Matches Before the Storm

Started off the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol's second season. "The New Pup" is liver-loving husky Everest, who helps stranded snowboarder Jake to safety after he loses his phone and backpack over a cliff. Ryder and the other pups take a very long bus down to the snow fields, but they have trouble controlling it in the deep snows, then finding Jake and Everett in the blizzard. 

Spent the next hour working on my finances. I spend about 34 all told on streaming and normally somewhere between 30 and 50 dollars a week on groceries. I know I shouldn't go out, that I shouldn't spend money or do anything, but I do. It's stupid, I know. And recently, I've just needed to get out of the house. It's stupid, I know, spending money when I shouldn't be. 

Headed to work after I put aside the finances to finish tomorrow or Monday. Work was a mob scene the entire afternoon. We're supposed to get that little bit of snow tomorrow. It's highly unlikely it'll do anything but look pretty, but it's still making people crazy. There's also the Super Bowl tomorrow and many birthdays and Valentine's Day parties. Didn't help that we had two cashiers call out, too. There were lines down the aisles until about an hour before I finished. Thankfully, no one was in a bad mood, and there were no major problems. It died so fast by 7, I was able to shut down without a relief.

Went straight home and into a quick dinner. Watched two Match Game '74 episodes while eating eggs with the last bit of mozzarella and red grapes. The first one featured a very pretty contestant in a tight flowered top that was so skimpy, she even turned Charles' head. Richard showed off an old photo of Gene knitting a sock for his radio show in the 40's in the beginning of the second. 

Finished out the night on Peacock with Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart. I go further into this dark and delicate stop-motion romance from France at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.  

My Animated Valentine - Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart

Oh, and Match Game Productions (with the help of fellow game show channel owner Sam Mitchell) posted the first two episodes of Password Plus tonight. Elizabeth Montgomery of Bewitched and Robert Foxworth of Falcon Crest were the first starts that week...and Elizabeth showed why when she proceeded to lead her contestants to win almost every round. I think Robert got up there once in the first two episodes. 

Pass the word - here's the start of Allen Ludden's last hurrah and the return of this venerable franchise!

Password Plus - Premiere Episode

Password Plus - Episode 2

Breezin'

I awoke to a sunny morning...and noisy cursing downstairs from Charlie. I ran more school-themed Tiny Toon Adventures to drown him out. "Son of Looniversity Daze" returns us to dear old Acme Loo, where the students have devils over their heads when they cheat and lockers are automated. The first story has Plucky switching his name on a pop quiz from Foghorn Leghorn for Egghead Jr's. He spends the rest of the short wracked with guilt over his choice. Hampton goes solo in the second, where he has to deal with an obnoxious computerized locker that won't give up his lunch. Buster, Hampton, and Plucky team up for the third, a riff on the Laurel & Hardy short "The Music Box." The boys have to figure out how to get a piano that was (for some reason) dropped on the roof down to the auditorium for a recital.

Spent the rest of the morning trying to figure out my finances. They were grim. I don't make much money. Even just paying two bills and groceries pretty much wipes out most of what I make in a month. I can only cut so many expenses. I don't pay for the water or electricity, just the internet. I'm not sure how I'd handle getting a second job. I need to figure out how to sell my work or find a decent office that needs help.

Switched to washing the windows around quarter of 1. I had to refill the window washer bottle. I bought a refill bottle for it ages ago. It may have saved me money (especially since the giant bottle came from Dollar Tree), but I regret it now. It took up tons of room in the back and was messy to pour in the smaller bottle. I think, from now on, I'll just replace the bottle of window washing liquid when it runs out. It's not like I use a lot, anyway.

Finally headed out for my errands run around 1. First stop was Friendly's for lunch. They're still having that Comb-Ohh! deal that gives you a sandwich and fries and a one-scoop dish of ice cream for $9.99. I had the BBQ Bacon Burger, fries, and a dish of Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream with marshmallow sauce for lunch. The burger was ok, pretty much just a basic burger with bacon and a little barbecue sauce slathered on. The ice cream was amazing. I love cinnamon, and this was divine, with tons of pastry pieces and huge swirls of cinnamon sugar.

Friendly's was mostly dead by then, but I did get to see the most adorable little girl run around. She played "peek-a-boo" behind the seats with her daddy, ran up and down the aisle, and inspected salt and pepper shakers. It would have been more of a problem if it was busy, but given how quiet it was, she came off as more cute than annoying. The two older couples there didn't seem to mind her, either. (One pair was just getting ice cream anyway)

Made a quick stop at Dollar Tree next. I just needed sponges. I would have loved to have taken a look at the Halloween decorations, but not only do I not have the money, but it's too early to think Halloween. For once, the line wasn't that bad. I was in and out in five minutes.

I wasn't at the Haddon Township Library that long, either. Between the nice day and the kids being back in school, there just wasn't much to do. Plus there was a sign indicating that DVDs were not to be shelved. I compromised and just did the kids' titles. It's easy to tell the kids are in school now. The DVD racks in the children's area were all full, to the point where I had to do some creative reshuffling to get them in.

I didn't take out any movies this week. For one thing, I never got to one of the movies I rented last week. I really want to concentrate on cleaning, writing, and figuring out my finances. To the latter end, I did take out two books on money management.

Went home via Newton Lake Park. It was a glorious day for it. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and while it was warmer than it was yesterday, it still wasn't bad for early September. Surprisingly, they were fairly quiet. I guess the kids were still getting out of school at that point.

Went straight on the computer when I got in. I managed to pull away from all the distractions online long enough to introduce the droid characters to my narrative. Here, the "droids" are a pair of nerds from Europe. Chip Thompson is a tall, thin geek from England with huge round glasses and very shiny blond hair. Arturro Detonski is a short, stocky fellow from an unnamed Eastern European country. Arturro doesn't speak English well, and Chip, who is studying languages, is the only one in the group who can understand him.

Finished the night quietly with a leftover chicken leg and Chinese beans. Switched from the Miles Davis and George Benson I listened to this morning to more K-Tel albums to cover Charlie's continued cursing and blasting 80's music.

Dodging the Rain

It was only cloudy when I got up this morning. It was humid and damp, but not as hot as it has been; it must have rained overnight. At any rate, it wasn't doing anything when I finally made it out to do this week's laundry load. It was busy when I got in, but everyone seemed to have their clothes in the dryer. By the time my clothes were going in the dryer, most everyone was gone. It was just me and The Price Is Right until I finished what little I had, loaded up my laundry bag, and left.

