Began a cloudy morning with breakfast and Blockbusters. Bill Cullen crowned a new champion, a brother-sister pair who just got past the solo lady. They didn't do nearly as well at the bonus round; the sister kept passing and only got four hexagons.
Made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to cheer myself up after I did the dishes...but maybe episodes five and six of Downton Abbey weren't the best things for me to watch right now. The household is in a tizzy as Lady Sybil prepares to have her baby. Sir Philip, the London obstetrician Lord and Lady Grantham hired, claims she'll be fine, but local doctor Clarkson is concerned about her having Eclampsy and insists she should be taken to a hospital for a cesarean birth. Turns out he's right. The baby survives, but Mary dies from seizures shortly after. Her mother blames her father for not listening to the local man, especially after Matthew reveals he may have been overspending on Downton.
In episode six, Sybil's now-widowed husband Branson wants his baby daughter to be Catholic. Her grandparents don't approve, wanting her to be more like her mother's side of the family. Meanwhile, Mrs. Patimore hires former prostitute Ethel as a housekeeper and has her make a luncheon for the Crowley women, and Anna has to convince a woman who hates her husband Bates to state evidence.
Had yogurt and a banana for lunch while watching Classic Concentration. The two college students playing this afternoon were fun to watch, and crazy-smart. They both got puzzles with very little information. The girl just won the second round as I headed out.
Wanted to go to the Oaklyn Library today partially to donate a huge bag of DVDs, books, and cassettes I no longer want...and partially because I needed a friendly ear to bend. Work's driving me crazy, I'm tired and stressed and scared, I have a massive headache, and I can't see most of my family. No one understands. Everyone has someone they can weather the storm with but me. Even the librarian has her mother. I'm totally alone.
Given how late it was, I had enough time to organize DVDs before dashing out. At least the weather improved by that point. The sun came out as I went to the library. I rolled down Nicholson Road under a blue sky, riding against a fresh, cool gale. It was warm and almost-summery, probably in the 70's.
Went to the Acme next. There were no bags of tangerines, so I bought pears. They're having their occasional "buck a bag" vegetable sale; picked up celery, mushrooms, and bags of scallions, spinach, and mini-sweet peppers. Had online coupons for cranberries, yogurt, milk, and mayo. Potatoes were on sale for St. Patrick's Day; picked two small reds. Restocked bananas (some of the last ones on the shelves), peanut butter, brown sugar, ground chicken, and cereal. Found more of that tasty gingerbread mix on the clearance rack, along with bags of pralines. Saw 20 ounce bottles of the new Cherry Vanilla Coke on a display and thought I'd try one. And amazing as it may seem, I genuinely needed toilet paper. I'm almost out from normal use, and I usually use single rolls anyway.
The lines were ridiculous. I couldn't believe how busy it was. Yes, the shelves were empty of many items. One man tossed Scott tissue rolls into his cart like he was on Supermarket Sweep. He needs to remember that other people might need them, too. Even before I got into line, one of the managers asked me to come in tomorrow. I told them I'd do it. I don't want to do it, but they need the help and I need the money.
At least my schedule's much better. While I'm not overly happy about two very early days this week, I otherwise have more hours and fairly decent ones. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep Tuesday and next Saturday off. If things are going to be this crazy, I'll need the time to recharge.
As soon as I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. I now no longer had the time to do the laundry tomorrow. Maybe no one else did, either. They weren't busy. Didn't have a big load, anyway. Worked on story notes and ignored Action News frantically bleating on the TV.
When I got home, I watched Match Game while putting everything away, then tried to do a little bit of writing. As Charles and Gene explain what happened to Orson, a hip young town crier (Clifton Davis) arrives with news. Her Royal Nastiness has changed her tune and is hiring musicians for a big ball...but only royalty is to attend...
