An Evening With My Sister

First of all, here's the review for Riverdance: The Animated Adventure that I watched yesterday in honor of St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! - Riverdance: The Animated Adventure

I got such a late start after finishing Murder By the Book, I basically just gulped down breakfast and called Uber. Didn't help that the driver took 11 minutes to arrive, and there was slow-moving traffic on the White Horse Pike. I literally dashed into work just on time. 

Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all day. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon sweeping the store and pushing carts. We were busy, but not really overwhelming except for during lunch hour. By the time it started to pick up again around 3, the afternoon bagger had arrived and taken over the sweeping. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever. The cloudy, cool, windy weather may have scared some people off, or they were celebrating St. Patrick's Day weekend elsewhere.

I changed, then went out to wait for Jessa. She picked me up around 4:15. We were going to hit the Moorestown Mall area, but Jess got lost. She drove around Cherry Hill, Marlton, and Moorestown for almost an hour before we finally turning off at the right exit. At least the traffic wasn't bad, and I got to see more of Cherry Hill and Marlton than I could on my own.

Since it was past 5 when we got there, we started with dinner at Cava. Jessa said she'd often passed there while doing deliveries and stopped for lunch. They're basically the same as Chipolte, with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients and pita bread replacing Mexican ingredients and tortillas. They make everything in-house, even their own soda and lemonade. Jess and I both went for bowls. She went vegetarian with crunchy Super greens and falafel. I had grilled chicken with brown rice and mixed greens. Oh, yum! It was so tasty, and the Pineapple-Apple-Mint and Cucumber-Mint-Lime juices were even better. 

Stopped at their big Barnes and Noble next. Jess didn't get anything, but I found three mysteries, one from a series I just bought and wanted more of: 

Murder at an Irish Wedding - Carlene O'Connor

Last Licks - Cynthia Baxter

Egg Drop Dead - Vivien Chien

We didn't have nearly as much luck in the Moorestown Mall proper. Though it's in better shape than the largely abandoned Voorhees Town Center, it's still dying. There's too many malls around here. That wonderful little FYE I picked up two DVDs from in August was gone. I did consider buying a comforter set from Boscov's. but I couldn't find one that came with the sheets and not just decorative pillows and pillowcases. I was hoping I'd find something on the other side of the mall in HomeSense, but none of theirs came in Twin sizes. 

Ran into tables showcasing collectors' items as we came in past the Regal Theater 12. They were mostly selling toys, comic books, and various cards, but I did see two bins of records. Alas, they were too expensive. We just moved on. 

After Jessa dropped me off, I took a shower, then spent the rest of the night watching today's Match Game marathon. Lots of people brought items for good luck or that they considered lucky. One woman brought Richard Dawson a pet rock. Another brought a tiny bear in a cage. There were jokes about lots of luck or good luck. Melody Scott-Thomas wore a rather goofy fan hat that she walked up and down to make work. Ron Valenti considered Fannie Flagg, and then Betty White (both of whom had crushes on him) to be his good luck charms. A young woman got lucky and barely beat an older Asian veteran in a rare PM episode from 1977. Many a young lady gave Richard (or even Charles!) kisses for luck. 

Have good luck this St. Patrick's Day weekend with this delightful marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - St. Patrick's Day Lucky Marathon

Sculptures In the Snow

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and The Backyardigans. Tasha, Pablo, and Uniqua are the Do-Gooders, a band of nice bikers who like the help people. This includes mail-moose Tyrone when he loses his "Special Delivery" Valentine's Day mail. He believes all the cliches about biker gangs and tries to outrun them, but they're determined to stay on his trail and get the mail back to him. 

Took Uber this morning, partially due to concerns about the weather, and partially because Jessa was picking me up later. It only took five seconds for me to get a ride and five minutes for the gentleman to arrive, confirming my suspicions that it was just too darn busy yesterday to get any kind of public transportation.

Work went perfectly fine. I spent the morning sweeping and gathering carts. I did end up behind on the carts when they kept getting me to put cold items away. Unless it's meat, the cold stuff can go in freezers or coolers until I have time for it. The carts kept emptying. They needed to be done first. 

After work, I changed into a normal shirt, then grabbed a Wild Cherry Pepsi Zero to get money for the Girl Scouts. I tried to get cookies from them last week, but forgot the money. I always buy cookies from the Girl Scouts. I remember when my sisters were Girl Scouts in the late 80's and early 90's and had a hard time selling cookies to the few people who were actually living on the northern end of Cape May in January. I got peanut butter sandwiches, Lemonades, and Caramel Delights. 

Jessa was already there when I was buying the cookies. We went straight out to the sculpture garden in Hamilton from the Acme. The drive was mostly on highways until we hit Hamilton, a suburb of Trenton. One of the premiere attractions in the area is Grounds for Sculpture, an enormous sculpture garden featuring works by many different modern artists. We stopped and bought the tickets and used the bathroom at the sprawling modern visitors center, but we'd explore it more extensively later.

Grounds for Sculpture is a rambling sculpture park, featuring many types of statues in a natural, woodsy setting. We followed paths under arbors, through random small doors, and over Monet-style wooden bridges. Statues of artists painted by a gurgling waterfall. A statue of a woman in red flaunted her gown on the placid pond. More provocative and less family-friendly statues and house-art could be found wandering around in the woods and on the path around the lake. We ended up at their restaurant Rat's at one point, but it would seem they were closed for the season.

In addition to the realistic artists, my favorite statues outside were the duo in the courtyard. One reclined on a bench. The other reached to the heavens. Snow began to fall as we arrived in Hamilton, allowing a strange, magical hush to fall on the area and giving the statues an otherworldly air. I was actually grateful for the snow. It made the place seem even more supernatural and gave the statues a unique perspective that was far different than a sunny day. The tangle of woods and house-like "scream" buildings with bodies popping out of every corner looked even weirder with a frosting of white.

We were going to have lunch at the cafe, but they were only selling drinks and small snacks. The cafe that sold meals was also closed for the winter. The gift shop wasn't terribly interesting, either. We did admire a huge gallery of the work from Seward Johnson, the artist who founded the park. My favorite indoor statues was the realistic jazz band "playing" in the gallery. Apparently, Johnson had been a huge jazz fan in his youth, which explained the jazz music piped in around Rat's, too. The statue "house," complete with furniture you could walk in and look at, was neat too.

Here's the link. It's worth checking out if you're ever in Central Jersey and are interested in learning more about sculptures or modern art, or just want a nice, relaxing walk in a tranquil setting. 

Grounds for Sculpture

Our next stop after we left the Grounds for Sculpture was a huge thrift shop a few blocks away. We thought the place looked intriguing. It was, and it did have a lot of neat stuff...but it was either having a sale, or the residents of Hamilton had nowhere else to go on a snowy Saturday. The place was so mobbed, there was a line half-way around the store. We came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the long wait and left with nothing.

Jessa recommended a diner not far from where she lives for a late lunch/dinner. The Piston Diner was a small but nicely remodeled local watering hole with great prices. Soup and sandwiches are their specialty. We both had iced tea and Italian wedding soup. She had a tuna melt and strawberry shortcake. I had a crab melt and peanut butter cake. Yum! The sandwiches were tasty and used real seafood, the fries were crispy and perfect, and the cakes were huge. My still-settling stomach regretted the indulgence later, but it sure felt good going down.

By the time Jess dropped me off at home, the snow in Hamilton had given way to all rain. It looks like it'll stay rain all through tomorrow. Not even snow here this time.

Watched Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale while changing and getting organized. I go further into this independent family film from 2010 at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale

Finished the night with the Saturday Match Game Classics marathon at YouTube. We celebrated Black History Month with some of the most beloved black stars to appear on the show. Later angel Della Reece was the first to appear on the second week in 1973. She'd turn up sporadically through 1977, usually sitting in the fourth ingenue seat. Comedian Stu Gilliam also appeared on two memorable weeks in 1973. Nipsey Russell was one of the most popular semi-regulars, tossing out his poetry on and off from 1973 through 1979. He even turned up in the week with Valernie Bertanelli that was rediscovered a few years ago. Isobel Sanford was a calming, motherly presence on two weeks in 1976. Her first screen son Michael Evans had his only appearance on the show in 1974. Round and jolly Johnny Brown had a lot of fun on his only week in 1974. 

His Good Times cast mate Jimmie Walker got far more out of the show. Walker was a semi-regular from 1974 straight through into the 1990-1991 run. I honestly thought he was at his best in the 90's, where he was a bit more subdued and less annoying. Nell Carter and Roger E. Mosely also had fun on the 1990-1991 series. Arsenio Hall and his wild antics was one of the best things about The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. You never knew what he'd do, including jump into what Gene dubbed "the canal" in the area behind the risers. 

Celebrate Black History Month with some of the best African-American panelists around!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Celebrating Black History Months with Special Celebrity Moments

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.  

Calling All Angels

Once again, we began the day with a trip down the Mass Pike. Instead of continuing to Springfield, we turned off at Holyoke to check out the huge mall there. Once again, we had no trouble on the road, no traffic anywhere. It was gorgeous and sunny when we came out, if chilly, but clouds began to move in even as Lauren pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center next-door to the mall. 

Barnes and Noble was the only store open at 9:30, so we started there. I love that store. It's huge, two stories with a mostly-full music and video section. We both found things here. Lauren dug a movie out of the music and video section. I picked up the next book in that teddy bear mystery series, Bear a Wee Grudge, and two CDs: 

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool

Little Richard - The Very Best of Little Richard

Since my purchase came with a coupon for a dollar off iced tea, I bought a green iced tea while waiting for Lauren and checking out my new book. It was earthy and not sweet at all. Just wet enough after the car ride.

