Harvests and History

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "Pleasure Valley" seems to be the ideal amusement park to all of the Shirt Tales but Pammy. Turns out she's right to question this seemingly innocent carnival when she learns that the barker has a far more sinister plan than feeding them too many hot dogs. "The Ghost Out West" is trying to drive the group from an abandoned ghost town. They decided to turn things around and get to the bottom of the mystery by playing ghosts themselves.

Headed out to the Collingswood Farm Market as soon as the cartoon ended. It was late by the time I got there, almost 11:30. There wasn't much left out. The summer produce is out in full now. Berries and peas are gone, replaced by enormous purple eggplants, Chinese beans, red plums, grapes, corn, melons, and every kind of summer squash that ever existed. I bought fat peaches and small, tart red plums, and picked up a cold, minty Chocolate Mint Cream Bar from the Bubba's Creamery cart. Surprisingly, while the Farm Market was busy, it wasn't jammed like usual. The cloudy, thickly humid day and threat of storms might have scared some folks off, plus there was how late it was. They were starting to close as I finished my chocolate mint bar.

Headed down Atlantic Avenue to the PATCO station. Parked the bike there, bought my ticket, and headed up to the tracks. I was surprised to see one of the kids from Thomas Sharp and her family on the platform. They were going in the opposite direction to Philadelphia for a walk around the Independence Hall area. I told them I was going to Haddonfield. I wanted to take another look at the actual Cherry Parke Condos. Her mother asked if I would be staying at the school. For now, yes. I like working with the kids, even if sometimes they overwhelm me when they're all together.

They left before I did. I had to wait another 12 minutes for the train. When it came, there were no problems, and it was fairly empty. It pulled into Haddonfield less than 5 minutes later. 

I got turned around when I got off. Ended up wandering down one of Haddonfield's tree-lined streets past many lovely old Victorian and Edwardian homes. Finally found my way to Haddon Avenue, then down to Tanner Ave to the Bistro for lunch.

The Bistro is my favorite restaurant in Haddonfield. Their breakfasts are amazing! I sat in the nice, chilly, dark-paneled main room and ate thick multi-grain French toast topped with fresh strawberries and whipped butter. Had bacon with that and washed it down with unsweetened peach ginger iced tea. Yum! I'm glad they were able to get me a seat. It was pretty busy in there, mainly with what looked like families and groups of friends out on the town for lunch.

Peeked around in Happy Hippo Toys next. They were even busier than the Bistro with kids and their parents looking for gifts or new toys. Good thing I saw something I wanted right when I walked in. There was a bin of 9-inch Care Bears. I was surprised to see Bedtime Bear and Birthday Bear, whom I've never run into anywhere else. They were a bit expensive, but I ended up with Bedtime Bear. I'd save Birthday Bear for my actual birthday in the spring, but Bedtime will be out all year. (And probably sleeping through most of it.)

Walked down King's Highway next, reading signs about Indian King Tavern, where the Council of Safety met during the Revolutionary War, and Greenfield Hall, the home of the Haddonfield Historical Society. (Both are currently closed and under heavy remodeling.) Found a mid-90's edition of Betsy and the Great World by Maud Hart Lovelace in a book kiosk. Passed the enormous Haddonfield High School and the lovely yellow Victorian building I hope they are remodeling. Turned left at Clements Bridge Road, across from the lovely Wallworth Park. This time, I went down a block to the Cherry Parke Condo buildings.

The condo buildings are pretty identical to the rental apartment buildings further down, with no shutters or balconies. (Though I did see fire escapes on some condos in the back.) It does have what looks like a well-maintained pool. I'm guessing they were all built in the early 50's. They have a charming two-story Colonial design, but they're all showing their age (though Cherry Parke seemed to be in slightly better-shape than the apartment buildings) with junk and old furniture piled against the dumpsters and no landscaping besides patchy green lawns surrounding narrow sidewalks. 

This probably wasn't the ideal day for exploring condos. It wasn't that hot, but it was cloudy, breezy, and thickly, murderously humid. I was soaked as I hurried back down King's Highway, desperate for a drink...and despite the clouds, it hadn't started to rain yet. I finally rested at the smaller Haddon Culinary two blocks from the PATCO Station. I grabbed a Coke Zero and a soft pretzel, then saw that they had coffee and tea drinks and got a very milky chai latte. After I finished, I hurried down to the PATCO and caught the train back to Collingswood, then rode my bike home.

Took a much-much needed shower, then finished up with dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. In honor of the World Cup ending this weekend, the theme were "countries around the world." Usually, it was jokes about Richard Dawson being from England or Fannie Flagg dressed as Swedish Greta Garbo. Gene attempted fake Japanese with real Japanese character actor Pat Moriata, who just looked at him weird. There would be an Audience Match question like "Made In __." Another time, Gene spent an episode substituting the "blank" in the questions with "Schnick Schnack," which apparently they do in the German Match Game. This led to a round of German accent jokes, especially from Richard, who worked with real Germans and Austrians in Hogan's Heroes. 

One of the most notorious episodes of Password Plus also snuck in. Dick Martin wasn't too happy when he used "France" for "French" and was called on it. He complained so much, Tom Kennedy almost walked off the set twice. The episode went completely off the rails from there. Dick got so goofy, it felt more like an episode of Laugh-In than of Password Plus, and Betty White ran with the lunacy. 

Celebrate matching around the world in the spirit of competition (and learning the difference between "France" and "French") with these wacky episodes!

Match Game/Password Plus Saturday Classics - World Cup Edition (Celebrating Our Countries Finale) 

(Oh, we finally got that thunderstorm about 20 minutes after I got out of the shower. It was noisy, but it didn't linger for long. It returned about two hours later and didn't linger for long then either.) 

Walking In History

Began the day with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. Bloth becomes "The Soul Stealer" when a soothsayer claims Ren is the only one who is destined to find the treasures. Morpho creates a potion that'll trade Bloth's soul and that of his first mate for Ren and Niddler's. Bloth thinks he's pulled it off...until the man Ioz stole the Wraith from decides he wants it back, and Niddler wants to fly again...

