Balance In the Sun

I couldn't believe how beautiful it was when I headed out for this week's yoga class. It was just about as perfect as weather gets in mid-August in Southern New Jersey - bright, sunny, breezy, without the tiniest bit of humidity or haze, probably in the lower-mid 80s. We celebrated the magnificent day by working on twists. I'm glad we did. I had been feeling rather stiff in my lower body since my gym workout yesterday. I must have overdone the leg machine work. I felt much better and less stiff after yoga.

For once, there was a lot to do at the Collingswood Library. I put away a nice stack of DVDs and organized the rest, including the children's collection, which was recently moved where they'd originally had the audio books. Nothing going on upstairs, though. I headed out around quarter of 12.

It was too nice to eat lunch inside. I had just enough money to buy a turkey hoagie and a small bottle of water from WaWa. I rode over to Newton River Park and settled down on a metal and plastic table to enjoy my impromptu picnic. Mothers watched their children chase each other around the playground. Friends strolled across the now much greener grass. People walked their dogs and pushed strollers down the winding paths. A few boats bobbed lazily along on the green river.

When I got home, I spent a few hours doing chores and things around the apartment I'd put off. Two of my older farm market apples were developing brown spots. I sliced them, scooped out the bruises, and made Apple Muffins. I finally finished dusting the bedroom. I went through this week's supermarket and drug store flyers. I called the Foot and Ankle Center, whom I haven't heard from since last month. Apparently, the insurance center is now claiming they haven't gotten the forms, despite the fact that we sent them on July 19th! When Colleen called back, she said the woman at the insurance company rudely informed her that she would go through the papers and see if they had arrived. I'll try calling them again tomorrow to see if they've made any progress with these people.

I ran Barbie and the Magic of the Pegasus while all this was going on. I've rented this one from the Haddon Township Library before. While this Barbie action tale touts its 3-D effects, the real stand-outs are the well-drawn characters and touching story of a young girl who seeks to create a wand that will liberate her parents and sister from a wizard's evil spell. Definitely one of the best Barbie As... fantasy films; very much worth looking for if you have a little girl.

That amazing weather beckoned, though. After Magic of the Pegasus ended and I made my call to the Foot and Ankle Center, I went for a short walk. Strolled down Manor to West Clinton, then around Landis to the playground behind the school. Another set of mothers watched a group of little kids as they flew down slides and swung across monkey bars. I went down a slide myself (despite it being awfully hot), then headed across the school's field to Kendall Boulevard, and finally down Goff to Manor.

Went to work about a half-hour later. Work was surprisingly busy for a Thursday in the middle of the month. I saw a lot of mothers and teenagers with big orders. I suspect many future college students were preparing to move into their new homes for the first time. Other than some mildly annoying customers, there were no major problems. One of the college boys who had been working on putting up next week's sale tags came in for me.

Balance Cools Off

Yes, it was still very humid but far cooler when I got up this morning, thanks to the heavy cloud cover. I really wish it would just rain, though. We need it so badly. We'd already had at least one monsoon by this time last year.

The morning yoga class was surprisingly quiet today. In fact, I hadn't seen so few people in the morning classes in months. It was just five other women, Karin, and me working on heart-openers and back bends. Fine by me. My lower left-hand back has been rather sore (probably been sitting in front of the computer too much). I could use the stretching. The smaller class made it feel more like the cozy afternoon courses than the usual frantic morning ones.

There was even less going on at the Collingswood Library. I organized the DVDs, helped some kids coming out of their Storybook Hour find movies, and that was that. There was nothing to shelve upstairs or downstairs. I left earlier than usual.

I made a quick stop at the Collingswood Used Book Trader a block down. I hadn't been there in a while. Alas, this time, they had nothing of interest. I headed out quickly and returned to my bike. I was home before noon.

I had a fast lunch of leftovers, then went back out again to browse and run some errands. Since I was heading in that direction anyway, I made the Oaklyn Library my first stop. There was even less going on there than at Collingswood. I pulled a few new DVDs that ended up with the old ones, and organized a few kids' books, mainly the board books. Didn't see anything to buy at their sale this time.

The main reason for this trip was to find out what the hold-up was at the Foot & Ankle Center. My orthopedics STILL hadn't arrived! I had to wait ten minutes before a secretary finally told me we forgot to sign two measly places on the back of the sheet last month! The damn insurance company wouldn't process it until they did. And everyone wonders why it took me so long to bother getting an insurance card? These companies are obnoxious.