Went across the street next to TJMaxx, the only other store open that interested us. I used the bathroom, but otherwise didn't find anything. When Lauren didn't see anything she wanted either, we headed out.

We were the first ones at the door of Red Robin promptly at 11 AM. Far from the only ones, though. Shortly after we came in, several other couples arrived as well. Lauren had the Red's Double Tavern (smaller) Burger. I had the California Chicken Sandwich. The waitress brought fries out right away, and we had to order the usual towering onion rings. Lauren had a sparkling lemonade. I ordered a mint mojito...before I realized that the waitress hadn't heard my request for it to be non-alcoholic. I took a few sips, tasted rum (yuck), and didn't finish it.

After lunch, we jumped back in the car, and Lauren drove us to the main Holyoke Mall. She parked at the JCPenney entrance, which isn't far from Round 1. We wanted to start there, before we had a lot of packages to carry around and the kids got off of school. I spent the next hour running from Bust-a-Move to giant Pac Man to Nerf Arcade to Lane Master bowling to skee ball. Practiced my pinball skills for the Vermont pinball parlor on Friday with games based on Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars, and Deadpool. Played Mario Kart Deluxe and came in first with Yoshi. 

I eventually amassed over 2,200 points, not bad for an hour. I liked the dragon Kai that I picked up in June so much, I went for a smaller stuffed animal from the same line who was even prettier. Haru is a red and white fox fire spirit ("kitsune") with three tails like Tails the Fox, a bell on her collar, and a mischievous embroidered expression. I think she's an absolute darling, and one of the loveliest from that line. Lauren forgot her original card and didn't have the points, so she just got candy.

We were in and out of stores for the next few hours. Lauren did best at the two Stateline Used Video Games, picking up five Nintendo 64 games to try between the two stores. She also bought a dress that resembled Sally's in The Nightmare Before Christmas from Hot Topic and a Sarah Sanderson from Hocus Pocus costume from Spirit Halloween. (Apparently, she and the women at the bank where she works will be dressing as the Sanderson Sisters this year.) She bought a dress at Macy's. I just used the bathroom. We browsed in Build-a-Bear, but didn't buy anything. She bought pants for her father and for her at JCPenney. I found a sea blue short-sleeved t-shirt on the clearance rack for $6 and Fila sneakers on sale for $44 to replace the Reebox that never really fit right and were already looking shoddy.

I did the best at FYE. The FYE at Holyoke has a far larger selection of CDs and DVDs than most of their stores nowadays. They were having a buy two used items, get a third for $1 sale. I really hit the jackpot with cast albums on CD in particular. I eventually came up with:

The Who - Magic Bus: The Who On Tour

The soundtrack from That Thing You Do! (I have this on cassette, but not only are my cassettes in storage, I'm trying to phase out all cassettes but the ones containing old-time radio shows I've never seen anywhere else.) 

The original cast albums for the Broadway Little Women from a decade ago, Liza Minnelli's first show Flora the Red Menace, Kinky Boots, and the Bette Midler Hello Dolly! revival. (Dolly ended up being the dollar item. I forgot that the Who was a new CD I grabbed from the bin up front.) 

Our plans hit a snag when dinnertime came around. We were going to eat at the 99 Restaurant there, like we did last year...but it would seem that they've closed since then. The only other sit-down restaurant was the expensive 110 Grill. We eventually ended up downstairs at the food court. Lauren had a pepperoni stromboli and salad from Sbarro's that she claimed was excellent. I had two street tacos with cilantro, tomatoes, and taco meat and a Diet Coke from El Burrito. The taco meat was a little dry, but I liked the soft corn tortillas they used. It also came with a bag of chips and container of salsa that were so huge, Lauren and I agreed to have them for a snack later instead.

It was past 5:30 when we made our way back to JCPenney and the parking lot. Once again, no trouble getting home. It had clouded over considerably since this morning, but otherwise wasn't bad. No traffic anywhere, on the Mass Pike or in Lee and Lennox. Lauren's brand-new van allowed her to speak her comic texts to a guy friend on his way back from work and still focus on the road. 

When we got in, we showed our finds to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and then I took a shower. After my shower, I joined Lauren downstairs to try those new games. The only one we could play together was a WCW Wrestling game...but that honestly ended up being a lot of fun. We did a tag-team (two on two) game. It took forever for us to figure out which buttons did what, let alone pin a guy! It was 9 PM before my Randy Savage managed to get Lauren's Kevin Nash down. (We also had Sting - who wore black and white makeup like a KISS reject - and Booker T.) 

Finished the night with Charlie's Angels at The Roku Channel. "Angels On the Run" help a singer newly hired by a nightclub to find her husband when he doesn't turn up for her show. Turns out the guy was a dump truck driver who left his truck and a pile of dirt with his farmer girlfriend (Elaine Joyce)...along with a fortune in diamonds a group of crooks stashed in his truck. Kelly poses as the singer to get the goods on the thieves...and the other Angels and Bosley go after her when she's kidnapped as well. 

I'm Into Something Good

Started off early this morning after a quick breakfast, heading through Lenox and Lee and down the Mass Pike. Lauren first stopped at a shopping center to get gas and for us to use the bathroom at a Stop and Shop. We used the bathroom again at a travel plaza along the Mass Pike. Otherwise, there were no problems in the small towns or the Mass Pike, no traffic anywhere.

We didn't have any trouble until we got off the highway and closer to Springfield. Lauren retired her GPS in favor of using the maps on her cell phone, since she already uses it for music. She thought it was wrong when it asked her to turn, so she kept on going. We ignored it twice before we finally turned and found ourselves on a leafy, tree-lined street going past the West Springfield Library. That ultimately took us to the Eastern States Exposition...but Lauren had wanted to park in the shopping center parking lot. We just ended up parking at the Big E.

The moment we entered the gates, we were assaulted by pink, blue, and yellow boardwalk-style signs for everything possible that can be fried (and a few things that can but probably shouldn't be, like Kool Aid). There were people milling around, but it wasn't too busy at 10:30 in the morning. We strolled around the grounds first, getting the lay of the land. Checked out one of the many long tents that sold leather goods, but didn't buy anything.

Explored the Avenue of the States next. Each of the New England states touts their wares in a recreation of their original state capitol buildings. Rhode Island started with spooky carved pumpkins from Roger Williams Park and Zoo. We passed by a Del's Lemonade stand, but even at quarter of 11, it was too busy to stop for a drink. People stood in a line for baked potatoes at Maine that went out the door. Connecticut had displays for a science center and Mohegan Sun Casino. Massachusetts pushed wild honey and memorabilia and crafts based on the Red Sox and Patriots. People bought Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in Vermont and locally made soaps, creams, and jewelry in New Hampshire. 

After we left the state houses, we doubled back to the street running up to it. Lauren said she saw a unique pizza booth on our way up there. I've never seen pizza topped with pickles or Mexican street corn before. We had a slice of each. She got regular Coke. I had Diet Coke. Yum! Both slices were white, meaning without sauce, and drizzled with what I think was ranch dressing. Though the dill flavoring on the pickle pizza was tasty, I liked the corn pizza best. The sweetness of the corn blended well with the Mexican spice and the salty cheese. 

Since we needed to hit the bathroom anyway, we made our way back to the demonstration and sales buildings. We checked out a collection of prize-winning quilts at the New England Center. I wish I could have bought a few, but they were only for display. We walked around in the Better Living Building and the Young Building, but bought nothing in either place. 

The main reason we came to the Big E today was to see one of Lauren's favorite performers, former Herman's Hermits front man Peter Noone, who had a concert at 2 PM at the Court of Honor stage. This is the smaller mostly outdoor arena in front of the Coliseum and across from the back gates. Since there was already a pretty good crowd when we passed by at 1, we decided to get our seats early. We went with the picnic tables on either side of the venue, rather than the yellow seats under the tent covering. 

I didn't know Herman's Hermits still had so many fans in the US. It was literal standing room only...which is why I barely saw any of it. People sat on the other end of the picnic benches and stood all around me. Lauren stood up to get photos and footage for YouTube, but I didn't want to lose my seat. Even Peter commented on the huge crowds when he came over our way and had to climb up on a table to perform for the folks on our side. As he put it, it had been easier to get through Customs coming from his native England than to wade through that huge crowd!

I'll give Peter credit, though. He really can put on a show. Most of his set consisted of oldies from the 60's, including one saluting the three late members of the Monkees, "Daydream Believer." He did start off with a dynamic "I'm Into Something Good" and ended with more Hermits hits, including "Leaning On a Lamp Post" and "There's a Kind of Hush." He really got the crowd singing along to the raucous music hall ditty "I'm Henry the Eighth." 

(Speaking of the Monkees, the last concert Lauren and I saw at the Big E was Micky Dolenz and his sister Coco in mid-September 2008. The Court of Honor stage was totally outdoors then. There were concerns about a thunder storm during Micky's second show, which led him to half-joke about not wanting to get electrocuted. I suspect his complaints and similar comments from other musicians may have been why they ultimately put up that tent.)