I called Mom earlier while making the cookies, but she was at work. She called me back just as I finished writing and was switching to Sale of the Century. She's fine, probably better than me. While she is in her 60's, she's also healthy, hale, and like me, lives alone. She works at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry as a ticket-taker, and though she did mention that they glassed-in the ticket takers boxes, they're otherwise deleting hours, not adding them. She's also getting along well enough with my sister to see her grandchildren at least once a week.
She told me to try not to focus on my fear so much...but it's hard. All the talk at work scares me. I hate dealing with people. It drains me and frightens me. I don't know what to say to them or what to do when things go wrong. I worry. I don't want anyone upset or angry. I'm just so nervous!
Finished the night with chicken tacos and riced butternut squash for dinner while watching an episode of Charlie's Angels from Crackle. The girls are "Angels at the Altar" in the fourth season when a friend of Kelly's who is getting married (Kim Cattrall) suspects someone is trying to kill her fiancee (John David Carson). Kelly is already her maid of honor and encourages the others to come on board. Kris poses as a maid, Tiffany as a violinist with the musicians, and Bosley as a bartender to find out if they're really after him...or her parents' money.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteering. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
On My Own
Began a cloudy day with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. This time, everyone had to guess the identity of a male nurse who worked for a home-care firm. Everyone but Bill Cullen said big, strapping number 2. Bill had a "hunch" it was three...and his hunch proved to be correct. The gentleman with the drooping mustache was the nurse. (The big fellow in the middle turned out to be a professional football player!)
They did better on What's My Line? Dana Valery figured out that the object the first gentleman had with him helped young children learn to hit a ball correctly. They all took a literal whack at it - Soupy was hilarious, and he and Henry Morgan actually managed to hit the ball.
Things were slightly less crazy at work this morning. I did end up in the register again, but only for about 20 minutes, not the whole day. Did manage to get some carts done, shelved half of a cart filled with soda and water, and helped a manager clean up a broken spaghetti sauce jar. The lines remained long, but not to the degree of the day before.
Ran into Jodie at the deli counter while putting away a cold item. She confirmed that Dana and Jesse have apparently been looking into a house. It sounds like they do need to paint the apartment, but I should be able to move in by early June...and they'll pay for everything, including the internet. All I'll have to pay is the rent.
Hurried out, went home, changed, and went right back to my bike. I had errands to run today that I couldn't put off anymore, starting with lunch at Phillies Phatties around the corner. They were busy with kids out of school for teacher conferences. Honestly, the 11 and 12-year old boys crowded around the table next to me discussed the whole virus deal more sensibly than any of their parents at the Acme this morning. I listened to them with interest while enjoying my slice of cheese, slice of vegetable-ricotta, and the last can of Mountain Dew in the decimated soda cooler.
Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. Spring's all over the park now, with new green grass springing from the old dry yellow blades and buttercups blossoming along the riverbanks. Saw lots of people out and about enjoying the relatively warm weather, including mothers letting their little kids run around the playground and several folks out walking their dogs. Canadian geese and ducks went for a swim in the bottle-green lake.
Surprisingly, the Haddon Township Library was also relatively busy. I guess parents wanted to find something for their kids to do. Shelved the few kids' DVDs, but once again couldn't fit half the adult titles on the shelves. Didn't take anything out myself. I've enjoyed exploring streaming companies for movies and TV shows, and I'm not sure I'll be able to return anything next week.
Stopped at Target on the way home. I wanted electric toothbrush refills, but they were out. I thought people were buying up toilet paper, not tooth brushes. I did find small wraps to make meatball hoagie wraps for dinner, along with honey. (They were out of peanut butter, too.) The lines were a bit longer here, but it was almost rush hour by that point.
