store, then browsed. The huge, rambling old farmhouse is filled from top to bottom with unusual, often old-fashioned items, ranging from flannel shirts to milled soap to local Vermont maple syrup, old-time candy brands that can only be found in catalogs, fancy cake and pancake mixes, tin toys, and some Vermont merchandise like sweaters and pewter keychains. We only had so much money and so much time by then. I just bought a tin container of real Vermont maple syrup. I switched to using real maple syrup on pancakes instead of cheap "pancake syrup"; it tastes so much better.

Lauren made better finds. She bought a box of little tablets that add flavored fizz to regular water (she's a big soda fan), orange marmalade for her mother, and wart remover for a small one on her foot. She discovered her best find, of all places, in the bathroom. She told me she smelled something citrusy in the women's bathroom and wondered what it was. It turned out to be the orange soap used at the sinks. She looked around the store and finally found a bottle for her dad, who apparently loves oranges.

Here's the Vermont Country Store's (apparently well-known, as my mother and friend Linda Young both order from them) site and online catalog:

Vermont Country Store

We stopped at a Friendly's in Barrington, Vermont for a small dinner. We shared their Munchies Mania plate (Lauren wanted the mozzarella sticks; I had the quesadilas), and we both had ice cream. Lauren had her favorite, Black Raspberry with Peanut Butter topping (which she says isn't as bad as it sounds); I had the Hunka Chunka PB Fudge.

It was worth the trip just for the gorgeous scenery. Now I know why they call Vermont "The Green Mountain State"; it's a well-earned moniker. The emerald mountains seemed to touch the fat, white clouds and dwarfed the almost-turning-colors trees and lovely old rustic farmhouses, hotels, inns, and restaurants. We passed over rushing rivers as clear as glass and passed by massive mountainsides of pure marble. We saw cows and horses (including one cute golden foal) grazing by big barns and fields filled with soy beans, hay, and corn. We passed by orchards laden with apples and farm markets overflowing with pumpkins and squash. I haven't seen such lovely farms since I left Cape May County (and there aren't too many like these left there).

Center City Kitty

Hoo boy, have I had a LOOONGGGG day! I'm dead tired and have a lot to cover, so this will be brief. I finally got a hold of Mom this morning before I headed out to the bank and to do some shopping in Center City Philadelphia. Mom's worried about my almost-4-year-old nephew Skylar. He was just put in day care and is proving rabidly unsuited for it. He's hitting, kicking, and punching everyone in sight, especially children.

I don't have kids, and even I could have told Mom all this a long time ago. Skylar lives with his overly-indulgent working mother who tends to ignore him when there's a phone, a man, or friends nearby and has even more indulgent grandparents, especially a grandfather who sees the boy as a way to make up for not spending more time with his own son. I agree with Mom. What Skylar really needs is psychological help as soon as he's old enough and to attend the Special Services School District. They'd never handle him in the regular schools. (They couldn't handle ME in a regular elementary school, and the only thing I ever did that was even close to aggressive was kick the side of the school building in frustration.)

Actually, the real reason I called Mom was to find out if she wanted anything for Mother's Day. She said, "No, I just moved and I don't want any knick-knacks cluttering up my new house." Fair enough. I'd just get her a card. I finally headed out, making a quick stop at the bank before riding over to the PATCO Train Station in Collingswood, enjoying a beautiful, mild, sunny spring day.

This was my first long outing in Philadelphia since my after-Christmas trip and my first Philly visit in over a month (since I took Jessa into the city), so I really enjoyed it. The greenery and lights had been replaced by banners of orange and black cheering for the Philadelphia Flyers on their way to the Eastern Conference finals, a miracle for a team that was one of the worst in the NHL last year. Even some of the SEPTA buses flashed "GO FLYERS" between the names of the streets they were headed for. I thought it was a nice touch.