After the show, we headed back towards the Midway. We'll be doing rides at Great Escape next week and were wary of games after Lauren spent an hour trying to win a big fish last year, so we just ended up doing the cranes. This time, Lauren did better than me. She won a purple Elmo and a sweet indigo Crayola bear. I tried for 20 minutes and only came up with a Beanie Baby unicorn named Harmonie. She's odd but cute, with her multi-hued blotches, glittery rainbow eyes and hooves, and twisted horn of sparkling gold and blue. 

By the time we finished with the crane games, it was past 4:30. The crowds had increased substantially since Peter's concert. Kids were out of school and were now running around, playing games and chasing each other. It had been in-and-out cloudy and cool all day, but the wind picked up during the concert as well. Not to mention, we'd been there for over 6 hours, and I was just plain tired of crowds. We finally headed back to the parking lot by quarter of 5. 

Had dinner at the same Chipotle we have the past two years. The blocky gray and red building is in an outlying parcel at a shopping center about three minutes or so from the Big E. We both had bowls with rice, tomatoes, cheese, beans, and meat. Lauren had plant-based sofritos, black beans, and white rice. I had spicy steak, pinto beans, and brown rice. We enjoyed our big and tasty meal at a counter along the window overlooking the parking lot.

We had far less trouble getting home. This time, Lauren stuck to the directions and the Mass Pike, passing by downtown Springfield before getting on the highway. We took a slightly longer way back after we got to Lee so Lauren could show me where a close guy friend of hers lives. Once again, no traffic anywhere, not even at the Big E this time.

After we got in, Lauren set up the Nintendo 64 her co-worker sold her last year. I remembered that Mario  Kart 64 has a VS mode where you can play with one or two or three other people, rather than them and the computer. We each chose four rounds, playing eight all together. Lauren beat the pants off me, winning six to 2. Most of the rounds were pretty close, though. I snuck by her in Moo Moo Farms, and she kept running into snowmen at Frappe Snowland.

Lauren tried Donkey Kong 64 briefly, but she couldn't figure out the gameplay in Adventure Mode without a manual. If memory serves me correctly, you have to do a couple of "training" mini-games before you can get started on that one. She finally decided it wasn't worth the effort, and we went online instead. 

Finished the night watching flop game shows from the 1970's. Game shows were in a precarious position on the networks as the 70's began. The few that existed were simple general knowledge quizzes. The Reel Game, for instance, tested people's knowledge of movies. No one won more than $1,000 at any given time. The show itself wasn't all that exciting, but it did bring Jack Barry back into hosting after he and his partner Dan Enright were caught in the quiz show scandals of the 1950's. 

Game shows became bigger and bolder in 1972 thanks to the hits The Price Is Right, Gambit, and The Joker's Wild. Suddenly, big shows with bigger payouts were all the rage. The Magnificent Marble Machine from 1975 let contestants and a celebrity partner play a giant pinball machine after guessing the name of a person, place, or thing from clues provided on what looked like a pinball machine's backbox. I can understand why this one didn't work. Pinball is more fun to play than watch, and the actual game wasn't really all that interesting. Roddy McDowell and Florence Henderson try to get that machine going.

50 Grand Slam brought back the tough quiz shows with people in isolation booths in 1976. Tom Kennedy asked two contestants questions based on their area of expertise. While one heard the question, the other went in an isolation booth. The first contestant would answer the question, then the second would see if they could answer the whole question. For some reason, there's even a golf game demonstrated in the premiere episode seen here.

The Wizard of Odds from 1973 was a variation. Alex Trebek had his first hosting experience in the US with this show that had contestants answering questions based on the law of averages. The second game had contestants choose which phrase didn't match the others. Yeah, not the most thrilling show in the universe, but Alex is as warm and enjoyable as he'd be in later shows.

Masquerade Party was a failed 1974 attempt to revive the 50's show that had a celebrity panel trying to guess who the famous person was under a costume. This one is more significant for giving Richard Dawson his big hosting break than for the goofy gameplay. Look for one of his fellow Match Game panelists in the first costume in the only surviving episode. 

Bill Cullen didn't have much more luck with Pass the Buck from 1978. Bill gives four contestants a topic, like the circus, and they have to give answers to match. If someone gets stuck or gives an answer someone else gave, the next person can give the answer and knock them out. If they miss, the contestant after them can take both out. Honestly, I thought this was cute, and Bill Cullen really seemed to have fun with it. It's too bad it couldn't survive competition from Card Sharks. 

Whew! is another failed 70's game that's a lot more fun than you might think. I wish Buzzr would take another crack at it. Watching people set up blocks on the huge board as the other contestant answers pun-based sentences, then run the "gauntlet" of Hanna Barbara-designed villains, is a lot of fun, and Tom Kennedy clearly enjoys hosting.

See what game shows worked and what didn't in the Me Decade with these truly unique flops!

The Reel Game (1971)

The Wizard of Odds (1974)

Masquerade Party (1974)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975) 

50 Grand Slam (1976)

Pass the Buck (1978)

Whew! (1979) 

Beer Barrel Polka

We started out again into New York state, this time under cloudy slate gray skies. This time, Lauren continued past the Albany suburbs, about a half-hour further down the highway to Queensbury. Our first stop of the day was the Aviation Mall. This mid-70's mall is the smallest we visit during this trip, and the one in the worst shape. Target was well-lit and busy, but the inside of the mall was dead. It was pin-drop quiet, with few stores.

One of the open stores was for used CDs and disc media. Too bad most of his wares were overpriced. I saw a few things that were tempting, but I didn't get anything. The paranormal show on ghostly activities just added to the seriously creepy atmosphere in the store and the mall. 

Ironically, their Pier Arcade was slightly larger than the one at Colonie, and in much better shape. Every game worked. While I didn't get much out of it, I did roll my first 10,000 slot on skee ball. 

After we left the Aviation Mall, we headed down the road to Six Flags Great Escape. They've considerably simplified parking in the sixteen years since we first started going here. Lauren just showed them a voucher she printed offline, and we went on our way. She parked in the Twix 3 lot (all parking lots at Great Escape are named for Mars candies), and we headed over the bridge to Great Escape.

Great Escape began in 1954 as Storybook USA. My older friend Linda Young attended it in is original form. Lauren says she's been coming here for as long as she can remember. It's pretty much what you would get if you crossed Storybook Land in Mays Landing with the New Jersey Six Flags, Great Adventure. The first thing we did when we arrived was explore the tiny Ghost Town western buildings. Lauren is five feet and can walk in easily. I'm 5'4 and mostly poked my head in to see the interior of a little hotel, school, church, county hall with a judge's desk, and boating office. 

Headed over the Skittles bridge and into Hot Rod USA. This is the home of the "ring of fire" coaster Greased Lightin', the drop ride Sasquatch, and Flashback, a roller coaster that runs backwards. Our main interest in this area is Thunder Alley. Families drive small 50's-style cars around a fixed track. Boards telling the story of a ghost family going on a picnic in a graveyard joined the usual giant Technicolor tulips and vintage billboards for Storybook USA in its original heyday. 

In fact, Great Escape was downright spooky. In addition to Oktoberfest, they'll be beginning their Fright Fest next week. Cheesecloth spider webs covered houses and entrance queues. The Ghost Town buildings were decorated with corn stalks and Indian corn. Scary statues of ghouls, ghosts, and gruesome horror icons were set up throughout the park. We ducked around them as we headed to the Fest Area for lunch.

The reason we came is for their Oktoberfest. The Festival Marketplace restaurant sold kielbasa, apple chicken sausage, pirogis, cole slaw, strudels, German chocolate cake, and Bavarian pretzel sticks. Lauren  had the kielbasa and apple strudel. I had apple chicken sausage, apple strudel, cole slaw with raisins and walnuts, and Bavarian pretzels. We listened to a polka band in traditional German dress play polka versions of "Country Roads" and "Sweet Caroline," even bringing the kids in the audience play along at one point.

We had no intention of playing games after everything we did at the Big E, but we did try some cranes. I struck out here. Lauren won a cute printed jack-o-lantern wearing a witch's hat. 

Lauren suggested our next ride. The Balloon Ride floated over the Fest Area, its colorful gondolas easily seen from the dining patio. It looked like fun...until we got on it! The around and around and up and down motion made me feel a little queasy. Lauren, who gets motion sickness, got a bit greener. 

Headed to the Sky Ride to get the lay of the land and let our brains settle after the around and around. This ski lift lazily circles the area over Hot Rod USA and the lower part of the Fest Area. We admired empty stages, ponds, and Fest Area houses under us.

The Storytown Train is barely a two-minute walk from the Sky Ride. The train takes a long route past the River Dee, which seemed quiet and empty with the Swan Boats being refurbished. We passed Popo the Purple Cow (who seemed more like a friendly dragon) and a turquoise clock that was probably supposed to be Hickory Dickory Dock. The train turned through the woods, giving us glimpses of wrecked Ghost Town vehicles and the remains of the abandoned Jungleland rope bridges and animals.

Despite it being cloudy and barely in the 60's, Lauren wanted to ride the Raging River rapids. It's her favorite ride in the whole park. I wasn't sure that was a great idea. I had the chance to consider it. It was briefly closed when we went over there, but it reopened around 3:30. We finally ended up doing it together. Yeah, we got wet and cold, but it was still fun splashing around corners and under sprayers and mini waterfalls. If nothing else, the chilly day and this being the only ride currently operating in its area scared off other customers. This is the first time we went on the Raging River and didn't have to wait a half-hour or more for the ride. We didn't have to wait at all. We got on right away, with no one joining us.