Went straight home and on the computer. Richard flirts with Fannie the moment he can...at least, as well as he can after having been drained of his energy by a wicked witch. When Orson props up his boss, Fannie can't resist staring at him. He, Gene, and Charles explain what happened and why they're at Arlene's shop.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Match Game finished up the Joe Silver/Esther Rolle run with Richard's surprise match on a Head-to-Head and everyone getting a little nervous over an expectant contestant who was very close to being due. The champion on Sale of the Century got a good run from a lady who bought a Bermuda vacation and new kitchen appliances she said she needed, but ended up coming from behind on the speed round. He decided he'd fallen in love with a giant entertainment center with a TV and big speakers and ended up going home with that.
Jodie called while Sale of the Century was on. She says she and Rose are quarantining their respective families for two weeks. Rose is worried about her kids, and she's worried about Dad. Which of course, leaves me on my own...but then again, I've always been on my own.
Finished the night after a shower with Cover Girl on Roku's TV Time Musicals app. I go further into this classic Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews.
Cover Girl
They did better on What's My Line? Dana Valery figured out that the object the first gentleman had with him helped young children learn to hit a ball correctly. They all took a literal whack at it - Soupy was hilarious, and he and Henry Morgan actually managed to hit the ball.
Things were slightly less crazy at work this morning. I did end up in the register again, but only for about 20 minutes, not the whole day. Did manage to get some carts done, shelved half of a cart filled with soda and water, and helped a manager clean up a broken spaghetti sauce jar. The lines remained long, but not to the degree of the day before.
Ran into Jodie at the deli counter while putting away a cold item. She confirmed that Dana and Jesse have apparently been looking into a house. It sounds like they do need to paint the apartment, but I should be able to move in by early June...and they'll pay for everything, including the internet. All I'll have to pay is the rent.
Hurried out, went home, changed, and went right back to my bike. I had errands to run today that I couldn't put off anymore, starting with lunch at Phillies Phatties around the corner. They were busy with kids out of school for teacher conferences. Honestly, the 11 and 12-year old boys crowded around the table next to me discussed the whole virus deal more sensibly than any of their parents at the Acme this morning. I listened to them with interest while enjoying my slice of cheese, slice of vegetable-ricotta, and the last can of Mountain Dew in the decimated soda cooler.
Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. Spring's all over the park now, with new green grass springing from the old dry yellow blades and buttercups blossoming along the riverbanks. Saw lots of people out and about enjoying the relatively warm weather, including mothers letting their little kids run around the playground and several folks out walking their dogs. Canadian geese and ducks went for a swim in the bottle-green lake.
Surprisingly, the Haddon Township Library was also relatively busy. I guess parents wanted to find something for their kids to do. Shelved the few kids' DVDs, but once again couldn't fit half the adult titles on the shelves. Didn't take anything out myself. I've enjoyed exploring streaming companies for movies and TV shows, and I'm not sure I'll be able to return anything next week.
Stopped at Target on the way home. I wanted electric toothbrush refills, but they were out. I thought people were buying up toilet paper, not tooth brushes. I did find small wraps to make meatball hoagie wraps for dinner, along with honey. (They were out of peanut butter, too.) The lines were a bit longer here, but it was almost rush hour by that point.
Went straight home and on the computer. Richard flirts with Fannie the moment he can...at least, as well as he can after having been drained of his energy by a wicked witch. When Orson props up his boss, Fannie can't resist staring at him. He, Gene, and Charles explain what happened and why they're at Arlene's shop.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Match Game finished up the Joe Silver/Esther Rolle run with Richard's surprise match on a Head-to-Head and everyone getting a little nervous over an expectant contestant who was very close to being due. The champion on Sale of the Century got a good run from a lady who bought a Bermuda vacation and new kitchen appliances she said she needed, but ended up coming from behind on the speed round. He decided he'd fallen in love with a giant entertainment center with a TV and big speakers and ended up going home with that.
Jodie called while Sale of the Century was on. She says she and Rose are quarantining their respective families for two weeks. Rose is worried about her kids, and she's worried about Dad. Which of course, leaves me on my own...but then again, I've always been on my own.