Got to work right on time, and that was probably the most exciting thing that happened all morning. It got a little busy around 10:30-11 PM, but was otherwise dead quiet. I didn't even have that many carts to gather. For one thing, it was too nice to be shopping. I pushed carts in strong, cool wind, bright blue skies, and warm sunshine. It was probably in the lower 80's, hot, but not overly so for mid-June. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever.

Soon as I got home, I changed and went downstairs to make lunch. This time, the buckwheat pancake mix just made plain pancakes. I topped them with peanut butter, orange marmalade, and honey. Oh yum! They came out perfectly, and the marmalade and peanut butter complimented them well. 

Watched Paw Patrol while I ate lunch. Mayor Humdinger is beside himself - many times over - when "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Humdinger Horde." Humdinger wants his Kitty Catastrophe Crew to have a professional bath, but Katie's animal salon is full. After he accidentally walks into Harold's cloning machine, the Humdingers steal Katie and her animal salon! For once, Harold is more than happy to help the pups stop his wayward uncle...er, uncles...from wrecking more havoc. Harold is still determined to be mayor of somewhere. After he finds another piece of meteor, he insists on being mayor of the moon, and turns the lighthouse into a rocket ship to get him there. He doesn't realize Cap'n Turbot is inside, or that the Patrol is on his tail in "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Mighty Lighthouse." 

Called Uber after the cartoon ended and I cleaned up lunch. Not only will I not have the time to explore Cherry Hill on Saturday this week, but the weather is supposed to be lousy that day. I decided to check out the Cherry Parke Condos and Waterford Apartments today and take advantage of that gorgeous weather. The driver going to Cherry Parke and home were both there in 10 minutes. There was a little traffic in Haddonfield, but otherwise no trouble.

Cherry Parke and Waterford, despite one being condos and one being apartments, look pretty much the same. They're two-story brick Colonial-style buildings from the early 50's, with yellow shutters and quaint details like the curving trim and red doors. Both complexes surround green areas connected by sidewalks with common trash areas. Honestly, the place was showing its age. Shutters were missing from some buildings, and the paint was faded on others. There was a lot of old furniture piled up in the back parking lot area, including a vintage organ. I saw dog excrescence on the green, even though people weren't supposed to walk their dogs there. Tons of kids' bikes locked on racks indicated a lot of families living here. I suspect most of the residents are families and health care workers priced out of expensive Haddonfield and east Cherry Hill who needed inexpensive homes to buy or rent. 

On the other hand, the buildings are quite charming, certainly more than the very 60's Playa Del Sol and Sussex House or the high rise across from the Dollar Tree on the Marlton Pike, and they're surrounded by wide green lawns. There's also the lovely Wallworth Park across the street. As I headed down King's Highway, I walked down steep stone steps and stepped into a smooth emerald field. I followed the sound of gurgling and rushing to the stream, where I saw a man fishing next to a small spillway. Apparently, this powered mills, hundreds of years ago. 

I continued down King's Highway to see how long it would take me to make it into Haddonfield. It took about 10 minutes. I passed by many historic buildings, from a gorgeous, sprawling yellow Victorian (which apparently is in danger of being demolished - they'd better not, that building was beautiful), to a red brick Colonial that was in the midst of exterior remodeling. I stopped and read about an older building that's now used as offices but had been a prison house during the American Revolution. 

By the time I made it to the corner of Haddon Avenue and King's Highway, I was hot as heck. I stopped at Starbucks for a treat. The strawberry matcha loaf was amazing, deliciously moist with swirls of green tea and strawberry. I would have liked the Butterfly Drink better if it didn't have those weird gel bubbles at the bottom. They were fruity and very sweet, but I prefer nothing in my drink but my drink and a little ice. 

Continued down Haddon Avenue to Haddonfield's Acme. Haddonfield has the most unique Acme building in the entire chain. Unlike the Acme at Cape May, which was built in the 70's and remodeled to fit in with the rest of the town in the 2000's, the Haddonfield Acme is genuinely old. It was built as a Quaker meetinghouse in the 1851, and rather than knock down history, Acme just built around it. The Haddonfield Acme is tiny, as you can guess from being in a small meetinghouse. I think it was pretty recently remodeled, but that doesn't make it any bigger. I did manage to get pocked-sized suntan lotion (I couldn't find the tube I keep in my backpack purse), a drink, and more Persil before that sale ends. I thought it would be easier to pick up Uber here than on busy King's Highway, too.

Put on The Price Is Right when I got home. I arrived in time for the Showcases. One was a pretty normal no-frills display that ended with a trip to Austria. The other was a lot goofier, and ended with a cherry-red sports car. Though both of the ladies got relatively close, the one who bid on the sports car was, to her delight, closer. 

Watched Match Game '75 while eating dinner. The first hour finished out the week with Bert Convy, Joyce Bulifant, and Betty White. I don't know what got into everyone in those last two episodes. Everyone was jumping on everyone else, from Gene grabbing Mary Ann for kisses to Bert chasing the contestant to the winning contestant ending up in Richard Dawson's lap. The next week, with Dwayne Hickman of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and Broadway star Carol Lawrence, was more subdued by comparison. 

Took a much-needed shower, then finished the night with the rest of Spy Smasher. I like that this serial took chances. At least one hero doesn't make it out alive, which is rare for serials. Other than Spy Smasher picking up a twin brother, it also seems to be relatively accurate to the comic books as well, especially for this era. There were some incredible action set pieces, especially the flaming harbor in the final episode. You might call this the less-florid Batman to Republic's earlier Captain Marvel serial, a hero who relies on his wits and human strength rather than any magical powers. If you're a Batman fan, love the original Spy Smasher comics, or are a serial enthusiast, this is roundly considered to be one of the best. 

Adventures In the Sunshine

Began the day with breakfast and a quick episode of Bluey. While out "Camping" with her family, Bluey befriends a French black lab named Jean-Luc. He doesn't speak English, but they figure out how to communicate well enough to build a shelter of their own and capture the "wild pig" Bandit. 