We opted to dry off in the Alice In Wonderland walk-through. It was very dark and spooky inside. Once you get outside, you can see some of the nifty figures, like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and Alice caught in the White Rabbit's house. I thought the Queen of Hearts looked much too pretty to be ordering anyone's head to be chopped off!

I got the last ride of the day. The merry-go-round is too much around for Lauren, but I love carousels. This one is really neat, too. I rode a handsome orange jack rabbit with long ears. I also saw a dragon, a cat, a lion, a zebra, and a camel, along with horses with beautifully decorated saddles. I just wish two teenage boys hadn't spent the ride jumping off horses and climbing onto others, standing on the horses, and otherwise doing things they shouldn't have been.

By 4 PM, we were wet, cold, and tired, and the clouds were getting darker. It was time to pack it in and buy our souvenirs. She bought an Oktoberfest shirt that said "I'm at my Wurst" and a cute rolly-poly lavender walrus at the candy store. I found a chocolate brown Japanese-style kitty named Kona Coffee in the candy shop. Orange Thai Tea had her eyes closed, and yellow Coconut looked a bit grumpy, but Kona was adorable. 

We had dinner back at Aviation Mall. They have a Friendly's on a separate outparcel overlooking the mall. Lauren had broccoli and cheese soup, a grilled cheese, fries, and a black raspberry sundae with peanut butter sauce. I had a chicken quesadilla, clam chowder, and a scoop of Viennese Mocha Chunk. 

It finally started to rain as we turned onto the highway and headed home. The showers continued through most of the drive across New York. They slowed down as we neared the Massachusetts border and ended all together by the time Lauren pulled into their garage. It was rather cozy as Lauren turned up the heat and we sang Monkees and Weird Al Yankovitz songs all the way home, with Kona on my knee.

Finished the night on YouTube with the Sunday Match Game Classics marathon. Blonde beauty Elaine Joyce appeared frequently from early '73 through the very end of the syndicated run. Elaine could be annoyingly ditzy in some of her earlier appearances, including with her husband Bobby Van. She did help out with poor, shy Evie, the show's most nervous contestant, in early 1975, and appeared on the hilarious week with Bill Macy later that year. She and Bobby also got one of the funniest - and most controversial - answers as to what Batman and Robin did together. 

Elaine did her best work during the early 80's syndicated run, after motherhood mellowed her out and calmed her goofier tendencies. Gene took advantage of her fondness for tight pants and blouses by letting her show off her looks to the audience frequently. In one of her last appearances, she brought her daughter Taylor Van to the panel to show off her too cute Polish dancing outfit. 

Strut your stuff with the blond bombshell of game shows in this wild marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics - The Best of Elaine Joyce 

Angels of the Morning

We got an earlier start this time, at 9 instead of 10. Headed into a glorious blue and gold early fall day, this time making our way past Lenox and Lee to the Mass Pike. Everything went fine...until we hit traffic around the exit to West Springfield, thanks to annoying road repair. After that, we managed to get through most of West Springfield again before running across another long line of traffic near the Eastern State Exposition. 

Lauren got so fed up dealing with traffic, when a man announced a good price for parking behind a shopping center close to the fair, we took it. I'm glad we did. She drove into a spot under a row of shady trees not a five-minute walk from the fairgrounds. We decided we'd rather have a slightly longer walk than deal with the Big E's parking lots. 

The Eastern State Exposition is the state fair for the New England region. As you enter, you see colorful boardwalk stands featuring every kind of food that can be fried, including Kool Aid. We passed a petting zoo, a pony ride, and the world's smallest horse, and heard about a pig race taking place at one of the farm buildings. 

We were mainly interested in the two large buildings on either side of the fairgrounds, flanked by rows of food stands and shopping booths. Hit the Young building first. Lauren wanted to find the woman selling stuffed toys, blankets, and other accessories made from fluffy alpaca wool. Usually, her wares are too expensive for me. This year, I had the money to buy a small panda with thick fur. Lauren went with a white bear.

We walked around there and the Better Life Building for a while after that. They have pretty much the same mix of home and garden booths selling window treatments, upgraded gutters, and cheaper internet packages and booths of exotic clothes or toys or local crafts. We didn't buy anything here, though we did look at some of the food booths on the edges of the building for lunch.

In between, we had lunch at a row of food booths and carts in the back of the Young building. I found a rustic wooden booth selling baked sweet potatoes with toppings ranging from bacon to pecans to scallions. I opted for two tacos filled with rice and mashed sweet potatoes. Lauren went to the other side of the row for French fries with cheese and bacon. They gave her so much, she couldn't begin to finish it. I snitched a few to help out.

Hit the Avenue of the States next, a row of buildings made to look like each New England state's historic capitol building. We tried to explore Rhode Island, but the crowds were too heavy. I did get to see the jack o'lanterns carved by Rhode Islanders, but people were too thick around the expanded Del's Lemonade stand to get more than a glimpse of them. 

We decided we'd double back later to take in the remaining state houses and see if the crowds thinned. Besides, Lauren spied something way more fun across the way from the Massachusetts building. She bought us tickets for a little blue and yellow train tootling around the back of the Avenue of the States. It was mainly supposed to be for little kids, but they didn't mind two adult riders. The ride was short, but a lot of fun. The little kids on board were darling. They waved to passers-by and chattered about everything around them. It was more like being on a float at a parade.

Lauren spied a soup stand at the Storrowtown Village living history museum. She wanted to try their broccoli and cheese. I had those vegetarian tacos, so I went with cheeseburger (ground beef and potato) chowder. Salty, but filled with lots of big potato pieces and ground beef. The bowls, however, were much bigger than expected. Neither of us close to finished them.

We walked around in the Young building and Better Life Building again, but the crowds weren't thinning. If anything, they increased as the afternoon went on. Lauren suggested getting something cold and wet and finding shade. We bought very sweet frozen lemonades from a lemonade booth in the Better Life Building and ate them in the shade under the arch of the Food Court as cool fall breezes blew across our sweaty faces.

Trying the Avenue of the States again proved even more fruitless. We tried to elbow our way through crowds buying baked potatoes at the Maine building, raspberries and honey in Massachusetts, and Ben & Jerry's and flannel clothing in Vermont. After we could barely get through the crowds in Vermont, Lauren decided she was tired of dealing with all the people...and I figured she was right. We didn't even finish walking through Vermont before we made our way back out and hiked down to the gate, and then over to the parking lot (after a quick bathroom stop). 

Since we'd gotten out at 2:30, too early for dinner, we explored a few near-by stores. The shopping center in front of the parking lot sported the largest Big Lots I ever saw. They were so big, they even had the room for furniture. A larger center just a few blocks away had a TJ Maxx that was nearly as big. We didn't buy anything at either place, but they did kill time.

Lauren had her phone out and was trying to find a place for an early dinner when I emerged from TJ Maxx. I figured we could go with the obvious and pointed to the blocky red and gray building across the parking lot from us. I noticed the Chipolte coming in. Apparently, Lauren did too, but forgot about it in the mess with the traffic and the parking.

Chipolte, like Shake Shack, is basically a fast food restaurant with blocky contemporary decor and food that's a lot tastier and better for you than anything at Taco Bell. She had three steak tacos, since she didn't get the sweet potato tacos at the Exposition. I had a bowl of chicken, black beans, rice, and salsa. Proved to be a tasty mix of flavors...and way too big. I didn't close to finish it. For once, Lauren ate more than I did. (The kid who took our orders added sour cream when I told him not to...but in his defense, I heard the two other kids behind the counter explaining things to him. I think he was a new trainee.)

This time, we only hit a little traffic around another bit of road repair, nothing like we ran into before! Otherwise, no problems, not even passing through Springfield. We finally pulled into Lauren's parents house around 6:30.

Played video games for a couple of hours downstairs in Lauren's room after we showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller our new bears. I'm getting better at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. My best showing was 3rd on the second version of Mario Circuit. Lauren hit second on Baby Park. We kicked villain rear with our Street Fighter combo of soldier Cammy and martial artist Chun Li...until we tried Tough mode, then couldn't get near them. Played a tropical fruit-themed Super Mario Party round. Lauren beat me by one star, but just barely. 

Finished the night at the Roku Channel with Charlie's Angels. They're Moonshinin' Angels in the fifth season when Charlie gets a call from the California backwoods. Seems two local moonshining families who are notorious for their feud are starting up again, thanks to a gangster turning them against each other. Kelly joins the Barletts as a driver. Kris offers her chemistry skills to the Catlins as a master distiller. Julie opts to take a job as a waitress and listen for gossip at the local diner. 

What Is Home?

Started off a brisk, sunny morning with a knock at the door. The neighbor who held the party on Thursday was there. She said she'd look up more apartments for Denise and I online and make a few phone calls in the neighborhood. I'd look up apartments as well later. 

Went into breakfast and two episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Visits the Dentist," who happens to be his new neighbor Dr. Platt. She shows him her equipment and explains how she'll clean and polish his teeth to alleviate his fears. Jodi's Nana has a hair salon in part of her home. "Daniel's First Haircut" makes the cub a little nervous, so he watches Prince Tuesday get a trim and Miss Elaina go for adorable braids before he jumps in her moving chair. 

Katarina is sad when Margaret opts to play with her brother instead of her, as she's an only child. Mrs. Tiger reminds her to "Find What Makes Your Family Special." She gets her mother Henrietta all to herself and appreciates the time she spends with her. Dan tries to figure out what makes his family special when he has to talk about the branch for the family tree he created for "Family Day" at the library.