Finished the night after a shower with Cover Girl on Roku's TV Time Musicals app. I go further into this classic Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews.
Cover Girl
Tuesday, March 03, 2020
The Ballad of the Cowboy and the Yeti
Started a gloomy but dry morning with breakfast before going into chores. Made the bed and got the bathroom cleaned. The bathtub really needed scrubbing. It's not usually this damp in the winter! We've had a lot more rainy weather than we normally would in February.
Watched Toy Story 4 while I worked. We find out how Bo Peep (Annie Potts) left Andy's room - she ended up in a box for the thrift shop. Woody (Tom Hanks) is devastated, but she says she's fine with moving along to another child. Years later, Woody is beginning to wonder about his own relationship with his new owner Bonnie (Madeline McGraw). She prefers using cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) in play over him. Even so, he still tries to stop Forky (Tony Hale), a toy she made from a fork and pipe cleaners, from throwing himself away.
While on a family trip, he chases the agile spork and finally convinces him he's a toy...just as he sees Bo Peep's lamp in an antique shop. Turns out she and a group of loose toys who live at a local playground help other playthings find new humans. Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) would love to find her previous owner, but her voice box is broken. She captures Forky and holds him ransom for Woody's voice box. While Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) enlists the aid of a pair of carnival toys to find Woody, Woody and Bo Peep are joined by lost toys Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) and Giggles McDimples (Ally Maki) to rescue him.
I wasn't sure how Pixar could do another Toy Story film after the previous one ended beautifully, but they pulled it off. I can understand why it won Best Animated Film at this year's Oscars. Forky's existential crisis, Woody's loyalty to Bonnie, and Bo Peep's wish to help other toys are all handled with a great deal of sensitivity. There's some amazing animation too, especially at the carnival and antique shop. It was great to see Bo Peep again, and Hendricks and Reeves were great additions as the spiteful broken doll and the Evel Knevel-esque Canadian daredevil.
I do advise Pixar to leave the franchise here, at least as far as movies are concerned. They were lucky it worked out, but this is all the end the story needs. I kind of wish we could have seen more of the other characters, especially my favorite Jessie; not much of Buzz, either. At any rate, this is a wonderful ending (I hope) to a franchise that holds a lot of fond memories for me.
Went into Abominable as I finished cleaning and had lunch. Yi (Chloe Bennet) is a Chinese teenager living in Shanghai with her mother (Michelle Wong) and grandmother (Tsai Chin) in a small apartment. She's trying to make enough money to fulfill her late father's dream of traveling across China, but her many jobs mean she's never at home. One night, she find a young Yeti hiding in her favorite spot on the roof. She feeds it steamed buns, which it loves, and makes friends with it, naming him Everest. The helicopters pursuing him aren't nearly so friendly. The Yeti is owned by Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard), an animal lover who wants to prove the existence of Yetis. Despite her claims, Dr. Zola (Sarah Paulsen) is more interested in selling the creature than keeping it. Yi and Everest flee, joined by basketball-loving Peng (Albert Tsai) and his ultra-cool cousin Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor). Turns out Everest loves the violin Yi plays that connects her with her father...and it's that music and their road trip that helps to ultimately connect her with the boys and her new furry friend.
I'm surprised this one wasn't nominated for an Oscar, too. The road trip story and the villains are a bit cliched, but the relationship between the kids and their giant pal is truly touching. The animation is fabulous, too, especially when they're in the valleys of Tibet and flying through the clouds to the Himalayas. Violence and frank discussions of death and loss makes this for older kids and young teens interested in road trip stories or Asian cultures.
Headed out shortly after Abominable ended. It started to shower hard shortly after I left, and I arrived at PNC Bank quite damp. They were having problems with their internet, backing up a long line. I only wanted to pick up checks for the rent anyway. Stood in line twice, the second time to ask if I messed up checks too badly to use. (I didn't.)