I had a great shopping day, too. I picked up two paperbacks (the novelization of Young Frankenstein and an Indiana Jones-type adventure) and a gorgeous sepia photo from The African Queen at my favorite used book store, Ralstoff's Used Books and Records on 10th Street. I a Sesame Ginger Chicken Sandwich and an iced tea at a nifty little sandwich shop called Cosi. I bought a Lil'Kinz Gray and White Cat at the Suncoast in the Gallery Mall, and since they were having a sale where you could get 20% off a family DVD if you bought a WebKinz, I picked up Volume 3 of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. I bought cards for Mom and for Uncle Ken (whose birthday is today) at the Hallmark in the Gallery Mall. I bought a Rachel Ray cookbook for Uncle Ken (who loves Rachel Ray and Food Network in general) and finally found the two sequel novels to my favorite book, The Scarlet Pimpernel at the big Borders on Broad Street.

I made my favorite find of the day at the FYE across from the Broad Street Borders. They were still in the midst of rearranging the DVDs on my last visit here, but they were definitely finished now. I didn't have to go very far to find something I really wanted. I was browsing through the Disney DVDs when I came across a surprise - the Walt Disney Treasures set Mickey Mouse In Black and White used for only $34.95! I have the second black and white Mickey Treasures set and it's one of my favorites and have been debating getting the first one online for months. The sets from the first two Treasures waves are among the rarest and most expensive online and almost impossible to find with their tins intact. This one not only came with a slightly scuffed tin, it also had the mini-poster of Steamboat Willie. (The only thing missing was the original blue cardboard wrap-around banner.) Not only that, but it turned out to be about $32 with my FYE Membership card. Sweet, and probably cheaper than anything online would have been with the shipping. (The shipping is a big part of the reason I don't buy more online.)

I briefly went to Messages, the store in the Liberty Place Mall where I bought Linda the Collie, to see if they had any good WebKinz and to buy cards. No good WebKinz this time, and no good cards either, so I headed back out. I walked down the street and through City Hall (admiring their "Vengeance Now!" Flyers banner on the way through), then down Broad Street...before realizing I didn't know where in the HECK I was. Long story very short, I finally made my way down Broad Street, turning at Race Street and heading for Chinatown, which I know is near Market Street.

At one point, I walked under the Philadelphia Convention Center and found something I'd heard about from several people but had never seen before - Reading Terminal Market. Reading Terminal Market is kinda Philly's large-scale version of the Collingswood Farm Market, selling fresh meats, produce, cheeses, ice cream, and baked goods...not to mention, its rumored, the best cheese steaks in a town filled with them. It was around quarter after 5, and most of the stores were starting to close down at this point. They also only took smaller bills, and all I had was a 20. Pooh. I walked on, finally getting an iced tea and a slice of Lemon Pound Cake at the Starbucks near the 9th Street entrance of the Gallery Mall.

After I took a stuffed-full train home, I made a brief stop at Dad and Uncle Ken's to see if Uncle Ken was home. Not only were he and Dolores home from their trip, but several neighbors and relatives were around as well. I showed off my finds and gave Uncle Ken his card and cookbook (he loved both) before heading home for a very late and much-needed dinner.

Oh, and meet Maisie, the sweet, athletic Gray and White kitten! Cassie the Himalayan Cat is going to take care of her in their Candy Bedroom. She came with the cutest little plane the WebKinz can ride in!

WebKinz In, Taxes Out

It was such a gorgeous mid-February day (36 degrees, windless, and sunny as could be), that I decided to ride over to Collingswood to do some things I'd been putting off for weeks, even months.

The first one was drop off a few donations at the Friends In Deed Thrift Shop. Alas, the store was closed, both today and on Monday. The new proprietors must have gone on vacation for the holiday weekend.

So, by default, my first completed chore today was one I've been meaning to do for ages - get a hair cut! My hair is very pretty, thick and curly, but it frizzes like crazy and I'd let it get too long, so the ends were really split. I went to Haddon Hair Designs, across the street and down the block from Friends In Deed, and they did a really nice job. It's now shoulder-length, layered, and very curly. I'm so happy with it. I decided to stay in Collingswood a little while longer and show it off and enjoy the lovely weather.

My next stop was the Collingswood Variety Store two buildings down. The "Variety" store is mainly a party store, selling seasonal decorations and items, but they also have a small selection of toys, food, stuffed animals...and one of the largest collections of WebKinz in Camden County. I picked up two WebKinz and two packs of cards, to make up for my bare Valentine's Day.