When I got in, I put everything away and did a few quick items on my computer and my desk. I wrote out my rent check. I updated a few inventories and did this month's budget. While I have bought several things at yard sales and for the dolls, I've also been transferring at least 20 to 40 dollars to my savings account every week. I still have far more money than I did at this time last year, when I would barely have been making 20 to 25 hours. 

I had a very quick lunch of leftovers while watching Muppet Show episodes. I honored the late Jean Stapleton with the hilarious episode she appeared in during the first half of season three. She got to duet with Fozzie on the old Irving Berlin favorite "Play a Simple Melody" and with Harry the Mad Bomber on "I'm Just Wild About Harry." Leo Sayer was a popular British singer in the late 70s who is today best known for the smash hit "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Miss Piggy certainly doesn't feel like dancing - or doing anything besides karate chops - when a new, younger female pig named Annie Sue joins the cast.

It was still cloudy when I rode to work (delivering the rent on the way). The rain didn't come until much later...just in time for rush hour, of course. Between the weather and this being the beginning of the month, we were slammed for most of the night. We had the usual assortment of annoying folks we get hit with at this time of the month, including one woman who first fussed over having to split her order of Poweraides to get the buy 10, get 5 free sale, and then because she didn't buy the right size of Life Cereal to get that sale. She said she found those in the displays, but customers who came in later with that sale said they found nothing but the right size. She probably just assumed that they were what she wanted without really looking. Even her teenage son looked annoyed with her. Not to mention she held up a family with a toddler and a huge order; good thing they were cool about it. 

I was so happy that the crowds not only slowed down in time for me to get off with no problems, but so did the weather. Once again, it wasn't raining when I was out. It looked like the clouds on the horizon were trying to break apart. At the very least, I haven't seen any more rain at press time. 

Making a Budget

It was pouring and thundering when I got up this morning. I decided I didn't feel like braving the weather for yoga. I wrote in my journal and read Donna Parker, Special Agent instead. I ran another Three Stooges shorts while having cereal and a blood orange for breakfast. In "Three Hams On Rye," Shemp, Moe, and Larry are extras in a play put on by a nervous producer (Emil Sitka) who's worried that a drama critic will give him yet another bad review. He first tries to get the boys to ferret out the critic. When that fails, they have to make the cake and salad for their act...after which cake and act go a bit up in the air.

After I finished the Stooges, I switched to The Muppet Show. The Muppets had several country music-related guest stars during the run of the series, but none were more legendary than Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the King and Queen of the Cowboys. Rogers teaches Kermit how to yodel, while Fozzie realizes he has a ready-made audience for his bad jokes when the cows brought in for the finale somehow adore his new home on the range material.

I spent the rest of the morning working on a budget. I've had receipts from the last two months sitting around for a while. I have a lot to save up for. In addition to the much-needed laptop, my best friend Lauren will be visiting next month for my first vacation week. I'd also like to not end up as broke this summer. There being less going on right now should help. As I mentioned, I have no other major plans for the next few months besides Lauren's visit and a possible day trip to Atlantic City, and no one in my family is up to a lot of traveling or gigantic parties. This may extend to early fall as well if my hours are as bad this summer as they were last year.

I did come to the conclusion that something extra has to go. I'm making and saving more money than I did at this time last year, but while I'm not spending as much, there's still not that much left for needs after all the spending. I'm going to drop yoga class until after the 4th of July. I'll try to get more walks in on nice weather days. I'll do those DDP Yoga DVDs when the weather's bad or it's too hot for walking. I'll also try to hold off on anything health-related until July as well.

Went for a walk after I finished with the budget. It was sunny by noon, warm and humid, but not overwhelmingly so. A nice breeze helped keep things from getting too sticky. The bushes are flowering now, all pinks and whites and purples. The lilacs are gone; the irises are on their way out. The leaves on the trees are full and green and fat. I strolled by Rose's new house. I was hoping I'd see them moving in, but it looks like work is at least continuing on the exterior. They were working on the concrete on sidewalk in front of the parking space.

When I got in, I put on Tiny Toon Adventures' first season finale as I made a spinach and mushroom omelet and home-made hash browns for lunch. Although the title of the episode is "High Toon," it really has more in common with The Magnificent Seven and The Three Amigos. Buster and Babs accidentally find themselves in a real western town that's being terrorized by bandits (one of whom looks suspiciously like Wil E Coyote). They rope Plucky and Hampton into helping them retrieve their stolen property and help the townspeople clear out the bandits for good.

Work was a pain. While it was once again quiet when I came in and quiet when I left, the heat and humidity must have gotten on people's nerves. I had a lot of customers who were cranky, obnoxious, or just plain rude. I was so happy to be able to leave with no relief when my shift ended.

Court Is Adjourned

I spent most of the day working on writing for Helium. The first story I did was a short story piece that was supposed to revolve around the topic of "hurricane winds." I based it after a real-life experience. In 1985, Cape May was hit by Hurricane Gloria. While the devastation actually could have been worse, there was some damage and extensive flooding. Mom and Dad actually took my sisters and I onto the boardwalk to take pictures of the mess. The wooden parts of the boardwalk had gaping holes; one building that hadn't been in great shape anyway was a wreck and was later demolished. The flood waters on Beach Avenue were up to the knees of my five feet, eleven inch stepfather in some places. It wasn't raining when we were there, but the wind was still pretty bad, and was blowing sand stung all our faces. My baby sister kept crying.

I pretty much followed my memories, but gave the father a better reason to want to take photos of a hurricane - I made him a local reporter looking for shots for the town newspaper. He brings his wife along to help, and she brings their daughters, including the story's narrator. I made all of the towns, streets, and businesses mentioned fictional, but based after real southern Jersey Shore towns. I did some online research on hurricanes and Hurricane Gloria to make things a bit more realistic.

Finished out my writing with a flash fiction quickie based around "entertaining guests." A pair of pre-teens at a slumber party have a conversation about their first crushes that end in good-natured teasing and throwing stuffed animals at each other. The amused mother of one catches them in the act, but the moment she leaves, they return to their battle.

I also worked on my budget. The result was not good. While my papers do seem to have gone through, I only got $107 this week - no back pay this time. I can push that for another week, but not much longer. I am going to have to insist on going back to work a little early.

Ran the second disc of Night Court Season 1 during most of the day. Karen Austin disappeared by the time of Episode 10, replaced by a rotating assortment of clerks for the rest of the season. (She would be permanently replaced by Mac early in Season 2.) My favorite episodes here were "Wonder Drug" (Lana has a crazy reaction to a strong cold pill that results in her passionately kissing Harry) and "Bull's Baby" (Bull tries to take care of an infant on his own; the others catch wind and come to his apartment to help out).