I was only a few blocks from Station Avenue, Haddon Heights' main drag, so I rode up that way next to have a look around. Wound up at their library. Like the Collingswood Library, it's a two-story, 70s-era building that features a small but thorough DVD collection, a decent fiction collection, and a very nice non-fiction section. They actually had some very nice older books on movies I hadn't seen since I lived in Cape May, including ones on short subjects (the Stooges were profiled) and movie series up through the 70s (a nice discussion and filmography of the Bowery Boys was included, along with Andy Hardy and James Bond, among others).

I didn't find any books in their book sale shelves, but I did pick up a very interesting video, and I ran that when I finally headed home. Broadway: The Lost Treasures is a collection of performances of classic musical numbers from the Tonys. I absolutely adored it. If you're any kind of a musical fan, you must find these. Even though some of the singers were apparently lip-synced, that doesn't detract from the experience. My favorite numbers included Jerry Orbach singing the wonderful "Lullaby of Broadway" from the original 1980 42nd Street, Carol Channing's "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello Dolly, Yul Brunner and Broadway favorite Patricia Morrison gliding through "Shall We Dance?" from The King and I, Paul Lynde's hilarious "Kids" from Bye Bye Birdie, Barbara Harris' touching "Movie Star Gorgeous" from the three-part show The Apple Tree, two fabulous dance numbers from the 1980s Tommy Tune/Twiggy vehicle My One and Only and the early 70s hit Applause (the latter featuring an energetic Bonnie Franklin, the mom from One Day at a Time), and two medleys of songs from the original 1977 cast of Annie.

Switched to a quieter The Thin Man Goes Home as I baked Blueberry-Peach-Chocolate Chip Cake and made summer vegetables, leftover chicken stir-fry, and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. Nick and Nora are visiting his parents for his birthday. Even during what's supposed to be a quiet vacation, Nick can't help meddling, especially when a dead man turns up on his parents' front stoop! Turns out the young man was a painter with a secret past that involves a local crazy woman (Anne Revere) and a crook (Leon Ames) who wants the paintings, and will do anything necessary to get them. Fun if you enjoy seeing MGM's many classic character actors in action, but do start with the original three Thin Man movies first before coming here.

And oh boy, did my cake come out nice, soft and just sweet enough. I'm glad I was actually almost out of brown sugar; I replaced part of it with apple juice concentrate, and it tastes wonderful.

The Dog, the Kids, and the Witches

I ran more Scooby Doo as I had breakfast and got ready to head out late this morning. I didn't have to work until 5:30, so there was plenty of time to do what I had to do. Of course, I lost my keys and ended up spending twenty minutes looking for them. I can't lose my keys. Miss Ellie had the other set of house keys, and she's not there anymore. I have no idea if Andrew knows where they are in her house, or when Andrew and Linda are at their home a few blocks down. I eventually found them in the pocket of the capris I wore yesterday. Boy, do I still feel silly.

I lost so much time, I opted to move the planned run to the Oaklyn Library tomorrow and just did the other two errands I needed to get done. The first was a really big one. When I was on vacation, I got a form from the insurance company that said they couldn't process my claim for the orthopedics until they had more information. I needed the doctor to do the other side of the papers. Trouble is, the Camden County Foot and Ankle Center moved to Haddon Heights in December. Between my vacation and them being farther away, I'd just put off going up there.

Turns out the Foot and Ankle Center moved into the same building as Haddon Imaging, where I rode last fall to see if they'd check out my foot.  I found them easily once I knew where to look. The lobby alone was twice the size of the one in Oaklyn - no wonder they moved. Caroline the receptionist let me sign my part right there in the lobby. She said all Dr. Berlin needed to do was sign it, and she'd fill out the rest. She swore she'd send it out tomorrow and my orthopedics would arrive in a few weeks.

Rode straight to Lucile Roberts in Audubon for my first gym session this week. It was really, really quiet when I came in and did my 20 minutes on the stationary bike. By the time I was finishing on the leg weight machines, there were a few people in the weight machine area and no one on the cardio machines. I'll have to remember to come to the gym in mid-afternoon more often.

