Walk On the Pike

Began the morning with breakfast and Green Eggs and Ham. Sam initially manages to escape, but after he sees Guy take off, goes back to the cops and ends up in jail. Guy does as well in the hopes of breaking him out. They get help from a "Mouse" (Daveed Diggs) who was arrested for stealing a piece of cheese. Sam claims to understand his French accent and spoof Les Miserables song, but Guy just hears squeaking. Meanwhile, police-creatures McWintle and Gluntz are still on their trail, and Michellee isn't happy when she learns about their antics at the prison.

Switched to Buzzr for Press Your Luck. Whammies abounded in this episode, but it came down to the champ and the one lady. They kept exchanging spins for a while, until he finally hit a vacation to Tahiti that put him over the top. Split Second was a less-exciting game. The one man was ahead the entire time, including in the Countdown bonus round. He opted to return instead of taking a trip to the Bahamas. 

Did job searching while the shows were on. I did apply to a consulting firm in Cherry Hill, but still didn't see much else. Wish most editing jobs didn't require so much experience, and that some of them were actually in New Jersey. 

Headed out to run errands on the White Horse Pike around quarter of 2. I did finally find Spinbrush head replacements at CVS. They always did have a good toothbrush and toothpaste selection. I grabbed that, paid for it, and headed out.

Since the White Horse Pub is two doors down from CVS, I decided to try that for lunch. It's pretty much your typical sports bar and grill, with cracked vinyl seats, wooden floors that match the tables, and permanent barflies teasing the waitress and bartender about her hair. I had today's lunch special, the chicken salad wrap with onion rings, while watching yesterday's hockey game between the Nashville Predators and the Ottawa Senators. Yum! The chicken salad really wasn't anything special, but the onion rings were amazing, crispy and flavored just right, and the waitress was a sweetheart. I left her a big tip...and frankly, I thought her long, curly hair looked just fine.

(Incidentally, the Senators won 4-3.) 

Managed to get across the Pike during rush hour to hit Dollar General. Mainly wanted Kind bars here. I also picked up little trinkets, like bead crafts and bubble wands, to put in Valentine's bags for Khai, Finley, and the daughter of a friend. 

I hadn't treated myself to cookies at Los Amigos Bakery in a while. In fact, I hadn't been there since I won that yule log cake on Christmas Eve. They're still mostly awash in Christmas decorations and baked goods. I don't think Valentine's Day is a big deal in Mexico. I ended up buying a container of simple vanilla and chocolate butter cookies to try. 

At least the weather is cooperating, and looks like it'll continue to for the rest of this week and into the weekend. It's cloudy, gloomy, damp, and in the lower 40's...exactly what it's supposed to do in late January-early February. As long as it doesn't pour or blizzard again, I think we'll be fine. 

After I got home, I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening dusting and vacuuming my rooms and doing the laundry. Watched Swiss Miss while I worked. I go further into this Laurel and Hardy feature about them getting caught between a composer and his opera star wife in the Swiss Alps at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Swiss Miss

Worked on the review after the movie ended, then watched Match Game '79 during dinner. Gene and the panelists are baffled by the contestant's answer to "I'll See You In __" in the Audience Match. She says "September," which apparently no one in the panel had heard of. A lady in the audience performed the 60's number for them, and did very well, too.

Finished out the night with the third season of WKRP In Cincinnati. "The Airplane Show" has Les taking to the skies in a bi-plane in order to compete with rival WPIG's traffic helicopter. He's ready to give up on the idea, until the former veteran flyer convinces him to fly downtown and have their own parade for Veteran's Day instead. (Incidentally, the stunts were performed by actual veteran Ohio aviator Harold Johnson.) 

"Jennifer Moves" into a sprawling Victorian home in a suburban neighborhood. She's thrilled at first, especially after the others help her. Her enthusiasm is dampened by a cheating husband and his obviously jealous wife, a corrupt phone salesman who is not what he seems, and Herb somehow managing to lose her piano.

Herb has his own problems with the reality show "Real Families." The hosts (Peter Marshall and Daphne Maxwell Reid) are supposed to follow him and his family around and see how clean-cut and perfect they are. Herb's family is far from perfect, and the hosts' attempts to dig up dirt at WKRP and at Herb's home only makes things worse. Herb finally reminds them just because everyone has some skeletons in the closet doesn't mean they want to share them.

The entire station is excited when "The Baby" arrives and Arthur's wife Carmen goes into labor. While Andy flirts with nurses and Johnny Fever babbles to nice older ladies, Arthur debates whether or not to be in the room with his wife. Whether he does or doesn't, he's reminded in the end that he and his wife are happy that they had this perfect bundle...and why he loves both of them very much.

Songs and Sounds of Summer

Slept longer than I planned this morning. Had a quick cereal and blueberries breakfast while listening to the original cast of Bye Bye Birdie. In this spoof of suburban teen life and culture, songwriter Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke) and his girlfriend Rosie Alverez (Chita Rivera) come up with the idea of writing the song "One Last Kiss" for teen idol Conrad Birdie (Dick Gautier), who was just drafted into the Army, to sing on The Ed Sullivan Show. A teen girl chosen randomly from his fan club will be selected to give him that final kiss.

The lucky girl is Kim MacAfee (Susan Watson), who is absolutely thrilled. Her parents and boyfriend Hugo (Michael J. Pollard) are not. Her father Harry (Paul Lynde) loudly protests, until he learns it'll be on television. Albert's clingy mother Mae (Kay Medford) wants her son to continue to be her meal ticket and shoves a tap dancer at him, prompting jealous Rosie to sabotage the show.

Granted, there's a lot of songs here I love, including the hit "Put On a Happy Face," Rosie and Kim's "What Did I Ever See In Him," "A Lot of Livin' to Do" for Conrad and the suburban kids after they've gone out for a night on the town, and the sweet "One Boy" for the girls and Rosie as they discuss their feelings for their men. The problem is, teens may still shriek over their favorite idols and parents may not understand why, but other details have dated rather badly. There's a song revolving around The Ed Sullivan Show, once a staple of family viewing that most families probably don't remember existed nowadays, and Rose's attempt to make Albert do something he doesn't want to do comes off as shallow instead of well-meaning.

This apparently is still a favorite of high schools and colleges to this day...but send the kids online or show them episodes of the real Ed Sullivan to help them understand what a lot of the fuss is about.

Had just enough time to sneak in a little bit of writing before work. Gene's delighted to introduce the six Legendary Princesses, together for the first time in decades. Malade's happy he did her work for her - now she can take them out in one blow, especially since its getting close to midnight...

Rushed off to work less than fifteen minutes after I got off the computer. Work was off-and-on busy all day, surprising considering the gorgeous weather. We're getting pretty close to the beginning of the month; some folks may have already gotten their money. I was tired and flustered and not really up to dealing with some of the more difficult customers. Couldn't have been happier when it slowed down enough by 5:30 for me to dash off without a relief.

It was the perfect day for dinner at Sonic. Evidently, a lot of other people thought so, too. A couple and a large family were already sitting down by the time I arrived. The mother in the family complained gently but firmly that the teens working the kitchen got their orders wrong, even as I gave them mine. They'd fixed the mix-up by the time my chicken sandwich, tater tots, and cherry limeade arrived. Actually, they made a mistake with my order, too. I asked for a cherry limeade slush, not an ordinary cherry limeade. No big deal. It's all liquid.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road. The weather was too nice not to! It was sunny and breezy, with a deep blue sky, fat fleecy clouds, and no humidity. Not surprisingly, Nicholson Road was just as busy with people going out to order dinner or for Sunday drives. I dodged cars all the way down to Atlantic and Newton Avenue in Oaklyn.

I was so tired, I changed, had peanut butter-no bake cookies for dessert, and settled for listening to my Bold Venture album for an hour. This Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall radio show is one of several Bogart-related old time radio albums that came with the original collection from my late stepmother Kaye. Bogart is Slate Shannon, who owns a Cuban hotel and a boat named Bold Venture. Bacall is Sailor, his equally tough sweetheart. Their adventures range from treasure hunting to dealing with smugglers to battling pirates.