Switched to the 1957 Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella while making Spinach and Mushrooms in Lemon Sauce with leftover chicken sausage patties for dinner. The original version of the only musical R&H wrote exclusively for TV featured Julie Andrews in the title role, John Cryer as her prince, comediennes Alice Ghostly and Kaye Ballard as the stepsisters, and Broadway stars Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney as the King and Queen. There are several differences from the later versions, including an expanded role for the King and Queen (they even had their own short number) and the Fairy Godmother (Edie Adams) being closer to Cinderella's age and played more as a girlfriend than a kindly older woman.

Having grown up on the 1965 Leslie Ann Warren version and enjoyed the 1997 Brandy rendition, I was thrilled when I heard that this had been released on DVD after being lost for decades. This is something to keep in mind when you see the fuzzy black-and-white picture on the DVD. We're lucky to have this at all. Frankly, all three versions are charming, and as I said when discussing the '65 special, the version you like most depends on which one you grew up with, which cast you prefer, and whether or not picture quality is a factor.

Football Playtime

Started off another day of glorious, mid-70s weather with a plate of Carrot Pancakes and Brunch With the Beatles. The theme was "Beatles Solo Songs, 1971-1981." Paul McCartney had hits alone and with Wings, including my favorite "Live and Let Die." I'm fondest of some of George's later music, including the bouncy "All Those Years Ago." Though John had some hits in the early 70s, including "Imagine," my favorites came from his 1980 comeback, "Woman," "Just Like Starting Over," and "Watching the Wheels." Ringo seemed to do best with novelty numbers like "The No No Song," dance numbers like "Oh My My," and remakes of rock hits like "You're Sixteen." I tried calling Mom during the show, but I didn't get her; she was probably out running errands before the Eagles-Ravens game.

Speaking of the game, I was able to whip together an Apple Spice Cake by adding buttermilk, applesauce, egg whites, a whole egg, apple juice, and spices to the Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix. I don't really like using cake mixes. I only bake with them when I have to put together something quickly for a crowd. I read The Merry Wives of Maggody while the cake was in the oven. The moment it was cool enough, I put a cover on it, set it in my bike basket, and rode over to Uncle Ken's house to watch the game.

I didn't actually end up seeing much of the game. My cousin Samantha and her husband David are clearing out the garage that Uncle Ken and his son Mark used to rent as an office. I played with Samantha's 6-year-old daughter Faith to keep her out of her parents' hair. We had a lot of fun together, pretending to be the powerful Red Knight (Faith, of course) and the mercenary Green Knight (me). We rode our imaginary horses across the countryside (the front lawn), first looking for magical stones that would turn the world colorful, then avoiding lions in Africa. (We got there by plane. Horses and all. Faith insisted on that.) When we came back from Africa, we helped a group of newly born foals looking for their parents.

Good thing Faith was finally getting tired out by quarter after 2. I had to leave for work right as the first half of the game ended. Work wasn't nearly as much fun. Once again, there were lots of cranky people, and it didn't help that I was rather worn out myself from running around with Faith. I made up for it by treating myself to today's Daily Deal, Bryers' ice cream for $1.88. They make the best cherry vanilla ice cream around. It's my favorite flavor in the world, along with Edy's Pumpkin.

I did finally get a hold of Mom when I got home. She helped me finally figure out a budget. What I found didn't make me very happy. When I subtract everything I pay for in a month from what I make per month, it leaves me with a measly $180 for expenses. I don't know how I'm going to live on that. I have no idea of what to do. While I'm looking forward to visiting Mom and Dad on my vacation in a week and a half, I don't think I have the money to even afford bus and train fare.

Oh, and I was right...again. The Eagles, who were once again behind during much of the first half, managed to come back during the second to win by the skin of their teeth for the second time in two weeks, 24-23. 

Book Bonanza

Started off another incredibly gorgeous late summer morning with the American Top 40. Casey made his third return to 1979 in as many months as disco, ballads, jazz, and R&B ruled the airwaves. Hits in mid-September of that year included "Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp, "Lonesome Loser" by the Little River Band, the title song from The Main Event by Barbara Streisand, "Let's Go" by the Cars, "Mama Can't Buy You Love" by Elton John, "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band, and "Rise" by Herb Alpert.

That week's #1 song would, in fact, eventually wind up as the biggest hit of the year - "My Sharona" by the Knack.

Unlike last week, there were plenty of things going on around the area. The big event in Oaklyn was the fall version of the Oaklyn Library's annual Flea Market and Book Sale. I was disappointed to see only a few flea market tables by the library...but one of them was my friend Cassandra selling her books. I got to say "hi" to her and touch base. She's been busy with her books and her sons, which is why I haven't gotten together with her again. I've been thinking of e-mailing her for a while now.

The book sale was much better. I ended up with four books and four videos. Three of the books were biographies on Joan Blondell (Center Stage Fancy), Louise Brooks (Lulu In Hollywood), and George M. Cohan (The Man Who Owns Broadway). The fourth book was a novel, Maiden Voyage, about a flapper in 1924 who inherits her father's shipping and cruise line and has to oversee the first trip across the Atlantic of it's newest vessel. The videos were Little Big Man, The Swan Princess, Memphis Belle, and another serial, Zorro's Black Whip.

Checked out a couple of other yard sales in the Oaklyn area as I headed to the Farm Market. There was nothing of interest at the sale on Newton Avenue near the library. I did better at the back of Oaklawn Avenue. They had a small pile of records. I came up with the soundtrack from the original That's Entertainment.

The Farm Market was the next stop. Needless to say, thanks to the weather, it was packed there today with people buying produce for birthday parties, football parties tomorrow, and impromptu barbecues. There were also more dogs there than I've seen in weeks, including a cute little terrier who reminded me of Linda Young's dog Willow and a handsome, fluffy old collie who patiently allowed young children to pet him. I finally ended up with nectarines (the peaches were rather sour last week), tiny Gala apples, carrots, and corn.

I rode around for an hour looking for a yard sale that was supposed to be on Breslin Avenue in Haddon Township, but I just could not find it. I did find one on Cuthbert Road across the street from the Shamrock Deli. They had paperbacks from the 70s and 80s, vintage kids' books, and some neat animated videos for sale, among other things. I ended up with two videos (Yogi's Great Escape and the 80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Easter special) and three kids' books. The latter were the first three titles in the Connie Blair mystery series from 1948, The Clue In Blue, Riddle In Red, and Puzzle In Purple. It looks like a Nancy Drew imitation with a somewhat more mature heroine (she's an up-and-coming advertising exec, from what I've read on the back covers).