The rain took a temporary leave of absence as I dodged traffic on Cuthbert and headed to Westmont. The Haddon Towship Library wasn't as busy as the bank had been. I once again shelved DVDs...and once again couldn't fit all the DVDs in the adult shelves again. I didn't take out anything. I still had With a Song In My Heart for review, and have really enjoyed exploring all the options on Roku.
Made a brief stop at Target on the way home. Their peanut butter is far cheaper than the Acme's, and I wanted to see if my food stamps came in yet. (They did.) Grabbed tortilla chips for dinner tonight and sponges, too.
It showered again as I headed into Oaklyn, and has continued on and off, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night. Dropped the rent next-door, then spent the next hour doing research on other possible writing opportunities. Despite Mrs. Stahl's claims that the writing market is tapped out and no one's hiring, I found lots of general and movie and book review blogs who hire new writers. I'll do even more research this week. She must mean no one offline is hiring.
Did a little bit of fanfic writing after that. Marcia demands that Malade release Charles and Brett, but she has the upper hand. Charles is devastated when she orders her trolls to destroy his lute, and Bill's even more so when they go after his rose garden.
Broke for dinner at 7. Made Southwestern Black Bean Dip to go with those chips while watching With a Song In My Heart. I go further into this biography of courageous radio singer Jane Froman at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
With a Song In My Heart
And I heard from Willa tonight. She did get the rent, but now she wants the new rent agreement to be signed, too. I need to text or call Rose tomorrow and see what we should do and if she can deal with her.
Watched Toy Story 4 while I worked. We find out how Bo Peep (Annie Potts) left Andy's room - she ended up in a box for the thrift shop. Woody (Tom Hanks) is devastated, but she says she's fine with moving along to another child. Years later, Woody is beginning to wonder about his own relationship with his new owner Bonnie (Madeline McGraw). She prefers using cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) in play over him. Even so, he still tries to stop Forky (Tony Hale), a toy she made from a fork and pipe cleaners, from throwing himself away.
While on a family trip, he chases the agile spork and finally convinces him he's a toy...just as he sees Bo Peep's lamp in an antique shop. Turns out she and a group of loose toys who live at a local playground help other playthings find new humans. Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) would love to find her previous owner, but her voice box is broken. She captures Forky and holds him ransom for Woody's voice box. While Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) enlists the aid of a pair of carnival toys to find Woody, Woody and Bo Peep are joined by lost toys Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) and Giggles McDimples (Ally Maki) to rescue him.
I wasn't sure how Pixar could do another Toy Story film after the previous one ended beautifully, but they pulled it off. I can understand why it won Best Animated Film at this year's Oscars. Forky's existential crisis, Woody's loyalty to Bonnie, and Bo Peep's wish to help other toys are all handled with a great deal of sensitivity. There's some amazing animation too, especially at the carnival and antique shop. It was great to see Bo Peep again, and Hendricks and Reeves were great additions as the spiteful broken doll and the Evel Knevel-esque Canadian daredevil.
I do advise Pixar to leave the franchise here, at least as far as movies are concerned. They were lucky it worked out, but this is all the end the story needs. I kind of wish we could have seen more of the other characters, especially my favorite Jessie; not much of Buzz, either. At any rate, this is a wonderful ending (I hope) to a franchise that holds a lot of fond memories for me.
Went into Abominable as I finished cleaning and had lunch. Yi (Chloe Bennet) is a Chinese teenager living in Shanghai with her mother (Michelle Wong) and grandmother (Tsai Chin) in a small apartment. She's trying to make enough money to fulfill her late father's dream of traveling across China, but her many jobs mean she's never at home. One night, she find a young Yeti hiding in her favorite spot on the roof. She feeds it steamed buns, which it loves, and makes friends with it, naming him Everest. The helicopters pursuing him aren't nearly so friendly. The Yeti is owned by Mr. Burnish (Eddie Izzard), an animal lover who wants to prove the existence of Yetis. Despite her claims, Dr. Zola (Sarah Paulsen) is more interested in selling the creature than keeping it. Yi and Everest flee, joined by basketball-loving Peng (Albert Tsai) and his ultra-cool cousin Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor). Turns out Everest loves the violin Yi plays that connects her with her father...and it's that music and their road trip that helps to ultimately connect her with the boys and her new furry friend.