The first story, "The Star of Sheba," has Slate and Sailor delivering jewels that may have lead to the death of a friend of his. "The Blue Moon" involves smuggling intrigue. Both have a lot in common with To Have and Have Not (Bogart-Bacall, he runs a boat, tropical locale with colorful cast), and to a lesser degree, Casablanca (he owns a place where shady types congregate). Evidently, this syndicated show survived better than I Love a Mystery, with 57 out of 78 shows existing. Look them up if you love Bogart, Bacall, or tropical-flavored intrigue.

Finished the night poking around online. Watched the second half of the Flyers-Islanders game after tonight's Match Game premiere on YouTube. Darn it, despite putting up a good stand in the last few minutes, the Flyers lost, 3-2. They'd better get their rears in gear if they want to stay in the playoffs!

Look For a Sky of Blue

Started off a rainy, gloomy morning with buttermilk pancakes, cantaloupe slices, and my Varase Sarabande Cinderella CD. This is a collection of songs from various musical versions of the famous fairy tale, from Into the Woods to the Rogers and Hammerstein TV incarnation to the animated Disney movie. There's some more obscure material from England as well. "Spread a Little Happiness" is a charming cheer-up ditty from the British 20's hit Mr. Cinders, featuring a male Cinderella. "Raise a Ruckus" apparently comes from the southeastern-US-set Cindy-Ella. Research reveals the score mostly featured African-American spirituals. This delightful roof-raiser was one of the few originals.

As soon as I finished breakfast, I dashed out to work. Rain continued to fall, but it wasn't heavy, and I arrived damp but not soaked. That was the worst that happened all day. The crowds were off-and-on steady, likely trying to avoid the rain. Once the rain stopped, the crowds started coming in. Once again, I was in and out with no trouble. One of the managers even said she'd talk to the head managers about getting me extra money for the day of and the day after Dad died, though we won't be having the actual funeral until next year.

Headed straight home after work. Surprisingly, despite the Acme being busy, Nicholson Road wasn't. There were some stragglers around the shopping center entrance and the Hispanic church. Otherwise, it was clear sailing all the way over the bridge and down to Hillcrest. It remained cloudy, cool, and humid, but the rain was long gone at that point. It wasn't even really wet.

Went straight into writing when I got home. Charles ignores the terrible burns on his back to let Brett drink her energy. It covers her, eventually restoring her and giving her the energy to stand up to her stepmother. There's her friend to thank for saving her, too...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Made Parmesan eggplant and yellow squash to go with my last chicken leg. Listened to my double CD of The Desert Song and New Moon while I ate. These are both truncated versions made for Decca in the 1940's. I prefer The Desert Song, with Kitty Carisle and Wilbur Evens doing an enjoyable "Romance," "Then You Will Know," and "One Alone," to the so-so New Moon.

It was cool enough to bake again. The last farm market apple was starting to go bad, so I used it and one Acme apple to make Apples Rolled In Autumn (Apple-Spice-Oatmeal) Cookies from that one-bowl cookie cookbook Lauren sent me a few years ago. Stuck with operetta, this time going with the off-Broadway satire Little Mary Sunshine. Mary (Eileen Brennan) is the owner and operator of a lodge in Colorado that houses a group of finishing-school girls and a band of forest rangers who are after a thieving Indian. While Mary's maid Nancy chases the guy, Mary pines for her handsome head of the rangers...but their quarry is closer at hand than they think...

If you know anything about operetta and other types of musicals from the first thirty or so years of the 20th century, you'll get a big kick out of this. The ladies' numbers are especially fun; Nancy gets the adorable duet "Once In a Blue Moon" with her doubtful sweetheart, and she sings about "Mata Hari" to cheer up the other women while they await their swains. Brennan makes fun of wistful Cinderella heroines with "Look For a Sky of Blue" and joins her Ranger for a "Colorado Love Call" and a retired opera singer for "Every Little Nothing."

Finished the night online with the Flyers-Canadiens game live in Toronto. The Flyers scored early in the first half...which was the last time anyone scored anything. They'd get so close, only to just miss the net or have it pushed away. In the end, that one point was enough to win. They're now 2 - 1 over the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Alas, they play in the afternoon tomorrow. I was hoping to run errands once my check cleared.

Brides, Birds, and Men of Steel

Began a cloudy morning with Banana Pancakes two musicals by director Stanley Donen, who passed away last week. Began with the soundtrack from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which I have on the B-side of an LP with the 1954 Rose Marie. While there isn't enough space for "The Barn Raising Ballet," all of the other songs from the film are included. This tale of a feisty lass who marries an Oregon farmer and eventually encourages his six younger brothers to marry as well is a long-time favorite in my family, especially with my brother and late stepfather. My favorite numbers are Jane Powell's "Wonderful, Wonderful Day," "Goin' Courtin'" for Powell and the brothers, and "Spring, Spring, Spring" for the brothers and their ladies when they're celebrating the end of the snow and the arrival of new life.

Decided to do something different with Singin' In the Rain. I have the deluxe 2-disc CD edition that includes the original versions of the songs in the film on the second disc. These are the music from the films the songs were taken from, ranging from Charles King performing the title song of The Broadway Melody to Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's spirited "Good Morning." I also like Jeanette MacDonald's rendition of "Would You" from the early disaster film San Francisco and June Knight and a surprisingly decent Robert Taylor having fun with "I've Got a Feelin' Your Foolin'" from The Broadway Melody of 1936.

Played some Angry Birds Star Wars next. The Wii comes with 10 "Bonus Rounds" representing each world...but not with the rounds for Return of the Jedi, which apparently came out online after the disc was released. Bummer. There's only 10 rounds for The Boba Fett Missions as well, but I'm going to move on to them next time anyway, if only to finish out the game.

Finally headed to the laundromat around 1:30-2 PM. I should have gone earlier. They were packed when I got there. For once, I actually had a harder time finding a dryer than a washer. I worked on story notes and half-listened to the New York Rangers-Washington Capitols game that was on the TV. (The Capitols eventually won, by the way, 3-2.)

Put everything away that I could (some things still needed to dry), then went on the computer to start winding down my Han/Robin Hood story. Instead of going straight upstairs, he and Yoda are surrounded by Admiral Piett and a squad of guards. They're rescued by the arrival of Chewbacca, Leia, Thomas, Artoo, and several diminutive but aggressive peasants from the fair. It takes Artoo's nose to figure out where Vader has taken Luke and lead the others to him...

Since I had a little bit of extra time, I wound down with a bath. Ahhh. After everything that's gone on in the past month, never mind the past week, I seriously needed it. I looked over some of my self-help books while listening to my George Shearing Quintet Black Satin/White Satin CD.

Finished off the night online with something unique on YouTube. Musicals and superheroes are not normally the best combination - witness the failure of Spider Man, Turn Off the Dark about a decade ago. An earlier musical, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman, did even worse, shuttering after three months. For some reason, they attempted to do it as a 90 minute TV film in 1975. On one hand, there's a terrific cast, including Leslie Ann Warren as Lois Lane, Kenneth Mars as egotistical columnist Max Mencken, Loretta Swift as his secretary Sydney, and David Wayne as mad scientist Dr. Abner Segwick. The by-then offensive villainous Chinese acrobats were replaced by goofy mobsters who aren't any fonder of Superman (one of them is Al Taliferro of Happy Days and The Odd Couple).

On one hand, there's a couple of decent numbers. The gangsters get the one new song written for the show, the hilarious "It's a Free Country," while Mars and Warren have a great time with "You're the Woman for the Man." Mars and Wayne make great villains, too, especially in their reprise of "You've Got What I Need."

 Alas, some of the songs (including the only standard from this score, "You've Got Possibilities"), are marred by attempts at updated tempos. Warren is too gushy and gosh-golly, and the Superman, David Wilson, is skinny, bland, and annoying whether he's the Man of Steel or Clark Kent. No wonder Lois doesn't see him. Not to mention, the sets are ridiculously cheap, with Superman easily breaking through them (though this does lead to a decent gag when bricks spill out whenever he leaps into the obviously thin paper).

If you're a fan of musicals, Superman, or anyone in the cast, this is worth a look once for curiosity's sake if you can handle the cheese.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!

Incidentally, it started raining lightly on my way home. By the time I was writing, the rain had turned into a downpour, and then into about an inch of snow. It switched back to rain sometime around dinner, and from what I can hear, has been rain ever since.