I was so thirsty, I stopped to grab a fountain iced tea at WaWa before heading home. I had a quick leftovers lunch and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a budget. I got everything added together, but the same thing confused me as last month. When I tried to divide 24 by 1000,  (which I figure is about what I make in a month), I just get decimals...and moving those decimals around only reveals that I don't make much money.

I went to work depressed. Work didn't make me feel better. It was busy for most of the night, and there were quite a few annoying people, including one of those ladies who gives 600 orders on how to bag, then holds up the lines by rearranging everything. I know they don't mean to be rude, but why can't they either do it away from the register, or just leave it alone? I did what they wanted. And she put back a quarter of her order! It was so busy, I didn't get my break until quarter of 6...and I got off at 7.

The Doctor Is In

I got up early for my 9AM doctor's appointment this morning. I was a little later than they asked for, thanks to traffic on Cuthbert Road. The doctor's office is in the big Sentry Plaza office building in Westmont. (NOT in Haddonfield; apparently, they just moved in December, and some online directories haven't changed the address yet.) I wish I hadn't been late. It took me a while to sign the paperwork. (I wish anything involving health wasn't so complicated.)

A nurse took weighed me and took my height, temperature, and blood pressure when I got in...and then, Dr. Manalis finally arrived. She took my blood pressure again with a wider, more accurate strap, then basically asked me a lot of questions about my medical history. She'll need to send me a list of people who can take blood to do my cholesterol...but other than that and my obvious weight problems, I'm perfectly healthy. No high blood pressure or hypertension. She pretty much said keep riding and working out and watch what you eat.

My throat was dry when I got out, so I made a quick stop at a tiny deli next to the doctors' suites for a bottle of water. I rode around Haddon Township, winding up in the neighborhood behind Haddon Township High School. Since I was there anyway, I stopped at Super Fresh to check out a few sales. Not finding anything, I just headed back to Oaklyn.

The next stop was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. I did get to do some work on the adult DVDs. There were kids playing with the magnetic maze games in the children's area, so I didn't get to do as much there. When I finished with the picture books, I hopped on my bike and rode home.

Didn't go anywhere else for the rest of the afternoon. I discovered that Microsoft Works does have a budget spreadsheet I can use. It'll probably be easier to figure out next month, when I have my receipts. I already got rid of last month's receipts. I dusted the living room. I took out the trash. I checked my e-mail. I had leftovers for lunch and an early dinner. I watched more Babar.

By the second half of the first season, Babar had settled comfortably into the formula of Babar telling his children a story that relates to his own childhood as the young king of the elephants and tells a moral. My favorites were "No Place Like Home," where a clown who has never lived anywhere but the circus tries to stay with Babar in the palace, and "The Show Must Go On," where Babar, goofy King Rataxes of the rhinos, and the other elephants of the court take over a ballet when the cast departs after feuding with a spoiled diva ostrich.

When I got into work, we were just getting hit by the tail end of the rush hour crowd.  This coupled with some annoying beginning of the month crowds made for long lines. They didn't last long. When rush hour ended, so did the crowds. It was so quiet by the time I left, I was doing candy. Other than my register froze in the middle of a long line and I had to move to another one, there were no major problems.

Rainclouds In the Sky With Thunder

Lauren went to see a local comedian with her parents last night and got on late; subsequently, I was up very late with her last night. I didn't get up until 10:30! It was nearly noon before I had my Blueberry Pancakes. I ran the second half of Brunch With the Beatles as I ate. "Summer Of Love: 1967" was the theme today. We mostly heard songs from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, and singles from the era, including "Baby You're a Rich Man," "She's Leaving Home," "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," "Penny Lane," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "I Am the Walrus," and "All Together Now."

It was past noon when I finally called Mom. I'd switched to the original cast album for Evita by this point. She was fine. My nephew Skylar got his birthday card and the 10 dollars I gave him a few days ago. She said he was thrilled. Now he can buy something he really wants, like a new book about space, or Legos, or a Transformer.

She was less thrilled with all the spending I did yesterday. I really need to make a real budget...but I'm not sure how. It's hard to budget anything when your paycheck differs from week to week. I'm not used to having to budget. I just buy what I need. I just can't buy what I WANT all the time.

I tried to use the formulas she gave me after I got off with her, but I just got confused. I divided my lowest paycheck by my highest paycheck, but the numbers just came out weird. Surely, my budget couldn't be based on 0.3322 or whatever. I really think I need more help to figure this out. I might try finding an easy, free program that helps you work out a simple budget online.

I cooked that salmon from my slog through the icebergs in my freezer for lunch with white wine and mushrooms, along with cucumber salad. The weather had been hot, humid, and windy all morning. I was tired of the air conditioner and how darn stale it was in my apartment. I turned it off, opened the doors, and let that hot breeze blow through as I changed and got ready for work.

Work was busy when I came in at 4. By 6, the crowds had vanished. It was so quiet, I spent the rest of the night putting away returns. I didn't realize why until I happened to peek out the doors of the entrance near the liquor store. The sky was incredibly dark. It felt more like 10PM than 6:30. It didn't look like it had rained at that point, but I later saw people with umbrellas, and one of the college boys did his best to not get wet riding a soaked scooter for elderly customers into the store.

While the thunder I heard earlier had subsided by the time I was done, the rain hadn't. I rode home in a nice, steady shower. I didn't mind getting wet. It felt good, smelled better, and we really, really needed it. The wind and heat had dissipated, though it remained humid. It stormed again about an hour ago; to my knowledge, it's not doing anything but looking damp at press time.

Afternoon In Oaklyn

Began the day with a slightly earlier gym run than I have recently. Even at 10:30, the gym was still pretty busy. I did cardio on the elliptical machine today, alternating between watching Let's Make a Deal and men's rowing and women's swimming on the Olympics. There were a few people on the weight machines, but no one was doing arms until I was done, thank goodness.

I made a very quick stop at Marburn Curtains for a shower curtain, then went around the corner to the Acme for this week's paycheck and groceries. I didn't really need a lot of things, anyway. Raisin bread from the Acme's bakery (it's too hot to make it) and canola oil were the big ones. Also grabbed milk, chocolate chips, and fruit concentrate. Continued to stock up on chicken while it's on big sales for grilling season; got legs and tenderloins for incredibly cheap.

I'm tired of the freezer being so covered in ice, I can't get anything in there. As soon as I got home, I scooped as much of the ice on the bottom out as I could and dumped it in my sink. In my digging, I uncovered a huge bag of ice I used for my knee the last time I hurt it five years ago, a giant slab of salmon Dad gave me a while back, and at least two old frozen fruit bars. The salmon should be ok - I'll eat it this week - but I got rid of everything else. I'm still going to need to defrost the top, but I cleared off the bottom enough to be able to load my meat and frozen vegetables in there.