Hurried off to work soon as the cartoon ended. The Acme was unusually busy for Wednesday morning. Between the crowds and the people working on inventory, I had a hard time keeping up with the carts. There were at least two times I was pulled to return cold items or took too long sweeping and could barely get out to them. Needless to say, I wasn't too unhappy when I finished. I changed, grabbed a container with three pretzel roll roast beef sliders, a small bag of potato chips, oatmeal cookies, and those 70 cent bottles of Mas electrolyte drinks (just went with the lemon-lime this time) and a box of pads on clearance and headed out. 

It was too nice to eat in a restaurant today. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for early June. It was sunny and slightly breezy, with a searingly blue sky and just enough humidity to make it comfortable. Since my picnic at the War Memorial Park in Oaklyn went so well on Sunday, I decided to do it again for lunch. This time, I was the only one eating. The only sounds were the children chasing each other in the playgrounds at the Oaklyn School to my left and the men on ladders painting what will be the Blu Bear Bakery in a few weeks to my right. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House for a coconut matcha latte to cool off before moving on.

It was such a nice day, I left for the Thomas Sharp School a bit early and got to explore West Collingswood. I first stopped at the small park on the other side of the railroad tracks. It has a small clubhouse-type building, a playground, and swings. I tried to get on the swings, but they were way too high! I could barely climb on. The local kids would probably need help from their parents, even some of the older ones. 

I next went across the street to read about the Champion School. This tiny 1821 one-room schoolhouse was one of the very first public schools in Camden County. It was a Quaker school, which meant all kids, regardless of race or class, could go there. I didn't look inside, but I did read the sign outside. Apparently, it was in use until 1906, likely until Thomas Sharp was built. I couldn't help wondering what the kids would think of being crammed into that little school! I thought about that as I headed over the tracks and down to Thomas Sharp. I just got there a little early and sat on the swings in the shade until the older kids came out and it was time for me to go in.

It got pretty wild even in the (slightly) newer school today. We had 25 kids, 10 at my table. My group wasn't bad in the bathrooms, but I had a harder time with the groups I took later. The girls end up giggling with each other and not doing what they need to, one of the boys won't stay in the hall, and some of the others kept blocking the door. On the other hand, I did get to read a really cute book about a poor mole who deals with some very noisy supernatural neighbors to two of the boys in the cafeteria.

We're still having trouble with the swings. The kids start begging the moment we get out, despite us saying that we'll tell them when it's ok. We let kids swing before they go home, but they have to be careful because of all the kids running around. One little girl fibbed right to me when she said her mother was there and she wasn't. Ironically, her mother arrived right then...and the kid still wouldn't get off. Her mother had to argue her off, pointing out that the others wanted a turn, too. 

Things went better once I managed to get them all in line. In fact, they were hilarious. Two of them lay on their stomachs and held hands. They were so funny, the head teacher took pictures of them, and two more kids ended up doing it. I hadn't laughed so much in ages. Those who didn't swing or race cars down the slide danced to "I'm Still Standing," "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "The Best of Both Worlds" from Hannah Montana, the themes from PJ Masks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and songs from Sing and Trolls. 

Watched the Drew Carey Price Is Right when I got home. Alas, I came in just to see losses at the Check Out Game and the Balance Game. The Showcase Showdown went better. Not only did a lady get the dollar, but she got her nature-themed Showcase, too, including camping gear, a trip to San Diego, and an African safari.

Let it run into Match Game '74 while I figured out what to do about dinner. Tonight finished out the week with Charlie Brill. There was a lot of happy kissing when Richard Dawson helped the contestant with the Head-to-Head, including Gene grabbing Joyce Bulifant for a kiss! Scoey Michelll and Elaine Joyce were slightly more subdued the next week.

It took me a while to decide what to watch, but I finally finished the night at YouTube with Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. I'm so glad someone posted the original 2 1/2 hour miniseries from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color! The Walt Disney Treasures sets and Disney Movie Club DVD releases are so expensive on eBay. Dr. Syn (Patrick McGoohan) is a vicar in colonial England by day who is beloved by his parish. At night, he and a band of local men and boys are the terrifying Scarecrow and his band of outlaws, smugglers who rob King George's men and give the money and food to the poor. 

I love a good Scarlet Pimpernel/Robin Hood story, and this is one of the most unique. The final chapter, with Dr. Syn rescuing the son of the local squire (Michael Hordern), is by far the most interesting. The second chapter that revolves around the Scarecrow dealing with a traitor in their midst feels like padding, which is likely why it was cut out when it was released as a movie in Europe. Whether you go for the original miniseries or the 90 minute theatrical version, this is a slightly slow-moving but still fascinating historical adventure story. 

Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh

Ain't That a Kick In the Head

I slept in and got so caught up with Steeped In Malice, I had brunch while watching Press Your Luck. The kid from Parsippany just barely got through the first one after the other guy Whammied out. He didn't get so lucky in the second episode. Everyone got hit with Whammies in the first round, but he was the one who Whammied out in the second. The guy who beat him was the only one who didn't get hit with Whammies, and he ended up with cash.

Went online briefly during the second episode to get my schedule. Not as many hours, but they made up for that with only one early day and a floral department day on Friday. In addition to it being prom season, we're getting very close to Mother's Day, too, and then college and high school graduations. I asked for next Saturday off. I wanted to enjoy at least one town-wide yard sale this month. Chose Haddon Township's, which is the closest to me and covers the most ground. 

Hurried out after the episode ended...and then went  back inside briefly to get my jean jacket. It dropped 20 degrees overnight, from the mid-80's to barely the upper 60's, and was cloudy and windy. Maybe it was just as well. It was nice not to sweat to death as I headed down to Cuthbert Road to run errands.

I got a late start, so the local high and middle schoolers were just heading back from lunch as I got there. Fortunately, they're not all that interested in Sprouts. The golden nugget and mandarin oranges were on sale 2 for a dollar this week. I got two of each. Made Good was on sale; got the Cookies n' Cream box and another box of Annie's Organic Oatmeal Cookie. Grabbed coconut milk, too, and sugar cookies that were on clearance. 