Showdown In Atlanta

Started off the day with my first of two early work shifts in a row. To my surprise, it was once again on-and-off steady. Everyone must have been waiting to shop until right before the big game. Not to mention, it was simply too nice for shopping. It was sunny, bright, breezy, and far warmer than it has been, probably in the mid-40's. I did the outside trash and recycling and occasionally gathered baskets or bagged, but I mostly alternated between shelving loose items and helping the guys outside with the carts.

Went straight home, changed, and had a nice, simple lunch of yogurt, peanut butter, honey, a banana, and Breakfast Squares while listening to my Queen's Greatest Hits Vol 1 CD. Keefe got into 70's hard rock in the late 90's-early 2000's, thanks to his love of the soundtrack from A Knight's Tale and a teacher in elementary school who was as big of a fan of Led Zepplin as him. He called the Greatest Hits CD his "pump-up music." He used to listen to it right before a football or basketball game. I've taken to thinking of them that way, too. Songs like "Another One Bites the Dust" and "We are the Champions" sure get your heart moving, anyway.

Headed out to the laundromat as the CD was ending. To my surprise, they weren't bad, either. They were just starting to clear out as I arrived. Just as well. I had a huge load that included towels. I half-worked on notes and half-listened to the Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was on. (Bruins won, 1-0.) By the time they'd switched to golf, my laundry was in the dryer.

As soon as I got home, I finished Queen, put everything away, and got some writing done. Luke arrive just as Han and Leia finish arguing, with a strange little monk on his back. Han can't figure out why Luke brought this ancient short guy. The monk's name is Friar Yoda, and he demonstrates his skills by leaping onto Han's back and riding him across the bridge, to Han's general annoyance.

Broke to take a fast shower at 6. The Super Bowl was at 6:30. The game was just starting as I got out and got dinner together. I was going to make my favorite Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip...but I was out of black beans. It became Southwestern Shredded Chicken Dip, replacing the beans with canned chicken and the fresh oregano with spinach and dried oregano. Had it with blue corn chips. Not bad. The mellow flavor of the chicken actually paired pretty well with the tangy dip. Made the pumpkin bread from the Acme mix for dessert, which wasn't bad, either.

Wish the game had been as good as the food I made. It was the dullest, most spectacularly boring Super Bowl I have ever seen in my entire life! It's probably just as well that Dad got sick and he and Jodie couldn't have a party. This was nothing to celebrate. The Rams and Patriots just would not let each other score. There were constant penalties. One team would get close, only to lose the ball to the other team. The Patriots did manage to score a field goal in the first half, making it 3-0. They got a touchdown by the end of the second half and finally won, 14-3.

I streamed the game on the CBS All Access channel...which means there weren't even that many good commercials. If it wasn't uplifting, it was advertising a show for CBS or Amazon Prime. The best thing I saw all night, besides Maroon 5's decent half-time concert, was a hilarious commercial for the NFL's 100th anniversary that had 50 active or retired star players chasing a ball all over a fancy party and wrecking total havoc. It was vastly more entertaining than the actual game, which was a huge-let down, especially after the genuinely exciting Eagles-Patriots game last year.

Taco Thursday

Today was my first early work shift in a while. Other than the ongoing remodeling, it was no trouble. I did a half-hour of carts when I got in and another one right before I went on break. Otherwise, I attempted to do returns. I really wish they hadn't opted to rearrange everything along with the remodeling. It doesn't bother me so much, but a lot of our customers don't want to have to get used to the way the store is organized again. Thankfully, we were never that busy and for once, there was plenty of help on a weekday.

The floral department manager gave me some good news yesterday. They're opting to expand the Floral Department and put that up front instead of the unnecessary Starbucks. It'll probably replace the weekly sales displays and self-checkout area that are at the entrance now. They're already building at the former display area, which is mostly boarded off.

Picked up a box of brown sugar quickly on sale, then headed home. Ate leftovers for lunch while watching Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates. The show finally acknowledges that Captain Hook and his boys weren't the best villains by downplaying their roles and creating an entirely new, far more menacing bad guy for the special "The Great NeverSea Conquest." Lord Fathom is an evil mer-wizard who wants to take over the entire NeverSea...and eventually, Never Land! He finds an emerald that gives him control over the creatures of the NeverSea and allows him to lock up the rightful rulers.

Meanwhile, Captain Hook and his crew and Jake and the kids are both looking for The Mighty Colossus. The legendary pirate vessel destroyed an enormous sea serpant, but went to the bottom of the Never Sea after doing so. Captain Hook wants the treasure it was supposedly carrying. Jake just wants to see the famous ship and learn more about its captain. He gets his wish and his chance when the kids' beloved ship Bucky is damaged. They get help from all the pirate captains in the Never Sea to raise the Colossus and prove Jake to be the strong-hearted pirate captain he'd always dreamed of.

Did writing for the next few hours. Hank's huge friend Charles appears with Baby, whom he found wandering the streets. Rey finds the message on Baby's collar. They take the dog and the paper to Leia Organa-Solo. After Leia tells them she knows Artie Baker, a friend of Luke's, she confronts Hank. The kids are hoping for romance, but despite a promising start, they end up discussing their son being involved in the shootout and Poe's kidnapping instead.

Artie turns out to be an eccentric, very small inventor. He's created a robot that looks like a huge Swiss army knife, but is really designed to hold secrets and communicate with other robots. A red light on its dome flashes, even though none of Artie's other robots are operating and there are no others in the area. He reveals that Luke is in New York, searching houses...though he's not sure why.

It was just getting dark and cloudy when I rode over to Dad and Jodie's around quarter of 6. Jodie's Taco Thursday was in full swing. She had hard and soft tortillas, seasoned ground beef, sliced tomatoes and onions, shredded lettuce, and hot sauce and sour cream out. I didn't have a big lunch and ended up eating four of them, three soft and one hard. (I'm not a big fan of hard tacos. They tend to fall apart.)

Chatted with various members of the family, including Dana, Jodie, and Rose. I didn't know Rose was a Flyers fan. This is their 50th season - today was their 50th annual home opening game, (Disappointingly, I later discovered they lost to the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2.) She suggested going to see a home game some time. I'd love to! I've seen Phillies and Eagles games live, but never the Flyers.

Glad I got to see everyone. Khai mostly watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown on DVD and The Loud Family on Nickelodeon while playing with his mother's iPad. Rose brought a Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, made from our mom's own recipe that she used to make for the Ugly Mug bar in Cape May when she worked there in the 80's. It was just as good as Mom's was when we were kids, chocolate-y and rich.

Rose also reminded me that I really need to call the family in Cape May County. I haven't since I went down there with her in July. They did just get past their busy season. Dad-Bill apparently hasn't been doing so good, but it's more than likely he won't do anything like resting and is probably driving Mom nuts. He and Anny apparently went up to visit Grandma Ann in upstate New York. Grandma Ann is cool. She's my only grandparent left. As Rose said, she has a tendency to spend money like it's going out of style (gee, wonder where Dad-Bill gets that habit from), but she's funny as hell and tells great stories.

I'm On My Way Home

Lauren, her parents, and I headed out to Albany around quarter of 10. Dark clouds gathered even as we left. We actually had several snow squalls as we passed through lovely small towns in Massachusetts and upstate New York. After Mr. and Mrs. Miller stopped at a Rite Aid just outside of Albany to buy something, we headed on to the Albany train station.

The train station at Albany is small but beautiful, all blond wood and dramatic high ceilings. It's also the most recent of the train stations I visit on these trips, apparently having been built in 2002. We all sat in the waiting area, watching Face the Nation and a travel show on CBS, until my train arrived.

This time, there was no trouble on the Albany-New York train. It was flurrying again when I got on the train, but that ended even before we rolled out of the station. Despite the conductor continually claiming the train was full, the car I was in wasn't that busy, and I had no problems getting a seat to myself. I took many photos of the gorgeous view of a partly cloudy sky over green and rust mountains and steel-gray water going back.

New York was, once again, more of a problem. It was the train to Philadelphia that was late, with long lines. We rolled out of the station fifteen minutes after we were supposed to. (Not bad, considering some south-bound trains had delays of anywhere from five minutes to an hour or more.) It didn't help that a hockey game must have just ended at Madison Square Garden over the station shortly after I arrived. We were overwhelmed with a wave of hockey fans in Rangers jerseys.