After I finished, I went home to have leftovers for lunch, bake Ginger Cookies (made with fruit concentrate and applesauce), and watch Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster. The second Cartoon Network-made live-action Scooby film takes the gang to Daphne's playboy uncle's (Ted McGinty) country club, where they all have jobs for the summer. A monster in the lake by the club appears and scares off all the guests, and may force the closure of the club...and the loss of the kids' jobs...if they don't find out what's really behind its appearance. Meanwhile, the kids are remembering they're teenagers with raging hormones. As in the current animated version, Daphne and Fred are chasing each other, Shaggy's chasing Velma, and Scooby's just wishes Shaggy would notice him. Velma's acting peculiar, even for her, and her behavior may be the key to finding out what the lake monster is and who controls it.

I was impressed. This was a really cute movie, and the closest to the cartoon of the four live-action Scooby Doo films. A leap ahead of the original Cartoon Network film, and more fun than either of the theatrical Scooby movies, too. For one thing, this is only about the second or third time in the entire Scooby franchise I've seen a story revolve around Velma, one of my favorite characters. (I'm also fond of Shaggy and Scooby.) Shaggy's fantasies of wooing Velma were totally adorable. I loved his vaudevillian "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," complete with barbershop quartet and Velma in a fancy dress and parasol. There were lots of gags from the original show incorporated (look for the famous in-and-out-of-doors routine towards the end). The music video representing the styles of 1969 through the early 90s at the end had nothing to do with anything but was enjoyable anyway. I still say you're better off with the original cartoon to introduce kids to Scooby, but if you or your kids ever catch this on DVD or Cartoon Network, you could do far worse.

Ran off to work as soon as the cookies were out of the oven. Work was busy for most of the night; we're still in the beginning of the month. Alas, I had to deal with some fairly obnoxious people. One woman gave me such a hard time over a meat sale and a sale on soda, even the people behind her complained. Another group bickered loudly the entire time they were in the store. They called a truce on the noise after they got up to me, but they were still sniping at each other. Thank heavens I didn't have many hours anyway and was able to get off with no problems.

Quiet in the Riverside Rest

Actually, I didn't do a whole lot today. Mom was recovering from dental surgery and not up to talking; Lauren spent most of the evening with her parents. I kept things simple this morning; woke up late and listened to most of Brunch With the Beatles. They honored the anniversary of the Beatles' famous Rooftop Concert with lots of music from Let It Be and Abbey Road, including "The Two of Us," "Get Back," "Hey Jude," "I Me Mine," and "Come Together." Even my pancakes were simple. I nixed the usual added ingredients and made Whole Wheat Silver Dollar Pancakes.

Work was steady when I went in, crazy-busy when I left. I just barely got out on time with no relief. Lines or no lines, I needed a few things I'd forgotten or couldn't fit in yesterday - toilet paper, fruit concentrate for baking, and marshmallows. The express line was by far the shortest line, thankfully.

After I got home, I made a bathroom break, changed clothes, and went right back out again. I didn't want to put off the bank this time. There was a lovely sunset as I strolled down West Clinton Avenue to the White Horse Pike, all glowing molten red-gold-purple. That's one of the things I love about winter. With the leaves off the trees, I have a spectacular view of the sun setting on the river.

Spent the rest of the night working on inventories. This time, I moved the children's fiction to its own inventory separate from the adult fiction. I ran out of time to add more to the inventory; we'll see if we can work on that this week.

Oh, and my health insurance card FINALLY arrived. It must have came yesterday and I missed it. I guess my papers were at the top of the pile. This means I can return to looking for a doctor for a check-up.

Learning Balance

Started a day with reading The Fences Between Us and writing in my journal. After breakfast, I made some phone calls I've been putting off. I received a bill in the mail from South Jersey Radiology last week. I thought they said they were waiting for the insurance to come through! When I called them, they said they hadn't heard from them. I called the Union, and they directed me to AmeriHealth. The woman on the line said her boss "has it in the pile on his desk with 15,000 others" and will get to it eventually. I was (and am) steamed. Will get to it eventually? I sent it to them over a month ago! What are we paying these people for? Don't they have people who can run these things through a computer and get them organized in five seconds? Isn't that what computers and secretaries are for? What's that "boss" doing, playing video games? And people wonder why I put off doing my health insurance for so long. If this is what health insurance is like for everyone, the system needs more than an overhaul. It needs to be dragged by its hair and shaken to its very roots.