Dodged traffic and people out for walks as I rode down Cuthbert to the Westmont Acme. I had a free online coupon for tissues and five dollars off three Secret deodorants, along with a coupon for Kind bars. McIntosh apples were on a good sale, and I only needed four of them. Restocked yogurt and bagels for breakfast and lunch this week, too.

Went down Lakeside Drive, trying not to ride in the park took much and aggravate my allergies again. Rode down to the White Horse Pike first to get lunch from the Pretzel Shop. They were busy almost an hour from closing, but I did get two pretzels, the last stuffed cheesesteak pretzel, and a can of Diet Pepsi. 

One of my three recent orders was waiting for me when I got home. I was looking up more James Bond soundtracks on eBay when I ran across something called The Persuaders! I didn't buy the record, but the show it represented intrigued me. Research reveals that it's a British action spoof from 1971. Tony Curtis is a self-made guy from New York and Roger Moore is a playboy nobleman from London who are brought together by a judge (Lawrence Naismith) to solve cases where the criminal was let off on a technicality. I love Bond-type stuff, so this was right up my alley. (And no wonder there was a soundtrack album. Not only is the music really good, but it was done by frequent Bond collaborator John Barry.) 

Watched the first episode while having lunch. "Overture" brings Danny Wilde (Curtis) and Brett Sinclair (Moore) together after they got into a fight at a restaurant. Judge Fulton (Naismith) will give them three months in jail if they don't help him figure out how a supposedly dead crime boss has seemingly returned to life. They follow his daughter Maria, but then are told she's off-limits. Not that Danny or Brett will listen when there's a pretty girl involved, but this mob may be hard for even them to handle.

Danny finds himself in the thick of their next case when he and his latest lady friend, an artist in the French Riviera, are shot at. He and Brett think he's the target, until they realize that the girl's uncle is the maker of "The Gold Napoleon." The old man is supposed to make copper coin replicas, but he's being forced to mint new ones by criminals. The duo have to expose them and make sure the girl doesn't end up in more trouble.

Went online to do some job hunting next. I finally came up with something. Put in an application for a copywriter and editor at a furniture showroom in Philly...and learned I was turned down for the typist job at Rowan University. Not that I really thought I'd get it to begin with. I need to either figure out jobs I can do that don't involve so many computer skills, or figure out how to upgrade my computer skills as quickly as possible.

Listened to The Age of Television while I worked. This unique LP isn't a collection of music from TV shows. Clips and interviews from people involved with the first twenty years or so of television's history document how the medium evolved into a dominate form of entertainment in a relatively short time. In fact, we kick off with a bit of Neil Armstrong's first words when he landed on the moon. With Arlene Francis as one of the three narrators, it's inevitable that there will be a clip from What's My Line. There's speeches from Johnson, Kennedy, and Eisenhower, kids' shows Ding Dong School, Captain Kangaroo, and Sesame Street, sitcoms I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show, Superman, soaps Guiding Light and The Secret Storm, and even a bit of Let's Make a Deal. It's all fascinating stuff if you're into TV history like I am.

Worked on writing next. Kathleen spies one of the rabbits who ate the flowers in her boss' garden earlier, the only one who had stopped and looked back at her. She tries to coax him with the few wilted flowers she has. After a few minutes, it finally works, and the rabbit hops over her. He has large, liquid brown eyes that seem almost human and soft, unusually curly fur for a rabbit...

Broke for dinner and Match Game '77 at 7 PM. The curly-haired guy who owns a ferret just keeps right on winning in this episode. Marcia Wallace is totally flummoxed when he chooses her to do his Head-to-Head, "__ Stomach." The others have more trouble with a question about what the weird guy uses to paint with instead of oil.

Finished the night after a shower with the second Matt Helm film, Murderer's Row, at Tubi. Helm (Dean Martin) fakes his death after several ICE agents are killed around the world. He poses as a gangster to find out who assassinated the agents and kidnapped Dr. Solaris (Richard Eastham) and his heliobeam weapon. He heads to the French Rivera to find out more about him from his wild daughter Suzie (Ann-Margaret), only to be arrested, then taken to the island hide out of Julian Wall. Wall has an incredible plan to destroy Washington D.C and secure world domination, but Solaris is the only hold-out. There's two people standing in his way, dance-crazy Suzie...and Matt Helm.

These Matt Helm movies are darn strange. First of all, Ann-Margaret has no chemistry with Martin and is totally miscast as what amounts to the Bond girl. Malden does somewhat better as the power-crazed villain. I give Martin credit for just rolling with some of the weird things that happen here, from Helm driving a hovercraft in the middle of Nice to Ironhead (Tom Reese), the henchman with the shiny metal plate on top of his head. Obviously, those who like their crime stories darker or more realistic should go elsewhere, but if you're into the campier side of the James Bond spy caper fad of the mid-late 60's, they don't come much weirder or campier than this. 

Discovering History

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. The solo man quickly defeated a sister team...but this time, he didn't do nearly as well on the Gold Run round. In fact, I think he got two answers right. He was doing better with another sister team when the episode ended.

Let Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour run briefly while I did the dishes, then switched to My Little Pony as I made the bed. "Somnubula" is one of the stranger episodes from later in the original series. The  Big Brother Ponies return to Paradise Estate to find all of the female ponies missing. The babies and Spike reveal they were lured by a voice heard from a carnival. Turns out this is a circus of horrors, as the owner is draining the ponies of their youth...and may do the same to the Big Brothers.

(We only had one of the Big Brother Ponies...ironically, one of the ones who came out the year after this episode debuted in the second and last release and didn't appear in this episode. His name was Barnacles, Between his pirate hat and Cutie Mark and his bright red ringlet mane and tail, I had to have him.)

Moved to Match Game '75 briefly, but I ended up in my bedroom. Wanted to text Rose about getting a bike with Jessa, but I accidentally ended up calling her. She wasn't happy. She said she's too busy right now in quarantine for dealing with anything...and that I need to take all of this up with Jessa. Which I did. I texted her, then spent the next hour or so doing research on bikes online.