Ran Midnight In Paris as I made leftover chicken breast and cucumber-tomato salad for lunch. I was quite impressed with this sweet love letter to the magic of Paris and the lure of the past. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a successful screenplay writer who wants to try his hand at writing a novel. He's in Paris on a business trip with his obnoxious fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her conservative, snobby parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). What he really wants is to see the Paris of the 20s, when groups of writers and artists lived in small studios and traded witty repartee with each other, but shallow Inez would rather drag him to museums to listen to her silly interllectual friends (Michael Sheen and Nina Arianda) drone on about art works they probably looked up on Wikipedia.

Gil gets his wish one night when he's out for a walk. Suddenly, at midnight, he's picked up by a vintage vehicle and whisked off to a smashing party with Zelda (Alison Pill) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston). Cole Porter (Yves Heck) plays his own songs; Josephine Baker (Sonia Rolland) shimmies at a party for black performers. Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) gives him writing advice and offers to bring his novel to Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates.)

Gil enjoys his trips into the past, despite Inez's increasing assumption that he's going nuts. He has conversations with artists Salvador Dali (Adrian Brody) and Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzi Bo), gives screenplay ideas to director Luis Brunel (Adrien de Van), and falls for charming artist's model Adriana (Marion Cotilliard). It's Adriana who finally teaches him a lesson when she insists on doing some time warping of her own. Gil discovers that you can't live in the past, but you can live your life to the fullest, the life you have now, this minute.

This is the second time in less than a month that I've found myself thoroughly enjoying a Woody Allen movie. In a way, it has a great deal in common with Hugo and The Artist, which also deals with France in the past and were nominated for Oscars. Paris certainly deserved its Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if nothing else. Sheen, Stoll, and Bates in particular have a lot of fun with their roles; Cotilliard does wonders with what could have been a wooden love interest. If you like Allen's recent films, Paris, literary or 20th century history, or are looking for an unusual romantic comedy, this is very highly recommended.

I continued the theme of fantasizing with Garfield's Feline Fantasies. In this special from the early 90s, Garfield imagines him and Odie as everything from airline pilots to gunslingers to globe trotters searching for the fabled Banana of Bombay. No matter what scrape the cat-and-dog duo get into, they know that John will always be there to get them out of it.

I had just enough time to get the budget done while Garfield was running. I didn't spend nearly as much as I had the past few months, but I haven't had nearly as much to spend. That huge 4th of July paycheck was a big help; I actually had a little leftover. I shouldn't need much next month, either. I do want to make a few day trips to the Jersey Shore, but there isn't much I really need clothes/shoes-wise for a while.

Work was busy through about 8PM, after which the dark clouds cleared people out, despite the fact that it still hasn't rained. My schedule next week is even less wonderful. While I do have Tuesday and Thursday off, I have fewer hours and an awful lot of late ones.

Hazy Days of Summer

Did a lot of chores today, starting with the laundry. It was hot, hazy, and humid today, though a nice breeze made things a little more tolerable. The heat may have encouraged people to stay away; the laundromat wasn't that bad. There were one or two people when I came in, and a couple when I left, but by and large, I was on my own. I got my small load done in less than an hour.

When I got home, I put my laundry away, had leftovers for lunch, and did more chores. I finally dusted the bedroom. It was really, really bad. I put it off last month because I dusted a lot in May due to Lauren's visit. The shelf with the kids' books and Sailor Moon dolls was especially bad. The bed wasn't great, either.

The budget was next on tap. I really did spend too much last month. I didn't make anything resembling what I had in previous months. I made more in the last two weeks than I have for most of last month! Needing new contacts didn't help. Between needing less and several good paychecks (including the one from the 4th of July), I should be on firmer footing this month.

I ran Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation while I was doing my chores. I rented the Haddon Township Library's video copy about five years ago when I first started volunteering there. This early 60s film is pretty much standard "family goes to the beach" shenanigans. Businessman Hobbs (James Stewart) and his wife (Maureen O'Hara) have invited their daughters and their families to a seaside vacation in a ramshackle old house. The vacation is a disaster at first. The teen daughter is feeling awkward about her braces and won't do anything. The pre-teen  brother is surgically attached to the TV. One older daughter is married to an obnoxious psychology professor from Europe; the other is having problems with her husband and her two bratty children. Mr. Hobbs is against interfering with all this at first...but he and O'Hara find they just can't help getting involved with their children's problems.

If you're a fan of National Lampoon's Vacation or Captain Ron, this is pretty much an earlier version of the same idea. For all the goofiness (Stewart does battle with a recalcitrant pump; he gets his son away from the TV long enough to get lost on a small boat in the bay), a lot of this is surprisingly realistic, even now. I especially like how the daughter really does look like an awkward 14-year-old kid who is reacting badly to her braces. (Though I'm not sure she would have ended up with Fabian at her first summer dance, with or without Dad's help.)

Work was similar to yesterday - busy in spots, but mostly very quiet. I did a lot of organizing candy. It probably won't pick up until the college kids start going back to school in early-mid August. Most people are joining the Hobbs on vacation.

June Is Bustin' Out All Over

I'd never seen a nicer day in mid-June. It was bright, sunny, and breezy, but neither humid nor too hot. I'm glad I had enough time before work to run to WaWa for half a gallon of skim milk. The rain earlier this week was a big help to the local flora. The roses are in their last blooms, but the tiger lilies are spectacular. There were quite a few people out and about, mowing their lawns, cleaning their cars, or chatting with their neighbors. WaWa was busy with kids just getting out of school who were in the mood for their first snack of summer vacation.

When I got home, I went on my computer and did the budget. It was what I thought. Between my vacation and everything I bought beforehand and afterwards, I way overspent...and I don't think I've been doing much better this month. I really need to start being more careful.

I had a quick lunch of leftovers, then changed into my uniform, grabbed a bag of Emerald Trail Mix for a snack, and headed to work. Thankfully, work was steady, not nearly as bad as it has been, despite a lack of help. Two women went home sick. (I believe one actually was - she was out yesterday - but the other was questionable at best.) Audubon High School's graduation ceremony was at 6PM, and many people were buying cakes and other party fixings to get ready. The Acme was so quiet by 6, I got quickly with no relief.

Rode over to Tu Se Bella's in the shopping center behind the Acme for a slice of cheese pizza, a slice of mushroom pizza, and a bottle of water. It was the height of the dinner hour, and they were busy with people coming in from shopping for dinner. I ate my pizza (trying to get the cheese to stay on the plain one) while baseball played on the TV.