I called the Foot & Ankle Center next. I hadn't heard anything about my orthopedics, and I had put off calling them because they just moved down the White Horse Pike to Haddon Heights a few weeks ago. I know how confusing moves can be! Colleen was much nicer than the health insurance receptionist. She said that no, they still hadn't come in, and yes, they were waiting on my stalled health insurance. She'll call me when they hear something...and if they don't call in a month, I'll ride up to their new location.

I finally headed out for today's errands around 11. Volunteered at the Haddon Township Library first. There were lots of DVDs to shelve today and plenty of things to do. I helped an energetic toddler boy and his mommy find Bob the Builder DVDs. (Not a hard thing to do - the only series the library has as many copies of are Pokemon, Sesame Street, and Thomas the Tank Engine.) A slightly older boy requested Go Diego, Go!

I did get a few things out for myself today, but no movies or cartoons. Most of the workout DVDs at the Haddon Township Library are empty-headed vehicles for too-skinny, too-muscular celebrities in tight-fitting clothes with bright covers. There was only one that was even close to useful for me, Power Yoga. The front cover was plain white with a normal-looking woman doing simple yoga moves, and claimed it was a "revitalizing total body workout." Well, why not? I also took out a book on fitness walking and another one that I thought might help, Fit From Within, on changing your mentality towards eating and exercise in order to lose weight.

It always takes me a long time to pick books. It was past two when I went downstairs to Wendy's for lunch. Yeah, I know, you shouldn't eat fast food when you're trying to lose weight. Wendy's, however, is a pretty good choice for people who need something fast and cheap without killing their diet. I had that half-a-salad and one other item for $5.89 deal, in this case a salad and a baked potato. (I also ordered a Diet Coke.) This time, I went with the Apple Pecan Salad, which is tasty and filling. Honestly, just the so-called "half" salad fills me up; I probably wouldn't even need a whole one. With the baked potato, it's the perfect meal on the go.

Made a quick stop at the Westmont Acme on my way to Collingswood. They did have the marshmallows I wanted, but not the whole-wheat flour. I did find something I'd been on the hunt for, though. I heard online that Jell-O put out its divine Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix again this holiday season after having missed the last two years. I never saw it at the Audubon Acme or the Super Fresh...but when I was browsing around in the Westmont Acme's baking aisle, I found a display on the end that showed off baking items for Valentine's Day...including several boxes of Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix. I immediately grabbed two.

Rode over to the Collingswood Library next, dodging the traffic on Cuthbert and Haddon. There was a few more things for me to do there this week than last week. There was a couple of DVDs to file and shelve, and they really needed to be organized. I was able to shelve a book in the non-fiction section, too. Even so, I left after less than an hour to pick up a bottle of water at WaWa before yoga class.

Yoga class was very small today, just six people...but that gave us more room to work on basic standing poses and twists. Boy, did I get a workout! I sweat a lot more in this supposedly easier class than I ever did in the more "advanced" morning one. It's really hard to try to focus on going more slowly, instead of just trying to keep up with everyone else.

It was getting dark by the time I headed out. I took the long way through Newton River Park, enjoying the chilly oncoming twilight. On my way home, there were a group of kids selling Girl Scout Cookies. Two were the Scouts themselves. The others appeared to be young teens and their friends who got corralled into babysitting. I bought a box of Lemonade cookies from them. I can't resist young entrepreneurs. I also remember how hard it was for my sisters to sell Girl Scouts Cookies in the dead of winter in Cape May when we were younger. My family would often end up buying more than half the boxes for ourselves because we could never find enough people to sell them to.

When I got home, I got so caught up reading Fit from Within, I almost missed dinnertime! I had to put aside the chicken I planned to have tonight and just have leftovers while I ran more Looney Tunes.

Rainy Day Swashbuckler

I slept in longer than I should have this morning, but I did manage to make that call to the claims office. They gave me the address and said they'd send me the information that day. It turns out I already had the claims office's address that the Foot & Ankle Center wanted...right in the front cover of the thick book the Claims Office sends all union members. Boy, do I feel silly. I called the Foot & Ankle Center and gave them the address right before I left.

I put off calling for a ride too long. It poured all morning. I was hoping it would let up, but the rain was still coming down hard by quarter of noon. I didn't have the time to call anyone. I just rode to work and got wet.

Work was on and off busy all day. Weather or no weather, tomorrow marks exactly a week until Thanksgiving, the biggest feasting holiday of the year. Many people were buying their canned goods, baking necessities, frozen vegetables, and 49 cent turkeys. (For the second year in a row, the Acme just has the turkeys really cheap instead of making people save for weeks and weeks in order to get one free one. I like this. It makes more sense, especially for people like me who don't buy enough in a month and a half to earn a turkey, or who need more than one.)