Broke for lunch at quarter of 2. Made a chocolate-banana-coffee smoothie while watching Hart to Hart on The Roku Channel. They once again only have season 1 and 2 available. Went with "The Latest Fashion In Murder" from season 2. Jennifer is flattered when she and Johnathan are asked to pose for a fashion shoot. Her delight turns to fear when she finds a major model murdered at a fashion party, and then the owner of the magazine dead at the shoot...and she and Johnathan suspect she may have been the intended victim of the latter.

Took a nap for a while after the episode ended. Between chatting late with Lauren while she's off work (she's back working for another two weeks) and the increased hours pushing carts, I'm really bushed. In fact, I only got up because I heard dinging on my phone.

It was Jessa, but she wasn't texting me. She needed to ask Jodie about how her driver's license. I texted her and told her I needed to talk to her, too. She said she'd be around at 5:30.

That gave me time to work on some writing. Robert Walden and Dolly Martin make sure renegade former pirate Richard Dawson actually helps them free the other women. Lorrie McCaffery is upset that she can't see her husband. Marcia Wallace just wants to kick someone's rear. Richard tells them he knows where the crews are hidden in the hold. Gene agrees to let him lead them down there, as long as they all dress as sailors and look like they're just out for a stroll with him...

Broke at 5:30, but I didn't hear voices on Jodie's side of the house until quarter of 6. Not only was Jessa there, but Jodie's Aunt Colleen was visiting too. Jodie revealed that she finally got an actual job - she's working for her uncle in his tax office. Second, Jodie's been going through a LOT of stuff. Boxes are piled here, there, and everywhere. Among the boxes and bins were one filled with old family photos of Dad and Uncle Ken. Jodie initially gave it to Jessa, but I told her I'd go through it. I'm good at organizing things. 

(She also gave me a hoagie, but it was Italian with salami and bologna. I ate half, then tossed it. Too salty for me now, and I'm not a big fan of salami or bologna to begin with.)

After dinner, I went through the bin. I couldn't believe my luck. It was filled with photos and memorabilia going back a century. The oldest photos were of Uncle Ken and Dad's father Albert when he was young, likely in the early 1900's. The most recent were of Uncle Ken's daughter Samantha and her husband Dave, I'm guessing from between 2005 and 2007. There were even Polaroids of a teeny me with young Samantha and her brother Guy during what was likely my first Christmas in 1979, and two more of Rose and me in the early 90's. 

The vast majority of the photos came from between the 1930's and the 1970's, from the cars, clothes, and hair styles. Dad showed me a few pictures of my grandmother, Pop Pop Al's wife, before, but nothing like this. There were photos of Dad's graduation and what was likely his prom, with him handsome and beaming behind girls in pastel dresses. Uncle Ken was in World War II and Dad was in Vietnam; I got to see them in their sailor and army uniforms before they left. There were photos of Uncle Ken and Aunt Jayne's wedding in the 1960's, and them with baby Samantha and Guy. Lots of photos of what I suspect were family trips to Wildwood in the 50's and 60's, including Wildwood torn to shreds in what were likely photos of the major storm that rained devastation on the South Jersey Shore in 1962. 

And that's just the photos. Boxes and a full scrap book held articles on Uncle Ken's career in high school athletics, both as a player in football, baseball, and swimming and as a coach. I found the announcement for his and Aunt Jayne's wedding, a wedding card from his family, and piles of programs from Uncle Ken's football games in the 40's and 50's. There was even a copy of local newspaper The Retrospect from 1995 with a lengthy article discussing Uncle Ken and his many athletic achievements. 

I'll go through it, but I really need to get a hold of Jessa, Rose, and especially Samantha. Sam will probably want Uncle Ken's things, and I know the other two will really want to see this, too.

Watched Match Game '74 as I worked. Morey Amsterdam and George Kirby replaced Charles in this episode, and they both did very well, too. Richard had more fun tossing Brett's shoe away, while everyone else tried to figure out what's huge, covered with feathers, and called Moby ___ and Richard tries to figure out who stole his seat. Match Game PM had its own fun as Ron Pallilo joined for jokes about what a guy's wife says whenever she walks into a department store and Richard's reminder that the lady should have listened to him in the Audience Match. 

The champ dominated on Sale of the Century. The one guy couldn't get anything going. The other lady did better, but the champ killed at the Speed round. She still couldn't get the Bonus Round money, though. 

Finished the night online with No Maps On My Taps at Watch TCM. I go further into this documentary on three great black tap dancers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musical Documentaries - No Maps On My Taps

Really Putting My Foot Into It

Lauren's off to a Weird Al concert this evening, so I stayed up late with her last night. I didn't get out of bed until after 10, and it was 11:30 before I even had breakfast! I had two Spicy Cranapple Muffins and a fresh farm market pear and dubbed the Tall Tales and Legends "Annie Oakley" for Mom.

"Annie Oakley" is one of my favorite of Shelly Duval's second series of fables and fantasies, this one revolving around American history. This is a grittier and somewhat more accurate version of the story of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley than the musical Annie Get Your Gun. (For one thing, in real life, Frank Butler knew he was no match for his wife's skills with a gun and did step down to manage her career.) A young Jamie Lee Curtis is a marvelous, down-home Annie, possibly the best until country music star Reba McEntyre wowed Broadway audiences in the late 90s Annie revival on Broadway.

Headed to the Haddon Township Library after work. It was partly cloudy and a little humid and warm, but nothing like it has been the last few times rain has threatened. Unlike last week, the Haddon Township Library was very busy. I organized kids' DVDs, shelved DVDs and kids' books, and for the first time in ages, helped kids find the DVDs they wanted. One little boy requested the Toy Story movies. I directed him to the second one. (His mother said they'd rented the first one every other week!) Another little boy wanted Thomas the Tank Engine.