Went back to the Acme after dinner to do my own grocery shopping. The Acme's having a huge chicken sale this week. I got breasts, tenderloins, and cutlets for half-off, plus I had a 75 cents off coupon on the breasts from the Giveaway game. I also needed fish packs, more of those mint chocolate chips, the Acme generic "Carlita" brand tortillas on sale, peanut butter, cards for both of my dads for Father's Day, almonds (dark chocolate flavored - yum!), and green tea.

And I have a pretty good schedule next week. Three days off in a row (two of them to visit the family in Cape May County), and once again, no days later than 7:30, which makes me very happy. They must have finally corralled enough college students into taking the late hours. That doesn't make for a lot of hours, though - now I'm glad I took those extra hours yesterday.

Bunny Sibling Rivarly

Started off today with the first of two Max & Ruby DVDs I picked up yesterday. Ruby's bossiness is usually what causes trouble, but Max's mischief can sometimes cross into outright bratty behavior. Take "Max's Chocolate Chicken," the first of two Easter episodes. Ruby wants to use the chocolate chicken they get for Easter as a prize for finding eggs...but as usual, Max can't wait. Even though she finds all the eggs, he ends up with the prize. It happened with "Max Misses the Bus," too. Ruby wants to go visit Louise, but Max refuses and keeps finding excuses to miss the bus. Sorry kid, but if sis says "We have to go," that means "we have to go, and we don't always get lucky enough for our friend to come over here."

Some episodes were pretty cute. "Ruby's Beauty Shop" was a variation on the episode where she and Louise try to give Max beauty treatments. This time, they're using non-edible cosmetics on an unwilling Max. Max prefers their hair dye in punk colors. (Ever seen a bunny with leaf-green fur?) The girls and I used Keefe as a beauty shop client all the time when we were in our pre-and-early teens (up to and including the hair dye - we'd just do streaks, though).

"Max's Apple" is a variation on the "Max bugs Ruby to get something for him that is a surprise for her" story. In this case, Max keeps disrupting Ruby and Louise's apple-pie-based  hand-clap rhyme so his sister can retrieve apples from the tree his swing is on. Ruby thinks he's just hungry, but that little poem she and Louise are calling out has made him want to try making something tastier with his apple supply!

Ruby's fussiness is the problem in "Max's Rainy Day." It's raining, and Max wants to go outside and play. Anyone else would have stripped the kid down to his bathing suit and let him splash in the nearest puddle, but not Ruby. They MUST wear their boots (on the right feet), and their rain coats, and rain hats, and umbrellas. It takes so long to get dressed that the rain has stopped by the time they get out...but Max finds a way to enjoy the rainy day anyway!

I didn't get to the gym until almost 12. It was fairly busy when I came in. I enjoyed Family Feud while having a good, solid session on the stationary bike. There were a couple of people when I was working on the leg weight machines, but by the time I finished my stretching, it was mostly empty. Since I was on that side of the mall, I also stopped at America's Best a few doors down to order a new supply of contacts. I discovered this morning that my last pair had a tear in them. As the girl at America's Best said, isn't that always the way?

I went home for lunch, then changed, packed dinner, and rode back to the mall for work. The Acme was busy all evening again...and this time, there were no call-outs. I wasn't happy when some people were rude again...or when they asked me to come in tomorrow. My mouth said "yes" before my brain said it would rather be anywhere else. I need the money.

And I need it worse than I thought I did. When I tried to pay for something on eBay, my PayPal wouldn't work. It was what I thought. I had practically no money left in my checking account. I switched money from my savings account to pay for it, but I'm broke. I can't believe how much money I've spent recklessly over the past couple of months. I'm so angry with myself. I never thought I was a spendthrift, but it looks like I am. I need to stop spending and start learning how to make a real budget, or I'll never be able to run any kind of a business.

Hot Fun In the Springtime

I once again awoke to sunshine. The weather remained above-average warm and dry, though not as bad as yesterday. I slept in a little, finally getting out of bed around quarter of 10. Had Oatmeal Squares and grapefruit breakfast and watched more Tom & Jerry cartoons. Headed to the gym about an hour later.

It was a bit busier than last week at the gym. There was a private trainer session going on, plus a surprising amount of people on the treadmills. I did 25 minutes on the elliptical machine. Had to wait to get my arm weight machine session in. There were two middle-aged women chatting on the machines who took forever. I worked with hand weights until they were done.

Made a quick stop at Marlton Curtains across from Applebee's on my way home. I wanted to get a third set of sheets, just in case I need them or have guests. I ended up buying a separate fitted and flat sheet and pillowcase set. The sheets were $5 each; the pillowcase set was $4. Spent $14.98 all together. Some places wouldn't sell you one sheet for that! I love the curtain outlet. They have the best linen prices in the area.

There wasn't enough time after lunch to go to the bank, my original plan for this afternoon. I settled on doing a few at-home chores I'd been putting off. I swept the porch, which was a mess. The fuzzy seed pods have started falling, and they covered another layer of covers from leaf buds and the last of the sticker balls.
When I finally finished out there, I came inside and did last month's budget. I bought more than I thought I did last month, but I did get the CD player and Monkees CD set the first week of March. Otherwise, I intentionally tried not to buy too much after everything I bought with my tax return money in February.

Work was a pain in the rear. Though it was quiet when I arrived (to the point where I spent the first hour doing returns) and quiet when I left, rush hour was crazy. One cashier was late; another was being used elsewhere. We had to call a stock boy and a bagger to take over the registers for a while! Thank heavens my relief was another kid who had spent most of the nights organizing tags in the back room and was eager to stretch his long legs for a while.

Making a Budget

My original goal today was to make a budget and figure out how to get on with my goal-setting from there. Trouble is, as usual, I got too caught up with reading other things and didn't get to the budget until almost 1. I did get it done, though. I spent a lot of money on "other" stuff last month...but I also bought contacts, had my eye exam, and won three rare American Girl outfits on eBay that don't often show up for decent prices.  I don't normally spend more than $150-200 a month on "other" stuff, and I'd like to pare that down. I need to stop buying junk like DVDs or books unless I can find them cheaply used, really want them (like the Instant Replay set), or really, really need something.

I've been putting off e-mailing my teacher, too. I'm never going to complete my course in time. I don't care about a good or bad grade. I really need help getting started with my writing business, but I don't know whom to ask...or how to ask them. I'm not good with stuff like this. Not to mention, I spent $100 on this course, and while I did learn some things about marketing, that won't do me any good unless I have something to market. I can't make a website until I have something to sell on it...and I don't really know anything about editing beyond editing mine and Lauren's fanfiction. I have no idea whom to ask, either. I've seen two writing groups listed for this area. One is full and not accepting new members. The other only meets at 7PM every first Thursday of the month. Not only do I usually work then, but that's kind of late to be out on the bike, and I don't really know anyone to carpool with.