I spent the next hour or so browsing up and down the Haddon Avenue Commercial District. I bought a small bag of Valentine jelly candies that were half-price from Sweet Treats Candies, and got three boxes of Christmas tea at a gourmet shop for $2.50. Collingswood (Used) Book Trader yielded paperback copies of One Hundred and One Dalmations, The Rescuers, the Jaqueline Girdner Kate Jasper novel A Stiff Critique, and the novelization of the 1987 movie Adventures In Babysitting. (Dalmations and Rescuers even had covers that were tie-ins for the original releases of the Disney movies.)

I had lunch in a hip, upscale coffee shop a block down from the Tree House Cafe. GrooveGround also sells CDs and t-shirts, which were too expensive for me, but it's nice to know someone else in Collingswood still sells CDs after Abbie Road moved to Audubon. Unlike the eclectic Tree House Cafe, GrooveGround is all dark colors, spare furniture, and bold angles. It's really a bit intimidating, which is why I never went in there before. I had a tasty lunch of vegetarian chili and flatbread. The Chai Tea Latte had too much milk, but was otherwise not too bad, not overly sweet like Starbucks'.

I went home after that and spent the rest of the afternoon on my computer, playing with my new WebKinz and doing my taxes. I normally do my taxes in late January-early February, but my W-2 was a little late this year. I got it all done in less than a half-hour. I don't have much to list. I own no property, pay no taxes beyond Student Loan Interest, have no dependents and no job outside of the Acme.

Oh, and meet my new WebKinz, Eliza the Black Poodle and Nanni the Husky! Cockney darling Eliza is living with Linda the Collie in the Modern Condo. Nanni will keep Elvis the Lil'Kinz Penguin in line in "The Igloo" winter-themed room. (Actually, I kinda bought Nanni to complete that room. He comes with an igloo-shaped bed!)

Nanni and Eliza's names both derive from the previous collector's darlings, the Beanie Babies. The Beanie husky was named Nook, as in Nanook of the North, so I went with "Nan." The Beanie black poodle is Gigi. Gigi and Eliza (Doolittle) are characters in 1950s Lerner and Lowe musicals. (Respectively, Gigi and My Fair Lady.)

Since Nanni and Eliza already had rooms prepared for them, I was able to use the money they came with to do something I've been wanting to do since we got all that Winterfest stuff, and even more so with the arrival of the Valentine's Day gifts. I greatly expanded the "Holiday Store" where I put all the Christmas stuff after the holiday season was over. Not only all of the holiday items, but the clothing won from ads (the bee and Alvin and the Chipmunks costumes) were moved there. It took me a while to do, too, since everything was scattered all over the "house." The former Holiday Store is now a "Sitting Room," i.e a place to put the couch, dresser, and table I won from the Trading Card Game and Eliza's Poofy Poodle Chair.

So...welcome to the Grand Opening of the Modern Pizzeria and the Grand Re-Opening of the Kinzville Holiday Store!

A Change Would Do Me Good

But how would I continue it? Every time I try to change, everything always goes back to exactly the way it was before.

I move to a new place and a lovely apartment, but I still can't meet people or find a real job that satisfies me. I'm still haunted by the taunts of children and the ignorance of adults.

The thrift shop was a pain today. A stricter boss, a new manager, and some new policies have Erica and many of the regular volunteers in a dither. There are bags of toys and books sitting in the back room that no one has any idea what to do with and are considering throwing out. Yes, it clears out the front room, which WAS getting cluttered, but...most of that stuff isn't in bad shape. Shouldn't it be donated to the Salvation Army?

I'm giving serious consideration to dropping the thrift shop. I still like volunteering there and it looks nice on my resume, but it's not helping me meet people or find a job, which is what I really need to do now. The only thing that volunteering does is get me cheap junk, which I really DON'T need.

I'm going to give up on the Philadelphia bookshop branches as well. I went in Barnes and Noble again today. I wasn't going to go, but I wanted to remind them of my existence and that I desperately need a real job that I can really do without going crazy. I tell them I can do everything but the Cafe; I've never waited before.

What do they tell me? "There's openings in the Cafe."

Were they listening? I'm NOT a waitress! How could the restaurant be the only part of that store where there's openings? Don't they need even one stock person? Or someone to help with kids' programs? Or handle the front registers? I've been getting this same spiel for almost a year now. "Nothing open now. Come back in November/May/August. Come back when business picks up. Come back when the college students are gone." I've been back there many times, and nothing. How can a person apply for a store for over a year without even a hint of interest?