This train was so busy, I just barely grabbed the last seat in the car. That had it's own kind of romance. I was in the very front of the car with the baggage that either didn't fit in the overhead compartments, or people didn't have time to shove them in. I felt like I was riding a baggage car in the 30's.

When the train finally did roll into the 30th Street Station around ten of 6, I went right to a busy Cosi's for dinner. They're a fancy coffee shop/cafe ala Au Bon Pain and Starbucks. I had water, so I didn't bother with warm drinks. I bought half of a mozzarella, tomato, and basil pizza and a cup of tomato-basil soup. Yum. The pizza was nice and thick and saucy. The soup was delicious, creamy and chunky and a little spicy but not bad.

On my way out of Cosi's, I mis-stepped and turned my ankle. While it hurt, I didn't hear anything crack. I think it's just a little twisted. I spent the next half-hour sitting at a wooden bench, waiting for the departure gate to show up on the old-fashioned flapping board.

Though the NJ Transit train was relatively full for 7 at night, once again, I had no problems getting a seat. Dad picked me up in Cherry Hill. (I doubt anyone would drive into Philly at 7 at night and get me.) I finally got home around quarter of 8.

As soon as I got in, I put everything away. I put any toiletries or items I used purely for traveling in my small overnight case and pushed that under my bed. All of the laundry - including new clothes - went in the laundry basket. I'll do that tomorrow.

Oh, and I called the Acme when I got in to ask when I'm scheduled. I work tomorrow from 3 to 8. I'm actually glad I work later. It'll give me the chance to get the laundry done and call Charlie or his parents. The heater is broken again. It's freezing in here! It was barely in the 50's when I came into the apartment. I'm shivering in my robe and nightgown here.

Law & Order & Sisters

I overslept and even with Dad and Jodie picking me up, was almost late to work! This was not a good thing. For one thing, it was pouring when I got up, and continued to pour all day. Big-time, monsoon-level, everything floods pouring. Dad and Jodie were taking Khai grocery shopping anyway, but I was still a little embarrassed.

Thankfully, that was the worst that happened. It was quiet-to-steady until the 4PM rush hour, after which it picked up considerably. I really got rather lucky. The college boy who was supposed to come in at 4:30 was so late, he came in for me when I was done at 5.

Dad picked me up at work. The rain was still coming down. The roads were really bad by then. They were starting to shut down parts of roads that had been flooded. The part of West Clinton that goes under the train bridge was so high, we barely got through in Dad's mini van. (Dad said we may have been the last ones through before the police shut the underpass down.)

I ended up at Dad's house for the rest of the night. My sister Rose was finally being sworn in as a lawyer! A local judge and his wife were going to do the swearing in, but they had problems getting there, thanks to all the road closings. Dinner took a lot longer than the swearing in. We used Dad's den for the event, and it took all of five minutes. Khai was so cute. He ran next to his mother and repeated the oath as best he could with his hand raised; he wanted to be sworn in, too!

I spent most of the rest of the evening watching Law & Order re-runs on WE and cartoons and playing games with Khai and Jessa. Khai got a lot of fun new games for his birthday. One was "Zingo!," basic bingo, only with words and pictures (like "cat" or "dog" or "sun") on chips instead of numbers and letters. Another was a variation on Candy Land, only with dinosaurs in a train trying to get home, and a spinner instead of cards. A third was a 3-D matching game. You set up penguins holding colored "eggs" inside and roll the dice. Each side of the dice has a color. You look under the penguin and see if you can find the color that matches the dice.

We finished with the penguin game in time for dinner. Jodie made her famous so-soft-they-fall-off-the-bone ribs, along with boiled asparagus (which was sadly rather overcooked) and scallops wrapped in bacon. Margaret, Dad's neighbor, made a delicious spinach and bacon salad. There was a lemon cake from the Acme in Westmont for dessert.

Khai and I watched a couple of on-demand cartoons as the others chatted. Evidently, Khai's interests are slowly moving from dinosaurs to superheroes, especially the Cartoon Network show Teen Titans Go! The original Teen Titans were four young adults - Batman's ward Robin, good-natured robot man Cyborg, sweet Beast Boy (who can change into any animal), naive alien Starfire, and goth bad girl Raven - who are the Justice League's apprentices. While the show did well enough, it must have gotten too dark for execs at Cartoon Network. The new show looks and sounds like a cross between The Powerpuff Girls and Super Friends. It's now done in super-cute Flash animation, and most stories revolve around the kids hanging out or being weird in their t-shaped hide-out. Very strange show with some oddly dark humor, especially the one that reveals all the kids' dreams in different styles, from live-action for Beast Boy to the original show's anime for Robin.

Wally Kazaam made at least slightly more sense. This Nick Jr. little kids' show follows the title character, a cute ogre whose stick can make magical words appear. His friends include a fairy, his dog-like dragon, and Bob Goblin, a goofy little monster with a very one-track mind. In the episode we saw, the four have to dodge rotten tomatoes raining from the sky and tricky trees to get to the Magical Wishing Potato and wish their fairy friend's voice back in time for her concert. Every episode has a letter or sound of the day, and those letters or sounds will appear in Wally's magical words (in this case, the "sh" sound). Very cute show; Bob Goblin in particular was a riot.

When Khai and I started having pillow fights and Dad played monster, we knew it was time to go home. Rose and Khai drove me back. Thankfully, by that point, it was still raining but not anywhere near as heavily. The waters had receded, and we were able to get home with no problems. It may not even be raining now.

Oh, and alas, the Flyers ended their season today, just barely losing to the New York Rangers 2-1.

The Garden Next Door

Started the day quickly with the original book version of Auntie Mame, Carrot-Oatmeal Pancakes for breakfast, and this week's Brunch With the Beatles. "Questions and Answers" was the broad, simple theme for today. Any song from any era was fine, as long as it asked a question or gave an answer. Songs that did one or the other or both included "Do You Want to Know a Secret?", "When I'm 64," and "With A Little Help From My Friends."

Although I had to work earlier than usual for a Sunday, I did have enough time to call Mom. She had a quiet Easter. Anny spent a lot of the week with her sons and a guy friend and his daughter who was visiting the area. Dad was out working, but was due in soon, and Mom wanted to get a lot of cleaning done before he was underfoot. Basically, she said to keep moving forward, ignore Rose's complaints about my being self-centered (um, I live alone - whom am I supposed to be centered on?) and not doing enough to change my circumstances. I'm doing what I can.

I went to work almost as soon as I got off the phone with Mom. Work was crazy for most of the day. It was a beautiful, if windy, spring day, and this is the only day of the week a lot of people can shop. Basketball and hockey are in playoffs, too. The Flyers played at noon. Alas, they couldn't hold off the New York Rangers, who handed them their rears, 4-2. I saw the opening seconds of the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues during my break, and later as I was getting ready to go home. (I had to stay an hour later, due to how overwhelmingly busy we were.) The Blackhawks had no trouble giving the Blues the blues with a huge 5-1 win.

When I got home, I had a quick leftovers dinner and listened to my original cast LP for Mame. Although I do enjoy the movie version, the cast album is fun, too. Angela Landsbury became a beloved stage star with her performance as the world's most unconventional relative. The cast recording includes a number for Mame and the ensemble, "That's How Young I Feel," that didn't make it into the movie.

I wanted to go for a walk after dinner, but it was past 7. I just opted to go next-door to Veteran's Park. The park is in full bloom now, with shiny, soft green leaves on every tree. They're just starting to work on the town garden, too. I saw one plot with pots of dazzlingly white hyacinths. Someone planted tomato stalks and what looked like lettuce in another. There were adorable little mums all around the perimeter. A heavier wooden fence had been added in some places. It was probably to keep local critters out, but it also made it a bit hard to look in.

Merry Berry New Year

I started 2014 by sleeping in after a long week. (Thankfully, I didn't awake to mummers rehearsing as I have the past few years.)  I read The Pyrates and wrote in my journal, then ran a couple of Backyardigans episodes as I had a quick oat bran and sliced pineapple breakfast. Tyrone wants to find the end of the rainbow all by himself in "Sinbad Sails Alone," but Pablo is determined to tag along. Pablo, Uniqua, and Austin want to join Tyrone's circus in "Best Clowns In Town." Tyrone is a bit humorless and doesn't like clowns...and he likes them even less when they make him miss his train.