Thankfully, I was able to shut down with no relief. By 5PM, the rain had changed from big, fat drops to a soft, sprinkle-y shower. I still got a little wet riding home, but it was nothing like earlier.

When I got in, I changed into dry clothes and got dinner and some movies going. First on the list was finishing Captain Blood, which I started last night. This was Errol Flynn's first major movie in the US, and he's wonderful as the doctor turned pirate after he and his fellow unjustly arrested prisoners flee Jamaica for the buccaneer's life. Blood, however, can't forget the pretty plantation owner's daughter (Olivia DeHaviland) who bought him when he was a slave. When his men capture her ship coming back from England, he decides to return the favor.

This reminds me of why I love swashbucklers. Errol Flynn seizes the screen and has a great deal of fun doing so. As with musicals, this is another screen genre Warner Bros had been reluctant to revive after the Depression began. Historical action films were expensive and often pompous, bogged down in breeches and pretty speeches. How to make all the wigs and fancy gowns work in a studio known for gangsters and tough chorus girls? Give it a topical angle and bring in actors who can look tough and still work in a historical context. Dashing Flynn was such a sensation as the roguish doctor who turns pirate, he practically made a specialty out of swashbucklers and historic westerns for the next fifteen years.

Switched to something a little quieter as I had a delicious dinner of chicken burgers, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and Cranberry Flummery (the Raspberry Flummery recipe from Felicity's Cooking Studio made with cranberries - boy, was it yummy, perfectly sweet and tart). The version of The Nutcracker features Mikhail Baryshnikov as the Nutcracker Prince. It's dreamy and delightful, probably the closest I will get to seeing a real, large-scale production of this popular ballet during the season at the moment.

Heel Spurred Into Action

Since I had my appointment with the Foot and Ankle Center at 1:15, I did things around my apartment and in the area this morning. I started off the day with a short walk down to Goff Avenue and back. It was cloudy and damp, cooler than yesterday but still well above normal temperatures for this time of year. The riverside was a gray-green sheet of ripples, reflecting the gloomy sky.

When I got home, I went back out on the porch. It needed to be swept badly. Last week's heavy winds left piles of leaves up to my ankles. It took a lot longer to get rid of all that than usual! I got the thick cobwebs off the windows and siding, too. I don't know why I get cobwebs so badly. I guess it's because I don't really do much with my porch. The bugs get so bad out there in the summer, I often can't eat or read without getting bitten to death. I should look around for better porch furniture next summer and see if I can get someone to haul it to my place.

When I finished with the porch, I dubbed the last of the holiday specials I'm doing for myself. A Walt Disney Christmas isn't really a "special," but a series of Disney classic theatrical shorts that revolve around Christmas and/or winter. I love it because the tape is so old, it has the uncut versions of Santa's Workshop, The Night Before Christmas, and Donald's Snow Fight. I'd never seen those in their original forms until I found this tape. I picked this one up from Blockbuster around 2004-2005, when they were clearing out their videos. I'm guessing it's from the early 80s - it has the strange Mickey silhouette graphics "Walt Disney Home Video" opening and a thick, heavy white clamshell cover.

The last special I dubbed is a rarity from 1974. Though Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus won an Emmy for Outstanding Primetime Children's Special, the video I found at a yard sale about three or four years ago was the first time I'd ever heard of it. This is a retelling of the famous real-life Christmas story of little Virginia O'Hanlon, who wrote the editorial section of the newspaper The New York Sun in 1897 asking them about the existence of Santa. The letter the editor wrote in return is one of the most famous and touching essays on the holidays ever printed. Virginia went on to be a teacher and principal, and the Sun ran that letter every Christmas Eve until it went out of business in the 50s.

I'm surprised Paramount didn't pair this with one of their Peanuts DVD releases in the early 2000s. Though technically not a Peanuts special, it was made by the same people who did the Peanuts specials for years. The animation has the same look, and it even uses some of the same voice actors from the Peanuts specials done during that time period. To my knowledge, neither this nor A Walt Disney Christmas are currently available on DVD, though there was another retelling of the story of Virginia and her letter, Yes, Virginia, done about two years ago in more modern CGI animation.