Went online for a few hours after that to do research and find more apartments. My neighbor called twice as I worked. I related the addresses to her. Apparently, she hadn't heard from the other lady who wanted to share a house, but was willing to go apartment hunting today.

It was almost 2 when my neighbor called again. She just came back from helping her mother and wanted to know if I was able to look for apartments. Sure! I didn't have any other plans. I met her at her house as it clouded over and settled in her cozy, dark 70's-esque living room. Showed her the two-bedroom apartments I looked up that morning. One in Oaklyn was already taken, and we needed the busy older lady to see the other two.

She also said for me not to compare myself to Rose or anyone else. I can't help it. She's a lawyer, even if she's not a working one, and I'm not. She had a decent job, at least, and I work at a grocery store. She has a life, and I don't. I don't really want kids (I can barely take care of myself), but I do want a home of my own and a decent job. 

Flurries fell lightly from a pewter sky when we headed out, but the sun was already coming out, even as she pulled down Manheim. By the time she stopped a cop she knew at City Hall to ask him about whether Jodie could legally throw me out, the snow vanished, and the sun was glowing in a watery blue sky. (The short answer, by the way, is no. She'd have to take me to court, and that could take as long as three years to figure out. Which is why I don't want it to get that far.)

We then spent the next hour pulling into the parking lot of almost every apartment building from Oaklyn to Haddon Heights to write down or photograph their numbers or try to talk to their offices. Unfortunately, with neither of us having kids or travel plans, we forgot that this is a Saturday and a holiday weekend. No offices were open. One place did have a room open, or almost open, the Audubon Arms. I need to apply for them. I've applied to and been rejected from most of the apartment buildings in Audubon and Oaklyn. I don't make enough money for them. The only three buildings we saw in Haddon Heights were for seniors.

On the way back, she pulled in at two churches, the Hispanic church in Audubon and the Baptist church in Oaklyn. She pointed out that, not only are church ladies one of the best offline sources of information about a community, but one of them might have an apartment or room I could rent. We did get someone at the second church. They didn't know of any rooms right off, but they'd ask around tomorrow.

Made a quick smoothie lunch while watching the most recent - and last - Muppet Babies episode. "The Muppet Babies Show" has the kids putting on a production for Nanny and their friends on the last day before summer vacation. Kermit does enjoy playing MC, but first he's upset when the kids keep changing their acts, then tries to prolong the show to keep them all from leaving him. 

(And yes, this does appear to be the series finale. Too bad. I was hoping this would run longer than the  original cartoon. The episodes were more consistently entertaining, often better-written, and made more use of other Muppets besides the ones in the '80's show.) 

Went back online, this time to get caught up on writing down everything I've seen or e-mailed or phoned over the past few weeks. It's a lot! And there's things I still haven't gotten to, like looking up more on the Audubon Arms apartment that's available and applying to Scribbr.

Had dinner while watching The Backyardigans. "The Legend of the Volcano Sisters" from the second season is one of my favorite episodes of the series. Luau Brothers Tyrone the Strong, Pablo the Swift, and Just Austin have to appease the angry Volcano Sisters (Uniqua and Tasha), or they'll make the volcano blow its top! Tyrone and Pablo dash off in search of lavish gifts, but it's Austin who knows what the girls really want.

Called Mom after eating pizza from the other night. She's glad I now have more help in the neighborhood finding apartments. She also agreed with my neighbor that once I settle in, I might try checking out some local churches. Religion and faith are very hard for me. I like things you can see and touch. You can even see air when it's windy like today. Faith has never seemed to do me much good. It's hard to believe in anything when you're always making trouble like this. I did try church in Wildwood, but it was mostly families and old people, and I had no one to talk to. Plus, I usually work on Sunday mornings.

Finished off the night online after a shower with The Fearless Four. I go further into this animated adaptation of the "The Bremen Town Musicians" from Germany at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Fearless Four

Better Shop Around

This time, we started out a sunny, humid day on the road. We went back through Lenox and Lee, but turned on the Mass Pike. It was a lovely day for a ride. Nice and quiet, with no traffic anywhere. We listened to the Perfect Strangers podcasts Lauren downloaded that discussed the season 3 episode "Pipe Dreams" as we rolled down the highway.

Lauren said she took the wrong turn-off to the Holyoke Mall...but that took us into the parking lot of a smaller big-box shopping center just outside the main buildings. There was a lot more to that building than I saw two years ago when we passed by. In fact, we started in a beautiful, very modern TJ Maxx. Lauren didn't get anything, but I finally found socks with more than 50 percent cotton in them. I am not wearing polyester on my feet, no matter how soft it is. It doesn't breathe, not a good idea in my job. 

Next up was the Barnes & Noble across the parking lot. That place was HUGE! It's the third two-story Barnes & Noble I've seen, and the first outside of a major metropolitan area. Lauren went to explore the CD and DVD area in the back, and I went up the escalators to look at the children's area and mysteries. Picked up a Golden Book for Finley's Christmas gift and noticed two of interest to me, a biography of Betty White and an American Girl book on how each girl celebrates their birthdays. Didn't see more of the Spice Shop mysteries I bought yesterday, but I did pick up an earlier book in Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile series One Book In the Grave and a new series by Vicky Delancy set at a Catskills Resort in 1953. 

We thought the Red Robin next to Ulta Beauty would be a more-than-adequate substitute for the now-closed mall Ruby Tuesday's. She had a Caesar Wrap and garlic fries. I had a Tuscan Salmon Burger and steak fries. The "burger" was really a slab of salmon with the usual burger fixings...and it was amazing. Thick, hearty, perfectly grilled and seasoned, and very filling.

Lauren finally found the right turn-off to the Holyoke Mall after lunch. After much deliberation, we parked next to the entrances to Macy's and Spirit of Halloween. Since we were already there, we hit Macy's first. Despite some decent sales, neither of us found anything.

Made our way into the busy mall next. Holyoke Mall is the second-biggest mall in New England after the Natick Mall in eastern Massachusetts. I like that it retains the graceful and flowing 70's chrome-and-wood paneling design without feeling dated. It's far prettier and nicer to walk around in than either of the major malls in my area. 

Our first stop was Round 1 Entertainment, the arcade/bowling alley we checked out in Deptford last month. I paid for slightly more points than last time...and I still blew through them in a half-hour. Tried a "Waterfuls" game based after the old games that you had to try to push the rings into a plastic net or container. Here, you had to get them piled up on the edge for points and tickets. Tried a "Connect Two" basketball game, too. And of course, I played lots of skee ball. Lauren found a set of pinball machines and refilled her card to play them, which is why she was a little late rejoining me at the entrance. 

(And once again, neither of us got anything. Round 1 really requires more than a half-hour to an hour of playing a couple of video games to get anything out of it. It's made for parties and day trips.)

Were in and out of a few stores next. Holyoke has a much larger FYE that still has a big selection of DVDs and CDs. She bought two TV sets. I picked up Supergirl: The First Season, The Chipmunk Adventure, and the soundtracks for Frozen II and The Greatest Showman. Lauren spied Stateline Video Games rather appropriately near Round 1. It sells vintage games, ranging from original Nintendo and Sega Genesis to the current Nintendo Switch. Fun to look at and remember, but we didn't get anything there or at Game Stop. 

Since it's near FYE, our next stop was JC Penney. Lauren didn't find anything, but I grabbed a gold three-quarter-sleeves t-shirt and a Liz Claiborne flannel nightshirt in a pretty pink and red paisley print. That nightshirt looks so soft! I might have to see if I can find one of the plaids in my size when we go to the Albany malls on Monday.

Next up was Target. Once again, Lauren bought something for her parents, but I didn't get anything but lost. That store is ENORMOUS, with at least three exits. It took me forever to figure out which way I was going. 

After all that, we figured it was time for dinner. Holyoke's food court is in its lower basement level. They had two Asian food booths, a McDonald's, and a Charley's Steaks, but we just ended up getting slices of pizza from Sbarro's. She had a pepperoni and a mushroom. I had the bigger sandwich for lunch and settled for spinach and tomato. Glad I did. I generally haven't heard good things about Sbarro's, but my slice was delicious...and the size of two regular slices at home. 

Debated Burlington Coat Factory, but decided we had enough by that point and went back to the Macy's wing. Spirit of Halloween temporarily took over the first floor of a long-departed Sears. (You could clearly see "Lands' End Kids" on the walls over the masks and accessories.) Most of the costumes and decorations were too big for us to haul home, but it did give me some ideas for my fairy costume.

There were barely any clouds out when we hit the road around 6 PM, but Lauren's parents reported torrential rain and winds in Pittsfield. We didn't hit that until about an hour in. The rain did come down hard for a while; though it slowed down by the time Lauren turned off the highway into Lee, it didn't stop completely until well after we'd arrived home.

Showed Mr. and Mrs. Miller everything we bought, then settled down in Lauren's room for another round of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This time, we went with the tougher Lightning Rounds, including the infamous Rainbow Road. Some intelligent person actually added sides to that one, finally making it a race and not an attempt to see who can fall off the most. I had a harder time than Lauren with some of them. She came in first; I came in third.

Ended the night on YouTube with travel-themed Lawrence Welk Show episodes. Most of these were older shows; the most recent is from 1970. The 1965 "Summer Travel Show" is even in black and white, one of the last episodes to be filmed that way. The 1966 and 1970 shows feature variations on "Gotta Travel On," while Norma Zimmer and/or Jimmy Roberts sing "Harbor Lights." Jo Ann Castle gets in on three fun numbers in 1965. In '65, she and Jack Imel are wanna-be vaudevillians who serenade their well-wishers with "Powder Your Face With Sunshine." In 1966, The Blenders are pilots who ask "Come Josephine to My Flying Machine." Later in the episode, Jo Ann brings her piano and two Lennon Sisters along to convince big-shot Hollywood director Jack Imel that "All I Need Is a Break." 