Work was, quite frankly, boring for a lot of the day. It was busy between about 1 and 2:30, and then just went back to being mildly steady to quiet. I'm guessing everyone either did their freaking out yesterday or are waiting for tomorrow after they see the weather reports. Most of the problems I had today stemmed from my being stressed and very tired. I haven't had a day off since Christmas Day and won't have one until Friday...which is when we're supposed to get the last of the snow, of course.

And I'm not the only one who is feeling the strain of working ten days or more without a day off. One of the college boys mentioned in the back after I'd gotten off that he, too, hadn't had a day off since Christmas Day...and one of the other college students hadn't had one off since before then. With so many people gone, the Eagles doing better than expected, and the holidays here, the managers thought we'd be a lot busier than we have been.

Since I wasn't able to go out for breakfast this morning as I have the past few years, I thought I'd try going out for breakfast for dinner. The Legacy Diner in Audubon on the White Horse Pike serves breakfast all day. I had a relaxing meal of a huge, moist Belgian waffle with whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blueberries. I read the end-of-the-year Entertainment Weekly I bought at work, watched the Winter Classic (Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-2), and admired the beautiful winter and Christmas stencils some creative person did on all the windows.

I thought of going to WaWa for milk, but I think I'll try getting there tomorrow instead. I just rode home and went straight in the bath. I would have enjoyed the bath more if I hadn't been so tired. After having so much fun through most of December, I feel like I've done nothing the past two weeks but work...and I haven't been able to enjoy my holidays at all. When I almost fell asleep in the bath, I figured it was time to get out.

I put on Holiday Inn after I got into my warm mauve pajamas and plaid robe. This 1942 musical featuring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire introduced the mammoth hits "White Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" and was the first of two Paramount musicals to partner Astaire and Crosby. Tired of the rat race, Crosby opens an inn that only operates on holidays. He hires a pretty dancer (Marjorie Reynolds) for the floor shows and falls for her. When Astaire catches sight of her, he falls for her, too, having been ditched by his former partner (Virginia Dale). The two spend the rest of Holiday Inn's first year competing for the two women's affections amid some lovely musical numbers.

I like this intimate romantic comedy better than the shinier White Christmas. The romantic complications have a grain of truth to them, and the way "White Christmas" is introduced is rather sweet. (PC warning - the "Abraham" number in black face for Lincoln's Birthday doesn't look so cute today, which is likely why this was an instrumental dance routine for Vera-Ellen in White Christmas.) Despite that warning, I highly recommend this one for fans of Crosby, Astaire, songwriter Irving Berlin, or smaller-scale musicals.

Into the Holiday Weekend

Began a sunny morning with the American Top 40. Valentine's Day 1976 broke out the disco, R&B, novelty tunes, and some classic ballads. We heard "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow, "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate, "Evil Woman" by the Electric Light Orchestra (which would be incorporated into the 2007 stage version of Xanadu), Neil Sedaka's slower version of "Breakin' Up Is Hard to Do," "Theme from S.W.A.T" by Rhythm Heritage, "Love Roller Coaster" by the Ohio Players, "Love Machine (Part 1)" by the Miracles, "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer, and the novelty tune on the then-exploding trucker culture, "Convoy." That week's #1 song was one of my favorite Paul Simon hits, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.

I finished out the second Avengers: The World's Greatest Superheroes! volume while doing some crocheting. My favorite episodes on the second disc both highlighted the Hulk. "Gamma World" was a very interesting two-parter in which the Hulk's old adversary The Leader, one of the escapees from the Cube, the prison for gamma radiation villains, creates a huge dome of radiation. It eventually expands until it consumes the whole desert and Las Vegas, turning the entire city and most of the Avengers into monsters. The only Avengers who avoid this fate are Thor, who isn't from this world, Hawkeye, who managed to outrun the blast, and Hulk, who's been a gamma monster for ages. The three find themselves working together to try to contain the Leader's scheme...and prove to the Hulk that both of his alter egos have a purpose in the Avengers.

I made a quick errand run around the Oaklyn area after the DVD ended. The Oaklyn PNC branch will be closing the 22nd and consolidating with the branch in Collingswood. Next week will be my last day depositing anything there. I wish they were closing the branch in Collingswood instead. That would really make more sense. There's at least three or four other banks on Haddon Avenue alone, but only one other bank in Oaklyn (TD Bank further down the White Horse Pike). I like PNC and intend to stay with them, but I don't want to ride to Collingswood every week to deposit my paycheck.

I never made it to the Oaklyn Library last week. Made up for that with a quick stop there after leaving the bank. The library was the busiest I ever saw it. The children's area was filled with kids making LEGO kingdoms and vehicles and towers. I'd forgotten that today was the library's LEGO Building Club. Oh well, the kids were fun to watch.

I ended up working on the adult DVD section instead. It really needed the organizing. Half the boxes weren't in the right place at all. I also did something I'd been wanting to do forever. The Oaklyn Library probably can't afford to give the DVDs uniform cases and usually just leave them in the case they came in (even when the case is merely a cardboard box or slipcover). This would be all well and fine, if whomever shelved them actually bothered taking off the black and white sticky labels that hold together the tops. Many of them still had parts of the labels on their tops and sides. It looked tacky and unprofessional, not to mention made the cases hard to open. I removed as many of the labels as I could (some of them were covered with the library's scan bar stickers and couldn't be budged), then explained the situation to the librarian on duty. She said she'd leave a note for the other librarians to be more careful with the DVDs.

When I got home, I finished out "Gamma World" and ran a couple of Sailor Moon episodes from the first half the second season during a leftovers lunch, then headed to work. One of the managers had asked me to stay until 8. Having already taken a lot of hours this week, I told her I'd stay until 7, if necessary. (Getting off at 7 made more sense than getting off at 6:30, anyway.) Evidently, the father of one of the college boys had passed away, and he was going to be gone for a while. (Which also explains my late hours later this week.)

It was crazy-busy for most of the afternoon, not helped by the lack of employees. At one point, we even had to call a guy from the bakery to help out up front...and the bakery was even busier than us! February is a big birthday month. I saw at least seven or eight people buying birthday cakes and party trappings today. I thought it was quiet enough by 6:30 for me to leave at the original time, but the managers needed one of the cashiers to help with a display. I was embarrassed when they called me back to stay until the original 7. I thought the other cashier would be coming back!

I did get one important thing done at work today. One of the head managers helped me switch my paycheck from check to direct deposit. I was wary of that when it was first debuted. I would rather have the money right away, in my hand. But then, I started direct-depositing my tax refund money, and then got my temporary disability money last fall through direct deposit, and I realized how convenient it is to have the money right away and not have to run to the bank to put it in there. If nothing else, it'll save me an errand. From now on, I'll just take the money out of the bank that I need for the week on Fridays.

I finally made it to Applebee's after changing into a regular shirt. Needless to say, they were very busy on a Saturday night. My original plan for Christmas Eve was a decent dinner at Applebee's, which is in the parking lot next to the Acme, but I ended up going to Dad's party instead. I just switched it to a late Valentine's Day dinner. The hostess originally said the wait was 10 minutes, but it took less than 5 for them to seat me in a booth near the door.

I had the tasty Napa Chicken and Portobello, which was pretty much grilled chicken with roasted red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini, topped with Swiss cheese. Some of the zucchini slices hadn't really been cooked through, but they were awfully thick. Everything else was just fine. The chicken was tender and salty. The remaining vegetables were divine. I may have to try something like that at home this week. I enjoyed my meal and watched the Flyers play the Montreal Canadians. (Alas, they ultimately lost, 4-1.)

I heard customers mention a flurry in the middle of the afternoon. It was just cloudy when I got out of work, and at press time doesn't seem to be anything but cold.

The Ghost Walks...Into Oaklyn

Started out the morning with more Popeye shorts. Some of the supporting cast from the comic strip joined in for the next round of shorts as the Fleischers moved their studio from grimy New York to sunny Miami. Some of the characters, like Eugene the Jeep (a dog-like critter that can disappear and reappear at will) and the Goons, were pretty bizarre. Others, like Popeye's rough old father Poopdeck Pappy, made slightly more sense. Pappy's introductory short, "Goonland," looks a lot like the 1980 movie - Popeye is in search of his very old father, who doesn't recognize him when he does find him.