It was past 2:30 when I made my own DVD and book choices. I found two more of the new historical American Girl books, both about Marie-Grace this time, Marie-Grace and the Orphans and Marie-Grace Makes a Difference. Rented two Scooby Doo collections, a set of the first four episodes of A Pup Named Scooby Doo and three What's New, Scooby Doo? episodes revolving around zombies. Decided to continue my streak with film biographies and chose I Remember Mama and The Young Victoria from the adult section.

Headed across the street to the Westmont Plaza next. Stopped at Dollar Tree first. Two of my very best friends, Lauren and Amanda, have birthdays this month. I wanted to buy Halloween cards to say "hi" to everyone in Cape May County, too. I also needed new scrub-brushes. The old ones were absolutely disgusting. The bristles were getting crunched.

It was a little past 3 when I went around the corner to Nick and Joe's Pizza, the Westmont Plaza's pizzeria. Their pizza's only ok, but I was hungry and it was late. I ordered a mushroom slice and a bottle of water and read the AG books while waiting for lunch.

The two books were quite interesting. In ...And the Orphans, Marie-Grace finds a baby on her father's doorstep. She and her dad, who is a doctor, are too busy to care for a small child. They eventually take him to a large orphanage in New Orleans. However, when the nuns there say they've found a home for the baby in Chicago, Marie-Grace realizes how attached to him she is and seeks Cecile's help in finding a way for him to stay.

...Makes a Difference brings the girls into the Yellow Fever epidemic as Marie-Grace dedicates her time to volunteering at the orphanage and nursing her sick singing teacher. When the fever becomes too much, Marie-Grace's dad tries to send her away...but how can she leave Cecile and the children at the orphanage, who need her care?

After lunch, I finally decided it was time to do something about my foot. It was quarter of 4 when I rode over to the Camden County Foot & Ankle Center on the White Horse Pike, less than a mile from my apartment in Oaklyn. Thank goodness I caught Dr. Berlin and her assistant right as they were preparing to close up shop!

After we got the matter of my health care settled, Dr. Berlin took a look at my bad foot. She gave me an injection...which I wasn't thrilled with at first. I hate needles. Then I remembered how brave Marie-Grace and Cecile were when they were faced with the Yellow Fever and how it ravaged New Orleans and their loved ones. If two 10-year-old girls in crinolines can handle an epidemic, I thought, surely I can handle one little needle! It stung going in, but it wasn't so bad. Dr. Berlin put a Band-Aid on it, then made a plaster cast of my foot in order to make the right size orthopedic pads for them. That felt good. It was nice and warm, like a heating pad.

Dr. Berlin wrote out two prescriptions for me. One was for a stronger Motrim than I could buy over-the-counter. I could get that one filled at the Acme. The other was to have the foot X-rayed at a doctor's office on the White Horse Pike in Haddon Heights. (I think it may be the same place I got my knee looked at the second time I sprained it in July 2007.) I'll get the prescription done tomorrow before work and go up to the doctor's office on Friday, my next day off.

Just headed home after that. My now-swollen foot wasn't up to any more running around. I spent the next two hours organizing items in my bedroom and the back room. I moved the Sailor Moon dolls' clothes from the plastic dresser to those two sturdy boxes I got from Amazon.com at Christmas. I've been trying to find something to put in those for months! Some of the American Girl dolls' clothes were moved to the dresser. Others were moved to Sam's box. I really need more clothes hangers for them. Oh well. Christmas is coming. Moved the Sailor Moon comic books and graphic novels to their doll display and the other comic books in with the Garfield, Peanuts, and Calvin and Hobbes comics.

Tackled my vinyl accordion file folders next. The transparent one was falling apart. Moved any instruction booklets I didn't clear out and the few remaining notes, cards, and letters I've kept to other folders. Moved my old college and high school papers and essays to the random stories folder. Went through my taxes and W-2s - I have those going back to 2003, the first year I did them after I moved out on my own. I gave those their own folder and put that and anything relating to my health insurance in the huge leather portfolio the secretaries at the Stockton Media Center gave me in 2001 for a dual Christmas/Graduation gift.

It was 7PM before I got to dinner. I had shrimp, roasted Brussels sprouts, and brown rice with Smart Balance butter while watching A Pup Named Scooby Doo. Of the first four episodes of the series, the one I most enjoyed was "The Schnook Who Took My Comic Book." Shaggy is thrilled that he was able to buy the first edition of his favorite comic book hero, Commander Cool, for pennies at a comics convention. When a frog monster from the comics appears and tries to slurp up every Commander Cool first edition at the convention, Shaggy becomes determined to protect his beloved hero...at any cost! (Also, note that Red Herring has more of a role in this than he usually does. We don't normally get to see him do anything besides refute Fred's pointing the finger at him. Here, he's actually the bully Fred claims he is.)

Though I did enjoy the episodes, I repeat what I said when I rented the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Season set earlier in the year. These episodes are very repetitive (almost annoyingly so) if watched in succession. On the other hand, I noticed that these earlier episodes have more of an emphasis on interactivity, with Velma encouraging the kids at home to put the clues on-screen together themselves before Mystery Inc. solves the case. Pup Named might be a nice Scooby cartoon for somewhat younger grade-school age kids who would enjoy the bright colors, blocky anime-esque animation, and goofy gags. It's also fun for Scooby fanatics who can recognize the many references to the original series. Casual fans and older kids will want to start with the original, the movies, or What's New, Scooby Doo.

Goodbye Friend, Hello Friend

Lauren and I started off the morning of her last day here with a walk to the Collingswood Farm Market. It was hot again, but there was a nice breeze, and it was much drier than earlier in the week. The Farm Market was packed when we got in, including another demonstration next to the first booth. I bought strawberries, cheddar cheese, celery, carrots, and asparagus for me. Lauren and I bought snap peas and first-of-the-season cherries to split when we got home.

We strolled across Collingswood and down Newton River Park. Took in three yard sales, but didn't find anything we liked. After we left the park, we stopped at CVS to get a drink, then went home. We made a quick stop at Dad's to tell him we wanted to leave around 1:15. Turns out he had other errands to run today and wanted to leave even earlier, at 1, which was fine too.