This happens to me a lot. I stare at a story, hoping to start it, but it just stays blank. I can't come up with the ideas. I hope to e-mail someone, but then I get nervous and talk myself out of it. Or I can't make myself sit down to write at all. I write in this blog every night and in my journal every day, but I can't bring myself to write a story or a website or edit our Bowery Boys fanfiction or do any of the things I need to do. I don't know what's wrong with me. Writers are supposed to write, not stare or put things off. There has to be something wrong.

This blog and the journal are easier to write. The journal is for working out my thoughts every morning. This blog is mainly to keep all of the people who worry about me abreast of the goings-on in my life. ;)

I had leftover chilli for lunch and ate it outside. It was even nicer than yesterday, breezy and warm but not quite as much as the day before. Perfect day for an outdoor meal.

Work was almost exactly the same as Monday - busy during rush hour, quiet otherwise. Once again, I spent an hour later in the evening returning carts, if only as an excuse to get outside and enjoy some fresh air and a better work out that I'd even get in a gym.

Rumble in Indianapolis

I slept in this morning. Got up around quarter of 10. I listened to records and CDs, made Silver Dollar Corn Banana Pancakes for breakfast, and did last month's budget. Yes, I bought a lot, but I also had money and gift cards leftover from Christmas. I tried calling Mom, but I kept getting a busy signal. Her sister Terri was probably chatting with her.

You probably won't be surprised to hear that work was a massive mess all day long. Not only is today the Super Bowl, but it's still the beginning of the month. A lot of people can't do their major shopping any day but now! We had very long lines for the entire afternoon and not nearly enough help. Someone else left at the same time as me, too, and another cashier was done a half-hour before us.

After I finally got off, I rode over to Uncle Ken's to see if anything was going on for the game there. When I arrived, the house was pitch-dark, and there were no cars parked near-by. I know Dad and Jodie are still in the Florida Keys, but I guess Uncle Ken and Dolores are on vacation, too. I just went home.

I listened to the game on the radio instead. Had a pleasant dinner of leftover chicken and broccoli and spring peas. I made Samantha's Gingerbread, replacing the 1/2 cup of sugar with a 1/3 cup apple juice concentrate and slightly lowering the buttermilk and molasses content (especially as I always use dark molasses from the Farm Market). Yum! Other than I burned the edges slightly, it came out absolutely delicious.

I finally got a hold of Mom when I came in. She making her own dinner and couldn't talk long. While her teeth don't feel great, the stitches are out, and she can talk again. She heard from my brother Keefe, who is now in the Navy, this week. Apparently, he's a Section Leader and is in charge of 12 other guys! He'll be graduating from boot camp next month. Mom and Dad are going to fly out to see him. I'm so proud of him. He seems to be doing really well.

Oh, yes, and the game was pretty awesome, too. The Giants started strong, but the Patriots were (barely) winning by halftime. They kept it up through the four quarter...when the Giants got the touchdown that won them the game and the title, 21-17.

And that scream you heard from somewhere in southern Cape May County? That was probably my stepfather cheering. ;)

Around the Town and Home Again

Started this morning with the American Top 40's ongoing Christmas Countdown special and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. The latter has become a favorite of mine in recent years. In this tale from 1978, Big Bird is worried when Oscar reminds him of how skinny most chimneys in New York are and how big Santa Claus is. How will Santa get down the chimneys to deliver those presents? While Big Bird ponders that question, Ernie and Bert want to give each other a special gift. They sell the things that mean the most of them to kindly store owner Mr. Hooper, but Hooper has a surprise that will make both happy. And Cookie Monster wants to tell Santa how much he wants cookies...if he can stop eating the writing utensils!

I don't know how much kids today would enjoy this. It was made well before the debut of recent Sesame Street Muppets like Elmo, Zoe, or Abby Caddaba. For adults who remember the show in the late 70s and early 80s, it's a sweet, charming special with some wonderful music, including "True Blue Miracle" and Oscar's "I Hate Christmas."

I had some errands to run in the area today. My first stop was PNC Bank to deposit my paycheck. While I was there, I saw some customers help an older woman who had fallen down in the parking lot. It looked like she'd scraped her hands and face - her face had red lines on her forehead and nose. The cops and parametics eventually arrived, but she claimed she was fine.

After I left, I next headed for the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. Once again, it was just a quick one. I wanted to have lunch and get some other things done at the apartment.

A few days ago, I used the Vermont Country Store card Lauren sent me for an early Christmas present to order something I've been wanting for a while - a pair of two-tiered wooden shoe racks. The plastic shoe rack I bought a few years ago was pulling my shoes out of shape, and I was tired of using the tippy shelves in my closet. I removed the shelf that wasn't stable and left the heavier one that was. Instead of pushing the four shelves together, I put one set of shelves on top of the heavier one. That way, I now had five shelves instead of four. I love it! Other than the racks are unfinished and I'll probably need to watch out for splinters, they take up less room in my closet than the old shelves and look much better. Plus, I don't have to worry about them falling over now, and very real wood smells quite nice.

I made scrambled eggs with broccoli, onion, mushroom, and Cheddar cheese for lunch while running Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This time, Lucy and Edmund Penvensie are joined by their bratty cousin Eustace as they reunite with the now-King Caspian and Reepcheep the Mouse on the titular vessel. Caspian is searching the ends of Narnia for the seven lords of Telmar who were once his father's advisors. Lucy, Edmund, and a very reluctant and unhappy Eustace join him. Instead of fighting witches or warlords, though, this time they find themselves on a quest to battle their own inner demons...and outer ones when a spell turns Eustace into a creature he didn't even know existed.

Not bad. Not as good as the first one, but a hearty improvement over the rather dull Prince Caspian. I like the emphasis on battling fears instead of traditional bad guys - it's something different in a fantasy story. Not that there aren't plenty of those, too, from trolls that hop around on one foot to a rather nasty slave market. It's a shame I don't think the reception of this one was good enough to warrant a continuation into the next book of the series, The Silver Chair. That was my favorite of the original series along with the first novel.

I worked on the budget for an hour before work. Most of what I spent last month was food or early Christmas present shopping. December is always thrown out of whack by the holidays - the "other" section will be huge.

Thankfully after the beginning of the week, work was steady to very dead for most of the night. It was so quiet, and we had so much help for once (including new cashiers who were being trained), I managed to shelve an entire cart of candy in an hour and a half. I've never done that before. I think most people are now at the malls or getting ready for parties or baking. It'll pick up more when we get closer to Christmas and Hanukkah.