Others played with the "Popeye and Bluto fight over Olive" formula. All three try to make themselves more "refined," as per their fan club's orders, in "It's the Natural Thing to Do"...with predictable results. Popeye's fondness for animals helps to show a bull that he doesn't have to fight in the ring in "Bulldozing the Bull." He has less luck freeing pets from Olive's shop in "Leave Well Enough Alone." The third two-reeler also showed up at this point. Olive beats Warner's "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" by a decade by "penning" Popeye's next featurette, a more straightforward adaptation of "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" than Disney's version.

Finally headed out to run some errands around 11:30. Much to my surprise, despite all the fuss, we once again only got about 2 inches of snow. The day was sunny and bright, with only a few cottony clouds in the sky. Even as I strolled to the bank, the warm sun was melting a lot of the snow. Anything that was in the shade was icy, though, and the wind was fierce.

I deposited my paycheck, then decided to take a lot at the House of Fun a few doors down on the same block. I hadn't been there since Lauren visited last May. I had such a hard time choosing between the many, many items stuffed on shelves and laying on the floor. I considered a leathery Felix the Cat doll, an original Atari 2600 console (the games were really cheap), or a book on 80s toys. I had such a hard time deciding, I ultimately just walked out with a DVD copy of the 1996 movie The Phantom.

(The other thing is, I'm going to save some money for a new laptop. I've had the Compaq I'm using now for 4 years, since 2009...and my best friend Lauren owned it for 3 years before that. I don't want anything fancy. I just want something I can download music, use the internet, and write on.)

I stopped at Capitol Pizza, which is a block from The House of Fun, for lunch. I had a slice of cheese pizza and a slice of mushroom pizza with a can of Fresca. For once, they had something interesting on their widescreen TV. The usual CNN had been replaced by Comcast Sport Network's showing of today's Flyers home game. I joined them just as they scored against the Carolina Hurricanes and pulled ahead 2-1. The Hurricanes evened up the score as I was leaving. (Apparently, it went into overtime after I left; the Flyers just pulled off a 4-3 win.)

Spent the rest of the afternoon at home. For one thing, I really needed to clean. The bathroom and kitchen weren't quite as bad as when I did them last month, but they had to be done. I never did get to vacuuming  I'll have to do that tomorrow.

I ran Popeye while doing the kitchen, then switched to The Phantom while making White Chocolate Chip-Strawberry Cake and Chicken Stir-Fry for dinner. As with The Shadow and John Carter, this is a cult adaptation of a seminal, prototypical sci-fi franchise. "The Phantom" was one of the earliest superhero comics. Kit Walker is a young man who is the 21st in a line of superheroic do-gooding characters whose ancestors befriended an Asian Indian tribe. Kit (Billy Zane) has to foil the plot of the evil tycoon Xander Drax (Treat Williams), who wants to find three skulls that will grant him ultimate power. Diana (Kristy Swanson), the feisty niece of a newspaper owner who is doing a series of articles on Drax's underhanded business deals, wants to find the skulls first. Both she and the deadly female pilot Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) want to find out more about this mystery man in the purple suit...

Ultimately succumbs to the same problems as The Shadow, another 90s movie version of a 30s character - poor casting choices weaken a nifty, Indiana Jones-esque story. Zane is a bland leading man; Swanson and Jones are slightly better as the strong-willed woman Walker has fallen for and the vampy aviatrix.

Philly Phanatics

It took a while to actually get to the game. I called Jodie this morning when I finally got up and about...and my stepsister Jessa called ME at the same time. She originally suggested going to Citizen's Bank Park by train, but that would have taken over an hour! Train is what she knows best. We finally worked out a quicker route via Google Maps...at the same time she called and said she asked our Uncle Ken, who is a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan and has been to many games, the fastest route to the Sports Complex Area.

We did finally make it to the game around 12:30. It was a gorgeous day for a ball game, nicer than the last time we went. While it was still sunny and hot in the stands, it wasn't nearly as warm or humid. There was a cool breeze blowing through South Philadelphia that felt really nice, too. Lauren had the perfect seats - 141, second row, seats 1 & 2, the section in front of the main concourse floor of Harry the K's Bar & Grille. ("Harry the K" being beloved Phillies sportscaster Harry Kalas, who died in 2009.) We had a great view of the whole game (ignoring the drunken idiots behind us who kept making fun of the men and one woman selling beer, bottled water, popcorn, and peanuts in the stands).

Lauren and I had promised we wouldn't spend nearly as much money this time around as we did last year. Lauren bought a slice of pizza and a bottle of soda and got water for both of us in the stands. I bought a gigantic soft pretzel and a program. Otherwise, we wanted to save our money for our trip into downtown Philadelphia next week.

I wish the game was as much fun as the crowd at the stadium. Even I could tell that the Phillies played badly. One of the Red Sox shot a home run into the stands (not near us, alas) two minutes into the first inning! It didn't get much better from there. The Red Sox got another homer later in the third inning that brought home three players. The Phillies improved a little in the second half, but it was too little, too late. The Sox won 5-1.

Citizen's Bank Park was really fun today. For one thing, there were tons of really little kids around. Apparently, they were giving out free Hot Wheels-sized toy trucks to kids under 14. (I loved the adorable little female fan in the Phillies sailor-style dress and her daddy, who sat in the seats across the aisle from us.) Lots of groups were having outings, too. I got bored with the game and feeling hot and walked around during the bottom of the 7th, enjoying the sights around Harry the K's and checking out the Memory Lane Phillies history wall, which I didn't get to do last year.

I briefly rejoined Lauren in the stands, but we finally decided we'd had enough of sitting down. Lauren needed to use the bathroom, and I wanted to call Jessa and tell her the game was almost over. After Lauren finished, we watched the last inning together with the standing crowd. Heavy clouds had moved in around 2:30, and a wilder, cooler wind came with them. It felt really nice up there, as the wind whistled down the concourse and over our backs.

The game ended around 4:30. Jessa picked us up about 15 minutes later. Her boyfriend Bobby joined us this time around. As with last year, the worst traffic was around the stadium area. (Good thing the Sixers play tomorrow night and in Boston. I can only imagine what the traffic's like when more than one team is playing.) Otherwise, it was smooth sailing both ways.

Lauren and I decided we weren't up to anything resembling cooking, or even tossing leftovers together. Jessa dropped us off at the Oaklyn Manor Bar, a few blocks from my apartment. Lauren had a Pizza Cheese Steak. I had Cheese Steak Sliders. (Three deep-fried mini cheesesteaks.) We shared a plate of fries and watched sports games on the TVs around the bar's outdoor patio. (The Miami Heat was losing when we were there, but they ultimately went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Semi-Finals. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Kings couldn't get anything going against southwestern rivals the Phoenix Coyotes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.)

The sun had been in and out since we got back to Oaklyn, but the clouds seemed to be taking over as we finished dinner. That was fine by us. It made for a rather pleasant walk to WaWa for our favorite fountain sodas with flavored syrups. I recreated Dr. Pepper's Berries n' Cream Soda from a few years ago using Diet Dr. Pepper and cherry, raspberry, and vanilla syrups. Lauren had her favorite cherry and raspberry syrup in Mello Yello. The wind had picked up, and it felt absolutely marvelous as we strolled along together.

When we got in, we watched some cartoons and went online. The weather isn't supposed to be great tomorrow, so we don't really have any major plans besides a trip to the laundromat.

Oh, and we both had enough sense to put on suntan lotion before we left and wear baseball caps to shade our faces. My chest and neck got red, but some of that might be leftover from yesterday, and it's nowhere near as bad as last year. Lauren said she bathed in sunblock; she's fine.

Putting It Together

Before I started in on my bed, I did have Strawberry Multi-Grain Pancakes for breakfast while listening to Brunch With the Beatles. "Award Winning Beatles Songs" was the theme today. Grammy winning Beatles songs include "Hey Jude," "A Hard Day's Night," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Sgt. Pepper"'s title song and "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Had a quick chat with Mom during the Beatles show. She'd just gotten out of the shower and obviously wanted to get dressed and moving on her errands. Like me, she plans on spending her week working outside once Mother Nature calms down.