Hope you have just as much fun traveling with Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra as I did!

1965 - Summer Travel Show

1966 - Vacations & Travel

1970 - Gotta Travel On 

In a Big Country

Awoke to a dark morning around 7. I hoped to sleep longer, but I guess I'm still too nervous about the trip. Read in bed and wrote in my journal, then watched another episode of Match Game '73 on my phone. Gene's wearing another wild suit, this time in a gray check with a pink shirt and magenta bow tie. Pat Harrington asks him where he's selling the used cars; Brett cracks that he looks like half of a vaudeville team. Pat's mouth also comes up again when he jokes to Richard about something being "more than Diana (Dors, his ex-wife) ever did." Far from being upset, Richard looked rather rueful and agreed. 

Finally ate my Honey Nut Cheerios around quarter after 9; Lauren came up shortly after. She hit the garage to slide two coolers in the back of her van for food purchases before we finally headed out.

I love our drives into Vermont. It's so lovely to get out and enjoy the country. The scenery is magnificent.; rolling hills, mountains carpeted in green and gold, weathered old rust-red bards, and dried corn stalks. The trees further up in the mountains were even losing most of their leaves. It's the only place right now that feels like fall. And even up here, it was unusually warm for the time of year, probably in the 70's. We listened to a podcast discussing episodes of Perfect Strangers during the entire trip.

The Vermont Country Store is actually a series of old clapboard storefronts in Weston. They were pretty busy, with a nearly-full parking lot, though Lauren said she'd seen it worse. She did find a space to park further back on the gravel lot before we headed over to the main building.

Whether it was due to the current virus problem or just the needs of their customers, the Vermont Country Store's done some remodeling since my last visit there in 2019. All registers are now up front, crowding the women's clothing section, rather than scattered around the store. The penny candy is in bags and can no longer be handled by customers; the fudge and chocolates are on two sides of the store. They still have the same 70's era shampoos and conditioners, vintage toys, books, and cleaning supplies, Vermont-made linens and blankets, bottles of maple syrup, cheese, baked goods, and hard-to-find tools and cooking utensils as ever.

I made my first finds upstairs, where smaller racks and shelves of clearance items are sold. Picked up a mint-green t-shirt for $15, a bit pricey but not compared to what clothing usually costs at the Vermont Country Store. They also had my favorite fruit slices this time. I went with the mini versions in a plastic container; they were cheaper and came with more. 

Sometime in the past two years, their sit-down restaurant next door The Bryant House was heavily remodeled into indoor seating for their outdoor burger booth, Mildred's Grill. I had a tasty turkey sandwich with fresh Vermont cheddar and cranberry mayo. Lauren went with a ham and cheese melt and a cup of soup. She had a maple lemonade. I went with a plain old lemonade that was very tart and not sweet at all. We ate at a booth in a little building next to Mildred's that had once been where more sale items were held. 

There are other stores in Weston besides the Country Store. The Christmas shop across the street features every holiday ornament known to man, along with a small section for Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations. The Weston Country Store is a more touristy version of their neighbor across the street. They sell toys, novelty gags, Vermont-branded clothing, food, and small maple syrup bottles, mostly at lower prices than across the street. We still didn't see anything we wanted at either place and ultimately headed back.

Lauren wanted to buy her parents fudge and chocolate for herself. I picked up a few more smaller items. They had this nifty, colorful scrub mini-towel I thought could replace the scrubbing pads I usually use on my pots and pans. Found cream intended for sore and cracked feet; took the smaller bottle. (The big one cost $15!) Discovered the Cookie Buttons I normally like were full of salt; bought some maple cream sandwich cookies made with real maple syrup instead.

We took the longer way home, going through New York and into Lauren's hometown North Adams. Jack's Hot Dogs is a tiny sliver of a hash house nestled in a row of fading old office buildings, but they have tasty burgers and hot dogs sold for the cheapest prices anywhere. Lauren bought hot dogs for her and her parents, fries to share, and a burger with peppers and onions for me. I got M&Ms from a quarter vending machine and watched two boys skateboard outside while listening to music on a Bluetooth boom box. 

I had my burger right away when we got in. I didn't have that extra soup with lunch. Lauren waited an hour or so. In between, we played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Lauren came in first on the two-player Shell Cup with Moo Moo Farms and Toad's Turnpike, among other twisting courses. We did far less well when playing online against other gamers from across the globe. Lauren's best showing was sixth; my best was 8th. 

After we got fed up with the online games, we switched to a video game version of Othello. We each won one game. I got the first one; Lauren really beat me in the second.

Finished the night online after a shower with Charlie's Angels. "Haunted Angels" was their season 3 Halloween show. When Charlie and Bosley are concerned about a friend of Bosley's being defrauded by a psychic institute who claims they can let her see her deceased nephew, Charlie gets the women on the case. Sabrina enters the clinic as a psychic, Kris as the secretary to the head man, and Kelly as a private detective looking into the death of one of their possible psychic cases. 

Family Assemble!

Began the morning with reading for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology debuted while King was still alive...but the material for the now rarely-celebrated United Nations Day equally represents the peace and equality that he and the United Nations both work for.

Had breakfast while watching Sale of the Century. In an episode apparently set the week before the "end of summer bash" (according to one segment selling a stereo), a lady and two gentlemen held a very tight game. The champion bought that stereo (he claimed to be a jazz connoisseur), but in the end, the other man just out-buzzed him in the fast round. Alas, that speed didn't help him in the bonus round, which he missed by one second.

Called the doctor Jodie recommended a while back after breakfast. To my surprise, not only were they open on a major holiday, but they'd be able to get me in this week. I'll get a regular check-up on Friday at 1:30.

I was half-way through Press Your Luck when Rose called. That was fast. I wasn't expecting to hear from her until 10:30. Turns out that they'd had some problems and were picking me up early. Sure, whatever. By that point, my bags were packed, I'd long finished breakfast, and I'd just gotten into my boots. I did have to run back and retrieve my cell phone when I almost left it behind, though.

Turns out Rose and Khai were originally going to drive to Dad and Jodie's to borrow their van and leave theirs, but Rose's car wouldn't start. They ended up walking there and getting me on the way back. We briefly headed to Rose's house to wait for Craig to bring Finley home from her gymnastics class and pack up the box of gifts for Lilah. As soon as they arrived, Finley changed, and the cats and Kelsey the miniature pincher were fed, we crowded into the van and headed out.

At least the ride down wasn't bad. It was a beautiful, if cold and windy, day. We encountered no traffic anywhere. Made a stop at the WaWa mid-way for snacks and so Khai could stretch his legs; he was not entirely happily stuck between Finley in her seat and me. Craig and Finley got gas while Rose picked up energy drinks for her and and her husband, Khai mixed various Icee flavors, and I grabbed a bottle of Peach Perrier and a soft pretzel.

The other trouble we had on the road was on Route 9, where a bridge is in the midst of repair. Rose and Craig took a detour that put them off-course. We ended up going through Cape May Court House and down the Garden State Parkway, which they were hoping to avoid. The Parkway is a toll road and can be busy (though it wasn't today).

We finally pulled in around quarter of 1. Anny's tribe was already there, watching The Secret Life of Pets 2 in the living room, surrounded by pink and multi-colored balloons. To my delight, Mom chatted with her in the kitchen. I guess they've mended their fences, if only temporarily. The boys migrated to Collyn's room to play Minecraft on the XBox and stayed there for pretty much the next few hours except for lunch. Everyone enjoyed pretzels (plain and covered in dark and white chocolate and sprinkles), Sun Chips, potato chips, cheese curls, and Anny's yummy chocolate chip squares and peanut butter cookies.

Lilah happily introduced me to her new My Life As WalMart doll Lilah 2 and the two huge puppies her family acquired in the last year. Nicklas is a massive, noble-looking husky who apparently considers himself to be  the alpha male in the family and protects all. Mr. "Red" Reddington is a yellowish dalmatian with golden spots. Unlike Nick, he's more skittish and is definitely a "mama's dog" - he adores Anny and cuddles with her whenever he gets the chance.

Anny called everyone to lunch around 2. She and Mom put out cold cuts, rolls, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and big, thick pickle slices. I had two small hoagies with roast beef, provolone cheese, tomato, and lettuce; the rolls were pretty small, so I kept the pickles on the side.

The cake rolled out around 3. Lilah apparently chose a shark-themed cake, with a giant shark on either side. Craig and Lilah's dad Jay, who also have January birthdays, shared the cake...which lead to the top of the cake being almost entirely covered in candles! They did blow them out, but the smoke was so bad, they had to crack open a window while we all ate cake, cupcakes, and ice cream.

Evidently, one of Lilah's favorite shows is Peppa Pig, a British cartoon about a girl pig and her family and friends. Anny and Jay gave Lilah Peppa's castle and her family's trailer, complete with slide and furniture in both. Rose and Craig gave her Toy Story 4-related items, including her own pull-back Forky and a kit to make her own Forky, as well as Hot Wheels. She loved the books I gave her; Mom was especially impressed with that put the sticker on the spot and create your own story book I found on Friday. Her brothers gave her a snowboarding outfit for her My Life As doll.