The Joys of Fall

It was late in the morning when I headed out for a walk around Oaklyn. I'm glad I did. The weather was absolutely gorgeous today. It was a bit chillier than yesterday, but breezy and sunny. The neighborhood looks gorgeous, too. The trees are cloaked in their fall radiance, brilliant shades of gold, rust, orange, lime green, and deep red. A few houses have already pulled out the Thanksgiving decorations, or have settled on pumpkins and mums, but most of those who decorated still have out their Halloween jack o' lanterns and witches and spooky hanging ghosts. (The majority of my neighbors usually take their Halloween displays down the first weekend after the holiday.)

Spent the rest of the afternoon getting things done around the apartment. I did my budget. (Spent far more on food last month, but less on other things. I also bought more clothes than usual.) I dusted. It was a quick dusting, just around most things. I'll do a more thorough job when I prepare for the holidays at the end of the month. I washed windows. I had a fast lunch of leftovers, then headed off to work.

Work was pretty much the same as last night, busy through most of the evening until right before it was time to leave. There were a few annoying beginning-of-the-month customers. I'm still having problems remembering some of the new computer set-ups. The way you do WIC Checks is entirely different on this computer system! I keep having to restart the order because I can't remember that the button you push is under "Transaction," not "Check," and you enter the date first.

Thankfully, I didn't need much after work. In fact, my groceries were limited to ground chicken, cooking spray, tea (I had a coupon and the new Twinings holiday teas were on a small sale - the Pumpkin Spice Chai sounds wonderful), and egg whites (I thought I'd try making meringue cookies again). I also treated myself to Scooby Doo on Zombie Island on DVD to celebrate the Acme employees finally getting their raises (almost two years after that threatened strike).

My schedule next week is actually pretty decent. Only one really late night (Monday), my first morning-early afternoon shift since the spring (Wednesday), and Tuesday and Friday off. I have slightly fewer hours, but considering what my hours were like last year in October and early November, this isn't that bad.

Rainy Day at Home

It was pouring cats, dogs, and the rest of the animal kingdom when I got up this morning, and rained for most of the day. It was no day to be doing any running around. I stayed home today, working on the budget. I also found a folder to keep my receipts in, instead of throwing them in the front of one of my file folders.

I ran Scooby Doo and the Zombies this morning. Actually, it's a collection of three What's New, Scooby Doo? episodes revolving around the titular monsters. My favorite was the last one. Growing up around lighthouses, I've heard stories like the one that spooks Shaggy, Scooby, and the gang on the Great Lakes in Wisconsin. The five handle a spooky lighthouse keeper zombie, the spirit of a ship that sunk in the rocks off Lake Michigan, and a snotty local shop owner who seems awfully familiar...

When I finished the budget, I had lunch and dubbed "Casey at the Bat" for Mom. "Casey" is another Tall Tales and Legends episode. Unlike "Annie Oakley," this one is purely comic fiction. Based around the famous baseball poem, Casey (Elliot Gould) is a wanna-be player during the game's infancy in the 1880s. He's finally given a chance to revolutionize the game when he tells his sweetheart's (Carol Kane) father that he plays or quits. The local owner of Mudville's Industrial Revolution mud-furniture factory isn't thrilled that Casey's popularity is re-energizing the game. He wants to by the stadium to use as a sludge dump! Can Casey find a way to beat the "machine" at their own game...win or lose?

This was another "Tall Tales" winner, a hilarious and sweet spoof of the Horatio Alger myths of baseball and the Industrial Revolution era that spawned it. I've always been especially fond of the anachronistic but still awesome ragtime/swing score. And for a little verisimilitude, it's narrated by two of sports commentary's greats, Bob Uteker and Howard Cosell.

I had a little time left before work, so I ran a Tiny Toon Adventures episode that also has fun with Casey at the Bat before I went to work. In the second show to make fun of ABC's Wide World of Sports, Buster is the big star of Acme Loo's baseball team. Sylvester narrates the story as only he can as we see Buster step up to bat. Other stories here has Buster buying a bike from a huckster that turns out to be a lemon (and how he gets his revenge), and the gang's participation in the Acme Acres Olympics.

Went to work right after the Toons ended. It was busy when I came in, but it was also 4PM, the start of rush hour. Though it was spitting by then, it wasn't raining so hard that I couldn't ride to work and get more than slightly damp. By the time I left, the rain had picked up and cleared out the customers. It was so dead at 9:30, I left slightly early.

Good thing. Twenty minutes after I got home and took out the trash, the spitting had become another heavy shower, though it doesn't seem to be doing anything at the moment.

Fruits of Labor

Started out a cloudy, cool, humid morning with most of the American Top 40. We couldn't be much more 80s than today's Top 40, early September 1985. Among the songs that delighted the US during Labor Day Weekend that year were were "Invincible" by Pat Benetar, "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin, "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams, "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" by Billy Joel, "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner, and "Billy Don't You Lose My Number" by Phil Collins.

There actually were some yard sales this week, which I didn't expect on a holiday weekend. I saw two in Oaklyn, one in Collingswood near Westmont, and one in Audubon. And unlike last week, I found a few items I liked. Picked up two records (Doris Day and a Fats Domino Greatest Hits two-disc set) at one of the ones in Oaklyn and a really interesting cookbook about low-fat and low-sugar baking from the Audubon sale.

I didn't need much at the farm market this week. I'll be going away for part of the week. It's definitely getting close to fall; I saw the first pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds of the season. I also saw the results of Hurricane Irene last week. At least two regular farm stands were missing because their fields were so flooded, they couldn't pick their crop. I just ended up with apples, grapes, a small organic honeydew melon (small enough for just me), and a jar of apple butter for a present.

When I got home, I had leftovers for lunch, listened to CDs, and read that cookbook. The book suggests using fruit juice concentrate as a sugar substitute. I liked that idea so much, I bought two containers of 100% frozen fruit juice tonight. It's a win-win situation. If it works, it works. If not, I'll just make it into juice.

Did the budget before heading out to work. I spent a ton last month, partially because of needing contacts and that mall trip. It shouldn't be quite as bad this month - no contacts needed, and unless there's an emergency, I don't have a mall trip planned. (I do want to go into Philly during my vacation, but it'll be a while before I really need clothes again.)

Work was on-and-off steady. Other than some annoying beginning-of-the-month customers, it wasn't too bad. I think a lot of people already went down to the Shore for their vacations, including people making up for time lost to Hurricane Irene last week. Worked on restocking candy between customers.