I spent the next two hours putting my new bed together. It's pretty big for a daybed, and very heavy! I had to move my new bookshelf, the phone stand, and the crate I use for a nightstand away from the back wall. I used to have just the front of the mattress and box spring against the wall, with the rest jutting out into the room. With the closets taking up one wall and the heater along the other, there just isn't anywhere else I could put it. I moved the stuffed animals into the back room while I worked; the AG dolls and Disney Animator's Collection girls watched me from my desk chair.

As it turned out, the bed came with everything but one screw and directions. I keep screws and nuts leftover from previous projects in an old plastic butter container in the antique dresser in the living room. The last section of the head board was put together with a golden piece from I believe one of the Ikea shelves. I call it "The Golden Spike." (I think it actually worked better than the ones they provided.)

The lack of directions was a problem. It took me at least ten minutes to figure out that the nuts were to help the screws stay in the holes. There was also the fact I was doing this alone. I had no one to hold up the metal bed frame so it would stay in place. I eventually used the nightstand and another crate for that job.

It took me so long to figure everything out, after I was finished and the sheet was on, I had twenty minutes to eat lunch, pack dinner, change, and head to work! I managed to make it only slightly late and with no injuries this time. Work was busy when I came in. In addition to the beginning of the month and many barbecues and birthday parties, it was a big sports day. The Sixers played even as I arrived; they ultimately beat the Bulls 89-82. The Phillies played while I was at work, and the Flyers started as I was heading home at 7:30.

I finished putting the sheets, comforter, and stuffed animals on my new bed when I got in. It is so much easier to make an actual bed than it is a mattress and a box spring! With the mattress not jammed between the crate and the phone stand anymore, I can actually get the sheets and blanket on without a struggle. I moved the old mattress and box spring and the phone stand to the porch; they'll be taken downstairs later in the week for trash removal. The phone stand is one of the cheap furniture pieces I picked up from Ames when I first moved to Wildwood in 2002. Not only has it always been a little wobbly, I didn't do a great job of constructing it and actually chipped one side when I was screwing the parts together. (In my defense, I wasn't feeling well at the time. I called out the next day with a nasty flu bug.) The phone is now on the crate nightstand.

All of my stuffed animals fit on the day bed, including the dolls. Good thing, because I haven't figured out where to put their bed yet. That and the bookshelf will be organized tomorrow.

Oh, and while the Phillies blasted the Washington Nationals 9-3, the Flyers lost to the New Jersey Devils 4-2. The latter had better get their rears in gear before their eliminated from the playoffs...

Spring Greenery

I slept in this morning, then read The Drackenburg Adventure and did my journal and An Artist's Way in bed. When I finally got up, I switched on Brunch With the Beatles. The album in the spotlight today, The Beatles (generally known as The White Album), is a favorite of mine. The big hits were George's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," John's "Revolution," and Paul's driving "Helter Skelter." The boys were beginning to fracture as they did this album, and some of the fracas found its way into the music, including "The Continuing Story of Buffalo Bill," "Green Tangerine" (John's response to people looking for meaning in their lyrics), George indulging his sweet tooth in "Savoy Truffle," Paul taking over an angry Ringo's drumming duties for "Back In the U.S.S.R," and the ultimate rock "Birthday" song.

I made Pear-Honey Pancakes for breakfast, then called Mom. She'd just finished her breakfast and was about to spend a nice day in Cape May. I told her that, thanks to my trip to Haddonfield, my new purchases, and my less-stressful schedule, I am feeling a bit better. Mom was also in a good mood; she told me that my sister Rose is trying to get her lawyer certificate, so she can become a junior partner in the firm she's working for right now. My brother's girlfriend visited him in South Carolina while he's on leave. Keefe and Vicki are so sweet on each other, they're giving the entire family cavities. ; )

Spent the rest of the early afternoon changing the American Girl dolls into less fancy spring clothes and reorganizing their wardrobe. I moved the Sailor Moon dolls' things into the last milk crate I took out of the bedroom and switched the American Girls' winter clothing to the gray container. Samantha's now in her nautical-themed Middy Dress, brass whistle, black stockings, and Springfield Collection black flats. Jessa's going casual in the tie-dyed T-shirt from 1996 Earth Day Outfit, the cargo khakis from the 1999 Drawstring Cargoes and Plaid Shirt outfit, and the sandals from Molly's bathing suit. Molly's showing off her new purple pleated Jitterbug Dress from the American Girl Place Revues. Felicity stayed in her pink Birthday Pinner Gown. I don't really have much else for her. Her things are still fairly expensive on eBay.

Had a very quick leftovers lunch and headed to work around quarter of 2. Work was very busy when I got in, despite the utterly gorgeous weather. It was a little chilly when I poked my head out during the Beatles show, but by 2PM, it was sunny and a little windy, but nothing like yesterday. People were either buying beginning-of-the-month orders, food for barbecues, or gearing up for the big Devils-Flyers showdown at 3PM.

I got to see a little of the end of the second quarter during my break. The Devils were winning then, 1-0. The Flyers must have had a heck of a second half. When my relief came in and I got my eggs and tortillas and went to the back room to get my bike, they were in overtime. I saw one of the Flyers get a goal that seemed to win the game...and promptly screamed my head off. I brought a stock boy running in, and he did his own screaming. We screamed even louder when we discovered it had been kicked in and the goal was removed.

I had eggs to get home; I couldn't stay any longer. I rode home, enjoying the lovely weather. I heard someone yelling as I rounded the corner of Goff and Kendall Avenue; I figured it was about the game, but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

The weather was too perfect for my original plans of making fish at home. I went for a walk to WaWa for a hoagie instead. It's so green outside. The iris are already blooming; the lilacs are about done. Many bushes are blooming profusely, too. The leaves on the trees are already big and full and fat. Fuzzy season seems to be winding down here. I haven't seen nearly as many seed pods in the last few days as I have the past month. There were tons of people out and about, enjoying the weather. Kids played in backyards; adults went for jogs or power walks. One enterprising fellow was selling porcelain dolls on the White Horse Pike, next to the Gulf Gas Station. (I didn't buy any. I'm trying to clear out my porcelain dolls, not buy more.) A family on Manor was either moving into their home or moving out; I saw a half-full U-Haul. I do wish they hadn't been tossing that poor huge teddy bear around and abusing him. They were young adults and college-age kids, and they were being awfully noisy.

(And yes, that scream was a good scream. The Flyers finally made a legit score and won more than 4 minutes into overtime, 4-3.)

Not-So-Little April Showers

I awoke late in the morning to a heavy, steady downpour that has continued without abate for the entire day. Oh well. Even my customers, most of whom fear anything that isn't perfect 60 degree weather, have said that we badly need the rain. It's still raining out there now, as I type this.

I made Banana-Currant Pancakes for breakfast after I switched on Brunch With the Beatles. The subject of today's show was Beatles EPs - ie, long-playing singles, records with two or three songs on each side. Apparently, they were common in Europe, but never caught on in the US. This is why the majority of today's songs were lesser-known singles mostly heard in England, like "Slow Down" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy."

Called Mom about half-way through the show. She had a much better week than I did. She's now taking several online courses in Microsoft Excel and Word and seems to be quite thoroughly enjoying both of them. She never had the chance to take typing or computer courses when she was in school, and now that she's finally an official empty nest mom, she's taking full advantage of the opportunity to upgrade her skills and learn something new and interesting.

Spent the rest of the afternoon updating my inventories, including the records I bought yesterday and my newest dubbed finds. The rain continued, pounding on the roof like a mad Keith Moon drummer. Around 2PM, I began to realize that, despite my best hopes, the rain would not be stopping anytime in the near (or even distant) future. I tried to call Jodie, but couldn't get her. Rose and Jessa would probably be at work, and Dad's out doing a cruise ship job. I just rode to work and got very wet.

Work was surprisingly the same as yesterday - busy when I arrived, quiet when I left. Apparently, a lot of people shopped earlier in the day, before the big playoff game between the Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was do or die for both teams - whomever won this one won the series and the right to continue in the post-season. The Phillies were playing the San Diego Padres in Southern California, too. (The latter was playing on the new TV in the back room when I had my break.) There were no major problems, and I was in and out with no relief.

The rain was still coming down heavily when I got out of work. I guess Mother Nature wants to make up for our dry spring all at one time. I once again just rode home. I needed a shower anyway, so I got pre-wet.