Finley got a few leftover Christmas gifts as well. She got her first Cabbage Patch Kid doll, a little girl named Mia with a silky gold ponytail wearing a ballerina outfit. Anny and Jay even gave her a mini backpack to carry her around in, just like real mommies have.

We headed out around 4:30. Lilah had ballet class at 5:30, and the moms wanted to get dinner together. Lilah and Khai didn't want to go. They were fussy through much of the ride home, with Khai constantly asking "are we there yet?" and he and Rose discussing the original, more gruesome versions of favorite fairy tales as we got closer to Oaklyn. They did briefly stop at WaWa again, but only Rose got out this time, picking up hot chocolate and hot dogs for the kids and more energy drinks for her and Craig. (I wasn't hungry or thirsty. Anny's spread was more than enough.)

When I finally got in, I ran the nighttime Match Game while eating the last of the leftover tuna and peas. Dancer Bobby Van, sweetheart Sarah Kennedy, and cheerful Ann Elder joined Gene and the regulars in two episodes from 1975. They always had so much fun in these shows, it's a delight to watch. Even folks I don't recognize like Elder or only vaguely recall like Kennedy are hilarious. And unlike most fans of this show, I'm rarely annoyed by their antics. I just like watching different "types" - fussy theater geek, crusty older character actress, blonde ingenue, suave Brit, goofy stand-up comedienne, lecherous host - interacting and joking with one another and helping people win money.

Finished the night with the three-hour marathon known as Avengers: Endgame. We pick up almost a month after Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped half of all life off Earth. Thor is the one who finally does him in on an uninhabited planet...but he destroyed the stones, and it changes nothing. Five years later, the return of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) from the quantum realm opens the possibility of time travel and going back to fix what happened with Thanos and the stones. Even though each change creates alternative realities instead of actually changing the present, they still send different groups to attempt to change things. Not every group is successful at retrieving their respective stone, and Thanos eventually catches on. In the end, every single Marvel character who had been in a movie come together to take on this menace from the cosmos...and allow the Avengers to truly assemble one last time.

This is a long and complex slog, but it's a fascinating one...if you're a Marvel fan. This is absolutely not the place for newcomers or casual viewers. You really need to know at least little bit about the majority of these folks' back stories to understand a lot of what goes on here, and seeing the first Avengers film and Infinity War before this is a must. If you've already caught most or all of these movies and have a spare three hours on your hands, it's an action-packed end to ten years of superheroic tales.

Are You Ready for the Country?

This time, we headed out at 10 AM across New York State and into the wilds of Vermont. It's worth the trip just for the ride. We passed bright red farms with fields laden with pumpkins and rolls of hay and horses running in waving green pastures. Babbling brooks flowed under bridges. The trees are just starting to turn brilliant shades of gold, red, and sienna around their very tops, but are still a mostly deep-emerald carpet rolling up the majestic mountainside.

Our first stop of the day was a small 70's-era shopping plaza outside of Bennington. A co-worker of Lauren's had given her a tip about a rare non-mall JC Penney left in the wild. It brought back a lot of memories. There was a similar small one-room JC Penney in Rio Grande (and they were actually even smaller) when I was living in Wildwood. I got a lot of my clothes and all of my socks there. The Rio Grande one has closed, but I'm very glad this one was still fully intact. Lauren didn't fit into the shorts she wanted, but I found a red t-shirt that was a mere $2.55 on the clearance rack.

There was even a Hallmark further down in the shopping center. The mall in Rio Grande has a Hallmark that, unlike the JC Penney, is still there to this day. I didn't see anything I absolutely couldn't live without, but Lauren found a talking Clark Grizwauld ornament for her family's tree.

We had lunch at a small diner a few minutes down the road from the shopping center. Jenson's was a little rustic family restaurant not unlike Athena's in Lee, and it was also suggested by Lauren's co-worker. I had a small but delicious and cheesy Swiss and Mushroom Burger. Lauren's Grilled Cheesesteak Ribeye sandwich was massive, dripping with sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. We shared a small plate of fries.

After a long drive past charming chalet-style hotels and lovely little farming villages, we arrived in tiny Weston, home of the Vermont Country Store. Two rambling old farmhouses hold everything in the world you can imagine. Tin toys, 70's-era shampoos and cleaners that can't be found elsewhere, finely woven Vermont knitwear and linens, fancy nightgowns, flannels, maple syrup, books and cookbooks written in Vermont, bath soaps and lotions, cookware, candies and cheeses and baked goods of all kinds. There's so much to see there! And a lot of it was in different places than usual, and the rooms seemed a bit more open. They must have just remodeled.

The trouble is...as wonderful as all that fancy stuff is, it's also expensive. Lauren directed me upstairs to the second floor, where they keep the clearance and half-off items. Even those were far from cheap. I finally decided I liked a cute little canvas bag in a nifty magenta-and-blue print that was only $9.99. Also grabbed my favorite little Cookie Buttons in Pumpkin Pie flavor. Lauren bought a lavender sweater for her mom and chocolates for her and her parents.

The Vermont Country Store isn't the only place to shop in Weston. There's two nice little shops across the street that carry merchandise that's almost as interesting. The Village Christmas Shop is the only Christmas store I've ever seen that's come close to the diverse variety of ornaments at the Winterwood stores in Cape May County. They have everything, from stuffed gingerbread men to ballerinas to favorite characters. There's even a small Halloween and Thanksgiving section. The Weston Country Store is a slightly more touristy version of the Vermont Country Store, selling small toys, stuffed animals, metal signs with risque sayings, and Vermont t-shirts and sweatshirts. We ultimately had no luck in either place.

Briefly returned across the street so I could get some candy. Trouble was, I couldn't find my favorite fruit slices among the penny candies anywhere! They'd always had them before. The only fruit slices I saw were in a large container I wasn't carrying home. I finally decided that the Cookie Buttons were enough sugar and we moved on.

Our original plan for dinner was to eat at the combination KFC/Taco Bell in Bennington, just off the highway. First of all, it's a good thing neither of us wanted Taco Bell. For some reason, the Taco Bell side was closed. Second, we couldn't get the sandwiches we and Lauren's parents wanted because they were out of chicken fillets! We finally decided that we weren't up for a huge bucket of chicken. Lauren texted her parents to tell them we were going elsewhere for dinner.

We ended up at Bob's Country Kitchen back in Massachusetts, about 20 minutes or so from the Millers' house. I haven't eaten there with Lauren in ten years. It's another lovely little rustic diner, this one serving breakfast all day. Lauren and I both ordered pancakes. I had chocolate chip; she went with berry. Despite getting three huge pancakes on one plate, I did finish mine. Lauren had a larger sandwich earlier and wasn't able to finish hers. She ordered fried fish sandwiches for her parents.

Finished the night downstairs online after a shower and showing the Millers our purchases (and giving them their candy.) We're going to spend my last day here at the Lee Outlets, a large outlet mall not far from Athena's and the Mass Pike.

Our State Fair

We were off down the Mass Pike at 10:30 again, this time turning in the opposite direction towards Springfield and The Big Exposition, aka New England's state fair. Once again, there was no traffic, and we got into Springfield fairly quickly...until we actually got close to The Big E. Then we ran, not surprisingly, into traffic going towards the fairgrounds. Once we did make it in, we parked in the grass and headed towards the entrance.

The Big E is huge! They're the state fair for the entire New England area. They were already bustling when we arrived at almost noon. People milled around tables selling gutters and roof shingles, tents selling toys and airbrushed t-shirts, and booths with bright-colored signs that sold lemonade and anything that could possibly be fried. (Including Kool Aid and whoopie pies.)

After a quick look at a toy tent, we moved on through the Young Building and the Better Living Building. These are pretty much an extension of what's outside, only with slightly more upscale items sold, like handcrafted linens and knits. We mostly just browsed through them, but we couldn't resist stopping at a booth in the Better Living Building that sold all kind of stuffed animals, from Disney to Russ. I found the most adorable little brown and white beagle. Lauren picked up an owl and an Eeyore for her mom.

By the time we got out of there, we were both ready for lunch...but we wanted something different than the usual fair food. Eagle-eyed Lauren spotted a truck that sold kielbasa and all things made from it, including mac and cheese with kielbasa and pirogis. Lauren got the mac & cheese and a refillable pink souvenir cup with a handle; I opted for 3 spinach and feta pirogis and a bottle of water. I haven't had pirogis in years, and these were tasty, fairly large and filled with lots of spinach and cheese. Lauren's mac & cheese had lots of big kielbasa bits and so much cheese, it was practically decadent. The cup was too huge for either of us to finish.

We opted for ice cream for dessert at a barn-like booth across the street. Lauren wanted a black raspberry-vanilla swirl in a waffle cone. I got a chocolate-vanilla swirl in a regular cone. We both had chocolate sprinkles. I should have sprung for the waffle cone. The regular cone couldn't hold the towering mountain of ice cream the guy gave us. It melted all over my hand and made a tasty mess. I had to stop at a bathroom to wash my hands.

Next up was the Avenue of the States, a row of buildings representing the capitol of each New England states. Rhode Island was the busiest. They were having "Rhode Island Day," with a local band playing "City of New Orleans" on the patio outside. People admired a really cool display of jack-o-lanterns from a Rhode Island zoo and lined up for Del's Lemonade and Warwick Ice Cream. We could barely elbow our way through the crowds.