We spent Lauren's last few hours here inside, watching cartoons and eating leftovers out of the fridge for lunch. Dad did pick us up on-time; we were at Cherry Hill by quarter after 1.

The train ride to Philadelphia went fine. The train was ten minutes late, but Lauren had an hour-long layover at the 30th Street Station. We saw traffic going into the city and I figured my friend Jen would be stuck in that, poor dear. Lauren ran into trouble when we saw the departure/arrival board and saw that her train was delayed more than a half-hour! She only had a half-hour to get to her train in Penn Station! I left her in line at the Amtrak customer service booth, trying to find out if she could transfer to the next train to New York.

Turned out I was right. Poor Jen DID run into traffic. She finally picked me up in front of the 30th Street Station around quarter of 3. Jen Payne is an online friend of mine from Seattle who is touring the eastern US, seeing Revolutionary War sites and Naval stations. Her goal is to eventually see all 50 states.

We had no better luck with traffic going to Valley Forge in eastern Pennsylvania. We didn't get into Valley Forge State Park until almost 4. Valley Forge State Park is a gorgeous park, with recreated cabins and real Revolutionary War-era buildings set against the green rolling hills of Pennsylvania. This was George Washington and the Continental Army's winter encampment in 1777, and the place where the Continental Army was whipped into shape to become real soldiers.

Alas, many of the long, winding trails weren't really marked properly. We had a hard time finding our way around. We never did get into the visitor's center, though we did see George Washington's house, the currently-being-remodeled Valley Forge Railroad Station, and one of the re-built iron forges that gave Valley Forge its name. George Washington's House was probably busier than it's been since the days of the Army's occupation. In addition to random tourists like us, a large troop of schoolboys and their teachers were on a tour at the same time. (I keep running into school kids at historical sites this week.) We all squeezed into the house to see the offices, bedrooms, and kitchen. (I liked George Washington's bedroom. The blue canopy bed reminded me of a blue version of Felicity's bed and bedding from the American Girls series.)

We didn't have much luck with traffic getting home, either. We hit a few rather nasty patches going over several rivers and into Northern Philadelphia. Thankfully, by the time we were passing Citizen's Bank Park, where the Phillies play (and getting a better view of the stadium than many people watching the game), the traffic had thinned out considerably.

Ironically, we came out right on the Black Horse Pike, across from the Acme where I work...so Jen got to see the outside of where I work and the mall it's in front of. We ate at the Arby's next to the Acme for dinner. I had the All-American Roast Beef Burger. Jen had a Roast Beef Gyro. (I thought of getting a gyro, but I more-or-less had one in Philly on Thursday.)

After we arrived at my place, we strolled through Veteran's Park next door. Jen was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the gorgeous scenery in the park when we saw something I'd never seen on the tree at the edge of the park, near the river - a huge black turtle! We stood back and got some pictures of him before he turned chicken and waddled off. We also took pictures of each other with the river in back of us.

Spent the rest of the night at my house. We watched That's Entertainment together. Jen had never seen it, and she loved watching all those fabulous, huge MGM musical numbers! Jen enjoyed some of the magnificent cherries and strawberries I picked up at the Farm Market this morning. I had Banana French Vanilla Mousse Pie.

As for Lauren, she called while we were stuck in traffic on our way back from Valley Forge. She had arrived in New York 15 minutes before her train was due to depart and barely managed to catch it...but catch it she did! She was just on her way home when she called, and is probably at home with her parents now or on her way there.

Alas, that's the end of my vacation. I go back to work tomorrow. Jen moves on to Baltimore to visit another online friend of ours, Rodney Walker.

Here's Jen's perspective on this afternoon...

Jen's Trip Blog

Nothing Like the City

The weather did not look promising this morning. In fact, it was downright ugly. Weather or no weather, I still wanted to meet my friends Linda and James Young from Georgia in Philadelphia to see some of the historic sites. I did have a very good omen right before I left. I use an old purse as a camera case. I was looking for the pocket that was for money and coins. When I found it, that pocket contained nine dollars and at least a dollar-fifty in change. Combined with the 35 I earned raking for Miss Ellie, the 7 dollar rebate check from X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in September, and my own money leftover from my paycheck last week, I had 60 dollars to play with today.

After my stop at the bank to cash the afore-mentioned check, I rode over to Collingswood and jumped on the PATCO train to the 8th and Market stop. It was still raining when I finally met Linda and James at the National Convention Center, which turned out to be two blocks from the 8th and Market Gallery Mall PATCO stop. I was glad to see both of them. They looked as lovely as ever. I haven't seen them since the WENN convention we all went to in Queens in June 2001.

It turned out we had a little time before the 11:20 Independence Hall tour. We walked through the Liberty Bell's home. For a day with such lousy weather, the entire area was bustling. There were several groups of schoolchildren on field day trip to see history, in ages from middle elementary to high school. It was especially busy in the Liberty Bell building. We saw the story of the Bell, from it's creation in England in the 1770s to the last time it was rung, in George Washington's birthday, in 1846...when the crack got so bad, they couldn't ring it again or they'd risk breaking it in half. James said it was outside when he last visited Philadelphia in 1976, but it had been moved into it's own building in the 90s.

Our next stop was Independence Hall...once we got past a long security line. There was one at the Liberty Bell, too. James said the last time he came to Independence Hall, people just walked right in. Not in post-9/11 America. I thought they were a little rude, but I imagine sitting in a cold tent poking in people's stuff all day couldn't have been a picnic.

The tour was surprisingly short...and there was a fairly large crowd despite the weather. We were herded into one plain, yellow-and-white room first with nothing but chairs and a painting of the Signing of the Founding Fathers. After the man gave us an entertaining lecture on the signing of the Declaration of Independence and afterwards, he took us upstairs to Independence Hall. We saw the room where the Founding Fathers met to argue the Declaration of Independence, and later the Constitution and the laws that would govern the new country. The room for court and judge was on the other side. It all had excellent reproduction furniture and huge marble fireplaces and a beautiful glass chandelier in the discussion room.