What's wrong with me? What is it about me that makes these people ignore me and my application? I've come to their store many times. I've bought stuff from their store. I've told them my qualifications. They know how badly I want out of the Acme. What do they want? Is it because I'm not a young college student? Is it because I'm not a sophisticated city girl? Do you have to live in Philadelphia to work there?

They've made it quite clear they don't want me. I'll bet I could apply there for a hundred years and be ignored. I'm tired of being rejected.

So...what am I going to do now? I really don't know. I'd like to work in media centers again. I'd like to be a children's librarian. I'd like to show children the magic of books. I want to show girls they can be strong and smart without sacrificing their femininity or relying on external beauty or a man. I want to write exciting stories about strong women; touching stories about overcoming bullies.

All my life, I've been told by friends and family there are things I can't do.

"You can't babysit during the day alone. You couldn't handle it."

"You can't work in a restaurant. You couldn't handle the crowds."

"You can't be a teacher. You can't handle the kids."

"You can't draw. You have poor hand-eye coordination."

If I can't do that and can't handle that...what CAN I handle? What CAN I do? What's possible for me?

All my life, everyone's always said I should be a writer. If I can't be a writer, what else is there?

So Much To Do In the Sunshine

I went back into Philadelphia today. No luck. Both bookstores claim their sales have gone down and they can't afford to hire more help. I did take a very nice walk in Rittenhouse Square later in the afternoon after leaving Barnes and Noble, though. It was very pleasant. The park was so busy, I thought there was some kind of an event going on; no, it was just city people finding a way to enjoy the gorgeous day without leaving the city. There were kids and their parents playing in fountains not yet filled with water, teenagers and college students sunning themselves on the grass (and ignoring "keep off the grass" signs), and adults of all ages walking on the paths or resting on a bench or riding bikes or running.

I didn't feel too horrible, even after the rejection. I'll go back, but I'm really wondering if I truly want a bookstore job. Trouble is, I don't know what kind of job I want. I haven't worked at an office job since I worked for Richard Stockton College's media center during school from September 1999 to December 2001. I'd love to have a job with normal, nine-to-five hours, but I'm terrified of trying to put in applications and do interviews with some huge, faceless corporation.

I'd really like to do something creative with my talents, too...but I'm not sure what yet.

And I'd still like to volunteer for something involving kids and reading...if someone needed me.

I'm doing much better with losing weight. I lost five pounds last week. It was probably too much all at once, but it does mean I've now lost ten pounds! I do feel much better. Rose and I went to Dick's in Cherry Hill yesterday, her for weights, me for a yoga mat; I ended up buying a very simple DVD, too. We also visted Wegman's, a massive high-end grocery stores with some very cheap prices that specializes in organic, good-for-you, and specialty food, in addition to the usual things in grocery stores.

I did the yoga today and yesterday. Other than I can't quite do the basic sitting pose yet, thanks to my still-stiff left knee, and my arms are sore (I don't work them quite as much as my legs), I enjoyed it, despite all the wisecracks I made while doing it yesterday. I've wondered if that's why I didn't freak out as much when the bookstores turned me down today...or maybe it was the gorgeous day. It was too nice today for temper tantrums.

Trip To Town

Just a quick note, as I'm dead tired. I spent all day in Philadelphia. I was supposed to be inquiring about jobs again, but I kinda got caught up reading books and browsing in the massive new FYE across from the Borders on Broad Street. The guy at Barnes and Noble wasn't sure if they were hiring; I'll return to both places in a week or two to inquire (and encourage) further.

Return to Philadelphia

I went back to Philadelphia this afternoon, after spending the gloomy, wet morning helping Erica and fellow volunteer Jeannie sort through boxes and bags of clothes and other items. I put in another application at Barnes and Noble. I should have asked them for their phone number. (I'll look it up online.) I asked a Borders employee about employment there; all she could tell me was "look online." I'll just put in an application again. I passed Robin's Bookstore, a Center City Philly chain, on my way to the Speedline station. Nice store, but they weren't hiring.