My fried egg sandwich lunch took longer than I thought. I was a few minutes late for my appointment! Turns out they didn't have much to say. Yes, I had a very bad heel spur. My foot did look much better, so there was no need for a second injection. (Thank goodness.) All I had to do was sign a few things, show off my foot, and I was on my way.

I had quite a few errands to run this afternoon. My first stop was the Haddon Township Library. I had a pile of books and DVDs to return and videos to donate. There were plenty of DVDs and books for me to shelve, too. I ended up taking out another short Treehouse Max & Ruby set, Catch Me If You Can, the TV musical version of A Christmas Carol with Kelsey Grammar from a few years ago, and the Mickey/Donald/Goofy Three Musketeers again. (I didn't get to it last week.)

Made some quick stops at the Westmont Plaza next. I needed quite a few things at Super Fresh. I just ran out of maple syrup, and they have better prices than the Acme does (one of the few things they do have better prices on). They were having a big sale on cooking spray, and they have the Pilsbury Cinnamon Swirl Bread Mix, which the Acme no longer sells. (And that turned out to be on sale, too.) I always make the Cinnamon Swirl Bread for Thanksgiving. My brother loves it and would eat the whole loaf himself if permitted. Speaking of my brother, I also picked up his gift card. His birthday is Friday.

Ran to Dollar Tree for cards for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my brother's birthday, then rode straight home. I didn't have a warm reception waiting for me. The Foot and Ankle Center had called. Turns out they didn't have enough information to process my claim! How? The secretary had called AmeriHealth herself to get the necessary info. At least, I thought she did. She wrote it down for me and everything. Maybe that's not what she did. When I tried to get into AmeriHealth's website, they claimed I wasn't even a member! Of course I am! They even said on their phone menus that Amerihealth handles Acme Markets. I'm so frustrated. I'm going to have to spend tomorrow morning before work getting all of this settled.

I cheered myself up by making Mint Meringue Cookies and watching The Three Musketeers. In this very, very loose Disney version of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, everybody's favorite trio become Musketeers to protect Queen Minnie and her lady-in-waiting Daisy. Captain Pete and Clarabelle Cow, however, have more sinister plans in mind for the sweet female mouse, including giving her the most incompetent bodyguards possible...ie, the cowardly duck, very small mouse, and dog who is not known for his brains. The boys race to rescue two of their ladies and reform the third, all before the wildest performance of The Pirates of Penzance on record!

If you're a fan of the original Disney characters, by all means, jump right in. This is a lot of fun. The animation isn't up to the standards of the original shorts, the French turtle narrator is probably unnecessary, and fans of classical music may not be thrilled with the vapid lyrics added to the works of Beethoven, Strauss, and Bizet, among others. What I loved here is some hilarious slapstick, especially in the Pirates-wrecking finale, and the adorably silly romance between the boys and their ladies.

X-Ray Marks the Spot

Rose did drive me to South Jersey Radiology. We were a few minutes late, but that was all right. As it turns out, AmeriHealth doesn't require referrals, so there wasn't much to sign or explain. Not to mention, even if they did, I had the note from Dr. Berlin. I waited a few minutes in a booth, then went into a room, pulled a big heavy apron on a plastic tube around my waist, let the doctor take two pictures of my foot, waited while the doctor developed the film, picked up the film, and left.

Rose and I talked going there and back. She wants me to find a gynecologist and a general physician. I did some research on both when I got back in, since I had no other plans for this afternoon. When I'd found some names that looked worthwhile, I had lunch and watched two fairly spooky Get Smart episodes, the first season's "Weekend Vampire" and the third's "The Mummy."

Went to work not long after Get Smart ended. Work was fairly busy all night, probably with the first of the beginning-of-the-month people. Thankfully, there were no real problems besides a lack of help (we had call-outs). I was in and out with no problems.

No Insurance of Good Health

I spent a frustrating morning trying to get the X-ray matter settled. I called the South Jersey Radiology branch at Haddonfield. Yes, they take AmeriHealth. Do I have an insurance card? Uh, no. I didn't think so. I hadn't needed one before. I used Uncle Ken and Bruce's doctor when I got my knee checked out in 2007. I made my appointment for 11:10 tomorrow and told them I'd figure out the insurance thing.

Next, I called Rose for a ride to Haddonfield tomorrow. I don't like asking for rides, especially from someone as busy as Rose, but Jodie and Dad are still down at the Jersey Shore. I told her about my foot and the X-ray appointment. She asked me why I didn't have this better organized and hadn't called AmeriHealth about this. And why don't I have a primary health care physician? Why haven't I had a checkup, or a mammogram?