The other capitol buildings were only slightly less busy. The line for Maine baked potatoes and Poland Spring water went out the building. People bought raspberries and chatted with Amazon representatives in Massachusetts. Children clamored for Pez dispensers in Connecticut, while their parents wanted maple syrup products in New Hampshire. We passed Ben & Jerry's and thick blocks of Cabot cheese in Vermont, along with lots of flannels. Lauren bought workout pants with flannel inserts. I bought more of those comfy plaid flannel scrunchies I found there last year.

Doubled back to the Better Living and Young buildings next. There were a few booths we wanted to check out again. Lauren bought the full set of Pink Panther shorts from an imported DVD seller and a fluffy teddy bear from a woman selling items made from alpaca wool. She found a knit hat and woven scarf from a knitwear and accessories boutique. We returned briefly to the Avenue of the States for Lauren to buy orange cream fudge from Rhode Island for her father and raspberry fudge for herself.

By this point, we'd literally been outside all day and were dead tired. It was time to head home. It took us a few minutes to find Lauren's car, and another couple to get out of the fair. Once we got out onto the main road, there were no problems, not even as we passed downtown Springfield. It was clear riding all the way back to Lee.

Had dinner at Athena's, the same restaurant just off the highway in Lee that we ate at after the fair last year. It's a lovely little place with wooden booths and green plants everywhere. Lauren went with a crispy chicken wrap and a pink lemonade. I hadn't had a chicken gyro in ages. I had it here last year, and it was just as good this year, crispy and salty. The fries were even better. I'd never had crispier fries. I wonder if they were double-dipped in batter and then fried, like Lauren suggested?

We finally made it home around quarter after 7. The Millers were watching Wheel of Fortune when we got in. We continued on to Jeopardy! with them as we showed them our purchases and I went downstairs while they talked family things.

I'm so glad we went today! The weather couldn't have been nicer. It was windy, and the wind was chilly, but the sun felt nice and warm. Perfect September weather.

Hopefully, the weather will continue to be lovely tomorrow. We're going to head into Vermont for our annual trip to the Vermont Country Store.

Family In the Snow

I awoke to a world of whiteness out my door. It started snowing even as I was shutting down my computer last night. By the time I was rolling out of bed, it was up to...the expected one or two inches. It was still snowing around 7, but not heavily.

Rose called while I was writing in my journal. She and Craig were taking some furniture that Mom didn't want home with them, plus their second car doesn't drive well in snow. She had to borrow Dad and Jodie's car and would be a little late.

I made banana pancakes for my Sunday breakfast this morning. Yum! They came out beautifully, fluffy and just sweet enough. I didn't even burn them. I ate them while listening to the soundtrack from Frozen. I figured that was appropriate for a wintry morning. I heard so much about the music and how good it was when the movie came out, I had to buy the soundtrack. You may be sick of hearing about it (especially since there's supposed to be a sequel coming out in November), but the music really is that good. Along with the hit "Let It Go" for Elsa, I like the heartbreaking "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" that details how Elsa and Anna's relationship deteriorated after Anna's accident and Hans and Anna's "Love Is an Open Door."

Switched to one of my Disney music CD collections while doing the dishes. Rose called again and said she'd be there by 10:30. I got tired of waiting at 10:30 and went downstairs. She still wasn't there when I arrived. She didn't come until nearly quarter of 11. She had Khai and Finley with her; Craig took his car.

Khai spent most of the ride down playing with his Nintendo Switch and asking questions from his long, thin questions-and-answers booklet. Finley slept most of the way. I kept an eye on her while Rose took Khai to the bathroom and to get a drink at a rest stop. (I wasn't that thirsty and didn't need to go at that point.) We took the Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway to avoid the messier back roads. There was a little more snow further down south, maybe two inches to our one. Indeed, it started snowing and sleeting again as we were on the Atlantic City Expressway, though it was gone by the time we rolled into North Cape May.

Anny and her tribe moved into a much larger house on Bayshore Road, North Cape May's main artery, a few weeks before Thanksgiving. I remember riding by it on the way to the Villas Library or to visit my former friend Brigid in the Villas when we lived in North Cape May in the 90's and early 2000's. It was a doctor's office for years.

It's a somewhat larger version of the split-level house we lived in when we were in North Cape May. Four-year-old Lilah and her fourteen-year-old brother Skylar have rooms downstairs; ten-year-old Collyn is upstairs next to his parents. A guest bedroom shares space with a workshop for Jay's building and Anny's art projects. The boys huddled in Skylar's room for the next hour or so after we arrived, playing Fortnite with Collyn's dad Mike. (Skylar played the online version.)

Lilah spent that hour showing me her very pink and white room. Her big thing right now is unicorns and mythological creatures. If it's sparkly, has four legs, and a horn on its head, she loves it. Her mother even painted a cute purple unicorn on her wall, and she got a beautiful white bed made to look like a fence for Christmas. I was introduced to her Barbie, Frozen, and Disney Princess dolls, her My Little Pony collection, and almost every stuffed unicorn and pegasus in her room. (Including a unicorn on the bed that was bigger than she was!) She was so enthusiastic and just too adorable.

Everyone else was upstairs, playing Nintendo in the big living room or talking to Mom, including my brother Keefe, who came up here from Virginia with his girlfriend Julia. Anny and Mom laid out rolls and fixings to make hoagies in the kitchen. I had a provolone and roast beef hoagie with lettuce and pickles. (The rolls weren't that big - there was no room for tomatoes.) There were bags of Utz's multi-grain tortilla chips (yum, Mom likes those, too), Doritos, and pretzels to snack on, along with sugar cookies and Mom's famous chocolate chip bars and snickerdoodles.

After lunch, Lilah and I played in the living room while the boys went back to video games and the moms set up the cake. She had not one, but two play cake sets that she wanted to show me. We naturally had to pretend that the cakes were Lilah's real cakes and deliver them to everyone in the kitchen to try!

We had the real cake, ice cream, and ice cream cake around 2. We're actually celebrating three birthdays in the family this month. Apparently, Craig and Jay have birthdays soon, too, along with Lilah's on Thursday. Lilah requested a Carvel ice cream cake. Craig and Jay shared a Superman cake that said "For a Super-Dad on his birthday" that Anny picked up from the North Cape May Acme. It was yummy, too! A marble cake with lots of red, white, blue, and yellow icing. The North Cape May Acme always did make the best cakes, even when I was in high school and Lower Cape May Regional would order them for class parties.

Lilah opened her presents after we ate. Her largest gift was a big tent that you can not only set up in your bedroom, but comes with fabric pens that lets you make your own design on it. Along with her fondness for unicorns, Lilah also apparently shares her mother's love of art. Her dad gave her a big case of Crayola art supplies that she wanted to open and try right away. Other gifts included an I Spy Christmas book, a stuffed unicorn, and gift cards and small sticker books from her nana.

Collyn, whose birthday was last month, got a snowboard from Rose and Craig that had been too big to send in the mail. He was dying to use it, and the kids were getting antsy anyway, so Craig, Jay, and I took Collyn, Khai, Lilah, and Finley outside to the front yard to play in the snow. Rose joined us a bit later with two sledding tubes they'd brought along. Lilah pulled out a penguin-shaped sled, and Collyn convinced Jay to pump up their sledding tube, which was shaped like two Starlight candies.

The snow was down to sleet and a gray sky by 3 PM, which made it slippery, but also excellent packing snow. I'm not sure how the snowball fight started. Lilah and I were just throwing a bit of snow at each other. Some of it hit Craig, then Collyn and Khai. They threw snow back...and before we knew it, everyone was slipping and sliding all over their front yard, throwing tightly-packed, half-sleet snowballs. Keefe came out and joined in, too, and Jay did when he finished with the tube. It was so funny. Rose and the little boys were on one side, while Lilah and I joined the big guys on the other. We all slipped and slid and threw snowballs everywhere. I hadn't laughed so hard in ages.

It was past 4 when we all trooped inside to dry off. Khai had so much fun playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with his cousins, he didn't want to leave. We agreed to let him play a few more rounds while the rest of us went over to Mom's to watch the first bit of the Eagles-Saints game and help her clear out a few items. She's also in the midst of getting rid of a bunch of stuff she no longer needs. I claimed an upright teddy bear cake pan, vintage candy molds, heart cupcake molds, a baked donut pan set (I'm willing to try something different with my baked goods), a basket, and a few winter and Christmas knick-knacks. Rose and Craig claimed these wonderful stoneware soup bowls we used to eat soup out of when we were kids and Dad's old chair for their living room.

(Incidentally, the Eagles were winning 14-0 when we were at Mom's. They were still up 14-7 when we were on the road. By the time I'd gotten home, the Saints had come back, and would go on to win 20-14, ending the Eagles' Super Bowl hopes for this year. Considering their up-and-down season, I'm just glad they made it this far.)

It was five and already dark when we finally picked up Khai and started home. Rose missed her exit at one point and we almost ended up in Wildwood, but she got us turned around quick enough. After that, there were no problems. Finley slept, Khai played Nintendo Switch, and I listened to my iPod. Since it was on our way home anyway, Rose stopped at the Audubon Acme to get a quick dinner for her kids. I have no desire to go in that Acme until I have to do my grocery shopping on Friday and agreed to watch the kids while she ran in. Poor little Finley woke up minutes later in a dark car with just her aunt and brother and got very upset! Her mom came back with a fragrant rotisserie chicken and got her calmed down.

I was so tired when I got home, I didn't really do much more than put most of my things away and go online. Finished the night with the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys and the soundtrack to Radioland Murders while chatting with Lauren online.