What I'm really doing is...putting off my life. My councelor Scott told me to look up local churches with young populations my age. I haven't. I looked up whether or not I had full medical benefits, and was so confused by all the terminology I gave up trying to figure it out, but I haven't called the Union's medical offices yet, and I should. I haven't checked out any groups at all.

I know I'm stuck in a rut. I have been since I got out of college. I'm bored with being fat and plain and dull and doing nothing with my life, but it's safe. The Acme job is safe; I hate it, but it makes money. The books and DVDs and CDs are safe; they won't hurt me. Not like people. Nice quiet places with no people (or busy places with people who won't pay too much attention to me) are safe. Food is safe. It's always there. My stuffed animals are safe roommates. They won't make fun of me or make nasty comments. I'm just used to my older musicals and classic rock and mysteries. They're what I know.

I see a nine-year-old girl in the mirror. She's sad. She's scared. She can't understand why she's so hungry, or why her body's suddenly grown and developed while the other girls are still pretty and thin. She doesn't know why the boys don't like her, why the girls don't want to be friends with her, or why her mother and stepfather aren't getting along. She wants it all to go away, so she can be happy again. She wants to be a normal little girl, but she's afraid all the kids will hurt her, and she'll be alone, like always.

I'm still haunted by that little girl. She won't let me go. I don't want her to go away entirely. She gives me my creativitiy, my love of nature, and my ability to relate to other troubled little girls, but she won't let the past go. She still hears the jeers and taunts of the kids. If she turns her back on them, they'll snicker and call her fat and stupid. She's afraid she'll be punished for not being good and right and doing what the adults said.

All I've ever had is the past. The voices of children remain at the back of my brain; I hear them when things go wrong, when I'm hurt or someone's hurt me. I'm too afraid to make them go away. What if things happen again, and I get hurt?

Big Woman On Walnut Street

Finally made a second job-related Philadelphia trip after doing some chores in the morning. Not quite as much luck job-wise this time. I still couldn't flag down a customer service person at Borders, Barnes and Noble said "Come back in May when the college students leave," and the little used book-and-record store on 10th street was run by a middle-aged couple who needed no help.

Did make some nice finds at the record store, though - a Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy record from the 70s (including some of their solo stuff), the original cast of the 1979 Broadway musical "They're Playing Our Song," Billy Joel's "The Bridge," and the 1986 Rhino Records re-release of "The Monkees Headquarters." Also found a lovely little pizzaria on Chestnut Street and slid into the place just in time for some great veggie pizza before they closed. : 0 )

Pounding the Streets of Philadelphia

Finally, after two weeks of being stuck inside due to extreme weather, Mother Nature calmed down enough for me to run some errands, including a big one I've put off due to the cold - heading into Philadelphia to do some job hunting.

I thought my best bet for finding a job would be in a bookstore. I know about running cash registers, I know about books and how to sort them, I know how to organize CDs and DVDs. (I keep detailed inventories of my own DVD, video, music, and book collections.) The big chain bookstores seem to have killed off most of the shops in Suburban Philadelphia, so I headed for Center City.

I went to five stores in five hours. I wasn't really surprised to have no luck anywhere. I suspect that what the proprietor of Whodunnit (specializing in mysteries, naturally) holds true for everyone - the extremely cold weather and the time of year has pretty much killed off sales for everyone, regardless of size. One store owner spoke of closing. Everyone was really nice to me, though, and Whodunnit in particular was awesome, filled top to bottom with a great assortment of mysteries - heaven for a mystery-novel-addict!

I bought one of the Paige Turner mysteries, "How To Murder A Millionaire," from Whodunnit. I picked up a Valentine's Day present for myself from the big Barnes and Noble on Walnut Street - "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who, 1958-1978." It was either that or "Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock and Roll Legend," but the latter was more expensive. I probably shouldn't have bought "Anyhow," but it's a wealth of info on British band The Who, with some fantastic pictures.

Oh well. If we do get massive amounts of snow and ice, I'll have some new books to sustain me. :)

Even just being out and about again after two weeks of crazy cold weather was nice. I'm starting to get a better feel for Philadelphia, too. The streets aren't easy to navigate, but it's fun to walk around and just see the sights. (There's a lovely park across from the Barnes and Noble I'd like to take a better look at when the weather improves. :D)