I don't know. I guess, part of it is the manual they send is long, thick, and filled with boring jargon I don't understand. It would take a very patient doctor to plow through it. The paperwork is endless. Not to mention, I don't get sick enough to need a doctor that often. I just haven't gotten around to the mammogram. I will, eventually.

I wish I knew how to handle this better. This is the first time I've ever had health insurance. Fishing boat workers are considered self-employed and don't have health insurance. My parents always paid for anything health-related when I was a kid.

It was past 12:30 when I finally got off the phone with her and got going to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteer session there. It was absolutely gorgeous when I headed out, sunny, breezy but not too windy, and in the lower 60s, perfectly normal and lovely weather for late October in southern New Jersey. I stopped at the Oaklyn Post Office really quick first to send off two Halloween card and a birthday card, then rode through a busy Newton River Park to Westmont.

The Haddon Township Library wasn't busy by the time I arrived. It was too nice to be hanging around inside! This was reflected in the stacks, too. There weren't nearly as many children's books to put away as usual. There was a very small pile of adult DVDs and no kids' movies. I organized the kids' DVDs, put the DVDs that were there away, and shelved kids' books and put Halloween ones on display. I ended up taking out two more Scooby Doo DVDs (the newest movie Scooby Doo and the Phantosaur and another recently-released random episode collection, Scooby Doo and the Pirates) and the Angelina Ballerina DVD Lights, Camera, Action! that has their Halloween episode. (It was the only Halloween episode of any series I could find.)

Went across the street to Westmont Plaza after I left. I needed a few things at Super Fresh. The were having a $1 sale on their generic cake mixes. I needed white cake mix after making that Pumpkin Cake last week. They also have frequent sales on grits, which I love to have for breakfast in the fall and winter. I also grabbed a Halloween card for my sister and nephew.

I made it to the Bagel Shop across the Plaza about twenty minutes before they shut down. One of the waitresses was mopping the very back of the dining area as I ordered my Roast Beef and Provolone Sandwich on a Sesame Seed Bagel with Spicy Mustard, Lettuce, and Onion. There are some advantages to being a quick eater. I managed to finish my sandwich and pay right before they closed.

After that, I went straight home. I spent a couple of hours finishing the Holiday Music Inventory, then baked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (thought I'd try a different recipe than usual) and ran the Scooby Doo DVDs.

Phantosaur takes the gang out west to a health spa to try to help poor Shaggy recuperate after their last mystery. As usual, where the gang goes, ghosts follow...no matter what Shaggy wants. When a ghostly dinosaur starts haunting the people of the town and the archeological dig in an old mine, Shaggy's ready to turn tail...until the spa's owner hypnotizes him into becoming truly brave! While Shaggy takes on a biker club, Velma's fallen head-over-heels for the archeologist's assistant, but her feelings for him makes her ignore the weird signals he's giving off...

Not great, not bad. I thought the mystery was interesting, and a brave Shaggy was truly a sight to behold. (Check him out taking on the entire biker club...by himself!) Probably best for dinosaur lovers or Scooby fanatics who have seen the other movies.

The Pirates episode collection was something of a misnomer. The first episode, "Hassle In the Castle" from the original Scooby Doo, Where are You? series, doesn't really have anything to do with pirates. This spooky tale of magic and mystery is one of the best of the first series, though, so it gets a pass. "Go Away Ghost Ship" obviously has a far better relation to the theme. The ghost of Redbeard the Pirate and his ship is stealing cargo from Mr. Merton's line. The gang investigates before Merton is driven out of business.

The third episode, "The Ghostly Creep from the Deep," is from The New Scooby Doo Movies. Scooby Doo fans know these as the hour-long episodes that featured caricatures of kid-friendly "celebrities" from the early 70s solving mysteries with Mystery Inc. The celebs in question here are basketball group the Harlem Globetrotters, who help the kids deal with the return of Redbeard the Pirate, this time in an abandoned inn next to a scary swamp. An old man tries to warn the kids and basketball players away, but what is he really after?

Campy as all get-out, more than the original show, but still pretty funny, too. I kind of wish it had been another celebrity besides the Globetrotters, though. I'm not a basketball fan, and their antics wore out pretty quickly. If nothing else, I got to hear the second theme song that stuck to the show well into the 80s.