We headed back to Market Street and down to South Philly to meet a friend of Linda and James', John Baxidine, for lunch at a little restaraunt in South Philly. John has worked with Rupert Holmes, the creator and head writer of Remember WENN, on several of his shows. It was wonderful to hear him talk about the shows he's orchestrated (he's an orchestrator) and about Rupert's many projects. James and I got to trade stories of fast cars, crazy dads, and long car rides while we ate cheese steaks. Linda had her favorite chicken soup.

After we finished lunch and left John, we headed right over the bridge and into Penn's Landing. Penn's Landing is Philly's restored waterfront area, filled with boat-museums and lovely parks. At least, on days when it's not cold, windy, and raining like crazy. The wind was awful going over the bridge. Even so, we took in the large Seaport Museum, exploring Philadelphia's maritime past, from trading with China to immigration to ship-building.

In addition to the land based museum, Penn's Landing is home to two ship-museums. The first, the Beuna, is a submarine. It was really nerve-wracking getting down into that ship. The stairs were narrow and very slippery! It wasn't as bad once we were actually in the sub, but it was a bit of a tough tour, thanks to the narrow conditions. It was facinating to see all the real items they used aboard the sub, though, and learn things from from Navy-history-loving James, like how the men used to sleep next to the torpedoes.

There was somewhat more space on the older Olympia. Olympia is the oldest war ship still afloat at 117, and it looks something like a Cape May home on the water, with lots of wood and antique tools and furniture. It was slightly easier to get onboard, too. This being a larger ship, there were more rooms...and more to see, including a dentist's office, a laundry room, an infirmary, and a captain quarters that was more than triple the size of the one in the sub.

It was getting darker when we finally got off the Olympia. The rain had stopped by then, but it was getting colder and windier by the minute. We stopped back in the Seaport Museum right before they closed. Linda and James bought books on Naval history and ships. I didn't see anything I liked. A SEPTA bus driver was nice enough to drive us over the bridge after we explained that we wanted to get around the windy bridge to the nearest subway.

I walked with James and Linda as far as the Walgreens on 8th Street. The rain was gone, and the wind was far less where there were 600 buildings to block it, but it was still cold. James was thirsty, so we stopped at Walgreens to buy water. It was really busy, but I found the open cosmetics counter when I was looking for WebKinz, so we could all get out quick. (I never did find WebKinz.)

We parted ways outside of Walgreens. James and Linda wanted to find the subway and head back to their hotel. I browsed the Gallery Mall for about an hour or so. I finally found the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles "Those Aren't Pillows!" edition I was looking for last week and a very cheap used copy of the public-domain Road To... movies Road to Rio and Road to Bali. I've had them on video since high school, but it'll be nice to get them on DVD. (The DVDs turned out to be scratched, but they worked when I put them in the DVD player.)

I took a very, very full rush-hour PATCO train home to Collingswood. Unfortunately, the rain had returned by that point. I had a long, windy, rainy ride home. I called Linda when I got in to reassure that I had gotten home fine. I ate leftover enchalada casserole and watched Sailor Moon Super S episodes while warming up.

Thanks again, Linda, James, and John for a lovely day! :)

Historic Inauguration

I did get to see bits and pieces of today's historic Presidential Inauguration. I watched about 20 minutes of it before I went to Dad and Uncle Ken's to do my laundry and a half-hour after I came back around 12:30. No, I didn't get to see the parade or Obama be sworn in. Dad and Uncle Ken were watching their usual 24 hours of nothing but thrillers and crime shows, and I didn't want to tell them what to watch on their TVs. If they wanted to miss history, that was on them. And alas, by the time the parade started, I was at work.

I still got to see enough to make me feel like I saw history. I've seen some history on TV before. I was five when the Challenger space shuttle exploded in 1985. Not that I cared at the time; I was more upset that they pre-empted The Price Is Right to cover the explosion and NASA's reaction. I was far more interested when the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989. I still remember seeing all those people yanking away at it clear as day, even on my little black and white TV. And of course, I was in college when 9/11 happened. Ironically, I was in a class on 20th century American history when the Towers were hit. I didn't find out until I went to work at the Stockton Media Center, by which time they were almost on the ground.

As for today, I could have done with fewer talking heads and more actual footage (this is why I don't watch network or cable news more often). I did get to see former President Bush leave Washington for Texas (not a moment too soon, if you ask me) and the beginning of the Inaugural Lunch.

Work was, in the opposite of the last few days, dead when I came in and when I left, but busy during the usual rush hour, by which time most Inaugural festivities were over or nearly so. A lot of people apparently called out this morning, either due to family trouble or the Inauguration, but there was no trouble whatsoever by the time I was there. Other than it was a little windy and icy going home, I had no trouble getting to or from work.

The Hollywood Melody

Spent most of today at work. It was steady to busy. While the snow originally predicted for tomorrow is now supposed to be just clouds, it is supposed to get very cold on Sunday and Monday (before returning to normal mid-upper 30 degree weather by the middles of the week). I got my paycheck and went grocery shopping after I finished. I tried the new self-checkout registers this afternoon, since the regular lines were crowded with people coming in from rush hour by 4:30PM. Actually, other than appearance, larger font on the screen, and three bag holders instead of two, there isn't much that's different about them.

Having finished The Adventures of Holly Hobbie last week and enjoyed it thoroughly, I decided to read one of my favorite books on another, very different piece of history. A Song In The Dark, by Richard Barrios, details the evolution of the early sound film ("talkie") musicals from the beginnings of the sound film revolution in 1926 to the creation of the Production Code in 1934 that stripped the musical of much of it's early zest.

The book is so well written that, even if you've never seen these films (or never will, as many are now lost), you can imagine what they were like...and what it must have been like for audiences who had only heard amplified sound on their phonographs and radios before to suddenly hear the voices of their favorite movie stars!

I love this era of Hollywood history so much, Lauren and I set one of our Monkee role-play stories, The Mammoth Melody, at a fictional movie studio in 1929.