(Oh, and the Flyers kicked the Penguins' rears 5-1 and will be going on to the next round of the playoffs. I could so kick myself for forgetting that game was on today and not tomorrow! The Phillies didn't get nearly that lucky. The Padres beat them 6-1.)

How to Survive a Dull Day At Work

Yes, we were dead today. We were dead right up until 3PM. Even then, it wasn't THAT busy. It was nothing like last weekend. First, we're between holidays again. Second, it's the last week of the month. People will probably be getting their money later this week or early next week. Third, a lot of people just paid off taxes. Fourth, some folks may still be on spring break.

Once again, it was a beautiful day when I got home. Some clouds in the morning were quickly replaced by sunshine, wind, and mid-70s temperatures. I changed into shorts and tank top and went for a walk to run some errands.

My first stop was the PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike to deposit that $50 Mom and Dad gave me into the ATM machine. (I moved it to my savings account later in the evening.) I strolled down the White Horse Pike next, stopping at WaWa for a pretzel and a bottle of water.

Not surprisingly, everyone was out enjoying the day. It's so gorgeous here. Though it remains hot above the average, the wind kept it from feeling as sweltering as it did on Sunday. Kids rode their bikes and scooters. Parents pushed toddlers in strollers or walked dogs. Teenagers wandered in groups or sat at picnic tables and texted their buddies.

I had leftover chicken and carrots with spinach salad for dinner while I ran How to Train Your Dragon. Hiccup, a Viking teenager, is a bit of a joke in his village due to his clumsiness and seemingly crazy inventions. At first, he wants to be a great dragon-killer, like his father the Chief, but he changes his mind when he realizes there's a lot more to dragons than meets the eye. It's too late by that point; the village is desperately recruiting anyone who can fight the fire-breathing beasts, including kids. Hiccup joins a group of goofy fellow teenagers (including two very intense female Viking warriors) mostly against his will. He really changes his point of view when he encounters a black dragon who is said to be the fastest and most fearsome of the breed...and can't bring himself to kill it. The two become fast friends, and in doing so teach Vikings and dragons alike a lesson in harmony.

This was a very touching action tale with some phenomenal animation (love the dragon in the air - no wonder Hiccup was thrilled). I especially love that the two female Viking dragon fighters are a lot more intense and intelligent than any of their fellow gentlemen; Hiccup lets one he has a crush on, Astrid, in on his secret friendship.

Oh, and congratulations to the Philadelphia Flyers for their do-or-die 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres tonight! Next up, they take on the Washington Capitols for the Eastern Conference Finals!

Welcoming the Rain

I awoke to a cloudy, gray, cool day...and I was ok with that. We badly need the rain. The grass is looking very brown, and everything is getting crackly. I had oatmeal for breakfast, then headed down to the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there.

The Library was surprisingly quiet for such a nasty day. There weren't even any kids. I worked on organizing the kids' books, then took a quick glance at the DVDs. The kids' section took me a while, since I didn't do it last week.

It was just starting to spit a little as I walked back to my apartment. It didn't turn into a shower until an hour later, when I was eating lunch and working on the budget. By that point, I didn't really have the time to call for a ride. I rode my bike to work and got wet.

Work wasn't too bad. We had several call-outs in the morning and were busy during rush-hour, but once the Flyers game started, everyone cleared out. I spent the last half-hour shelving candy. There were a few annoying people, otherwise no problems.

It was just misting a little when I got out of the Acme. The rain thankfully waited to increase until I was two blocks from home.

And the Flyers are down 3-2 in the second period as of this writing, but it's still anyone's game...

May Fair Affair

It was a bit cloudy when I headed out this morning. My first stop were two yard sales in Oaklyn. One was on Cedar Avenue, the other that family on West Oakland that sells the collectibles. Neither had anything of interest. I moved on to the bank, which was dead; I was in and out quickly after a short chat with the cashier about my vacation and Lauren's visit.

The main reason I wanted off today was to attend the May Fair in Collingswood. The May Fair is a huge craft show/car show/midway that runs on Haddon Avenue the Saturday before Memorial Day. I've seen it every year I've lived here...but I've never been able to see everything. I always had to rush to get to work. I'm tired of rushing.

I was exploring around Collingswood's City Hall when I ran into Rose, Craig, Khai (snuggled in his daddy's arms), and their puppies Toby (I forget what mix he is, besides "big" and "cowardly") and Kelsey (a very frisky miniature pincher). They were strolling the Fair as well. Rose said they'd just come from the Classic Car Show, which was so long, they didn't take in half of it!

I did better. I saw all but the last few before I got bored and turned back. I'm not really a huge car fan, but I did see some interesting cars. My favorite was an absolute gorgeous, mint cherry-red Bel Air. I'll have to tell my nephew Skylar, who is a huge fan of The Love Bug, that I saw Herbie in person...or at least a late 60s-era Volkswagen painted to look like Herbie.

The rest of the Fair was much busier. I browsed in a doll clothes seller (though I didn't buy anything). I ran into Rose, Craig, and their brood again at the Farm Market (which is on a side street and absorbed into the main Fair for this week). They'd apparently come for the Farm Market and hadn't even known about the Fair. (That happened to me in 2007, when I first started going to the Farm Market.) I ended up buying apples, asparagus, grapefruit, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, strawberries, and a surprise for our dinner this week.

Kept strolling down Haddon Avenue, this time to the Midway. The "midway" is several blocks of kid-oriented games, rides, and booths from the PNC Bank and Bank of America to the Philly Pretzel Factory shop. I'm too old to ride the midway, but they're still cute to look it. I love the little Ferris Wheel, "helicopters," Whip Ride, and bounce houses. There were pony rides in a church parking lot and a train-like "fire truck" on a side street. I bought a present for Lauren from a booth here, but didn't get anything else.

By 11, the clouds were gone and the sun had come out. While a nice breeze prevented it from getting as hot as it could have, it wasn't as cool as the morning, either. I bought a bottle of water from a booth on the corner of Collings and Haddon Avenues, then headed for Oaklyn.

I was kind of tired by then, but I did make one last stop in Oaklyn. I saw signs for a yard sale on Kendall Boulevard, across from the ramp into Oaklyn from the Black Horse Pike, on my way home from work yesterday. They had a couple of good records that I picked up - Jackie Gleason, the Andy Williams Christmas album, a collection of 50s love songs, and a two-disc "best of" collection of early Rod Stewart.

Went straight home after that. Spent the rest of the afternoon doing things around the apartment. I hung out online. I scrubbed the inside and the outside of the refrigerator, which I hadn't done in the five years I've lived here. It was disgusting, especially the top. I crocheted. (The "hat" I was working on for Molly may turn into a purse.) I made another surprise for Lauren, this one home-made. I watched Road to Rio and National Lampoon's Vacation.

And tomorrow...Lauren arrives around 7:30. I can't wait! I'm going to spend the day picking up around here and grabbing a few last things I need.

And...go Flyers, who are 5-5 with the Chicago Blackhawks at press time. Come on boys, you can do it!

Party On Ice

First and foremost...woo hoo! Congratulations to the Philadelphia Flyers for reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997! It's been a long, crazy trip...but here's hoping they'll keep up the amazing job they've done in the post-season against an equally Cup-hungry Chicago Blackhawks!

Otherwise, today wasn't terribly exciting. I slept in and headed for the Haddon Township Library first, after a quick stop at Super Fresh and the newly-opened Party Fair store a few doors down. I put away DVDs and kids' books. They weren't too busy, but I was also there around noon-1PM, so most people were probably at lunch. I took out four books on handling stress, dealing with low self-esteem, and breaking out of a comfort zone that's too stifling to stay in...but too hard to leave.

It was about 2PM when I rode over to the Bagel Shop for lunch. They were pretty dead, except for one couple and an older woman reading a newspaper. I listened to CNN's coverage of the huge oil spill in the Gulf Coast as I ate my egg, cheese, and spinach sandwich on a plain bagel and fried potatoes. (Switched to a bagel from a croissant. I don't really like croissants. They're always too flaky and greasy for me.) It was quite tasty.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at home. I read the self-help books, dusted the Ikea and heart shelves, and gave the Sailor Moon dolls and Star Wars action figures magic eraser baths.

And it's a good thing I got in when I did. About 20 minutes after I got home, it started pouring cats and dogs. It's showered off and on for the rest of the evening.