I'm surprised this one wasn't nominated for an Oscar, too. The road trip story and the villains are a bit cliched, but the relationship between the kids and their giant pal is truly touching. The animation is fabulous, too, especially when they're in the valleys of Tibet and flying through the clouds to the Himalayas. Violence and frank discussions of death and loss makes this for older kids and young teens interested in road trip stories or Asian cultures.
Headed out shortly after Abominable ended. It started to shower hard shortly after I left, and I arrived at PNC Bank quite damp. They were having problems with their internet, backing up a long line. I only wanted to pick up checks for the rent anyway. Stood in line twice, the second time to ask if I messed up checks too badly to use. (I didn't.)
The rain took a temporary leave of absence as I dodged traffic on Cuthbert and headed to Westmont. The Haddon Towship Library wasn't as busy as the bank had been. I once again shelved DVDs...and once again couldn't fit all the DVDs in the adult shelves again. I didn't take out anything. I still had With a Song In My Heart for review, and have really enjoyed exploring all the options on Roku.
Made a brief stop at Target on the way home. Their peanut butter is far cheaper than the Acme's, and I wanted to see if my food stamps came in yet. (They did.) Grabbed tortilla chips for dinner tonight and sponges, too.
It showered again as I headed into Oaklyn, and has continued on and off, sometimes heavily, for the rest of the night. Dropped the rent next-door, then spent the next hour doing research on other possible writing opportunities. Despite Mrs. Stahl's claims that the writing market is tapped out and no one's hiring, I found lots of general and movie and book review blogs who hire new writers. I'll do even more research this week. She must mean no one offline is hiring.
Did a little bit of fanfic writing after that. Marcia demands that Malade release Charles and Brett, but she has the upper hand. Charles is devastated when she orders her trolls to destroy his lute, and Bill's even more so when they go after his rose garden.
Broke for dinner at 7. Made Southwestern Black Bean Dip to go with those chips while watching With a Song In My Heart. I go further into this biography of courageous radio singer Jane Froman at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
With a Song In My Heart
And I heard from Willa tonight. She did get the rent, but now she wants the new rent agreement to be signed, too. I need to text or call Rose tomorrow and see what we should do and if she can deal with her.
Friday, February 28, 2020
A Windy Day In the Neighborhood
Kicked off the morning with breakfast and a couple of PBS Kids cartoons. Happiness and being happy was the theme of the day on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. He teaches "Daniel's Happy Song" to Katrina and Miss Elaina when they visit and play stuffed animals with him. "Prince Wednesday's Happy Birthday" has the kids celebrating his big day with "Pin the Tail On the Bunny" and a treasure hunt to find the cake.
Molly of Denali wants to show off for her cousin by insisting she knows how to do "Snowboarding, Qyah Style." There's one problem - she's never snowboarded before in her life. She tries to learn how from her friend Tooey, until their neighbors give them ideas for their own kind of tricks. Nadia, the daughter of a friend of Molly's mother, is supposed to do the "Seal Dance" for a local festival, but she can't get the moves right. Molly, a historic statue of a seal dancer, a group of real seals swimming by the shore, and Grandpa Nat's stories all inspire her to keep practicing until she figures it out.
I intended to return to Pluto TV for Match Game on Buzzr...but Pluto TV just would not work. They updated their interface yesterday, and now it decided it didn't like my Roku anymore. I'd reset the Roku and put the app on. It would show the main screen, load...then return to the home screen. The Roku itself played everything else fine, and Buzzr and Pluto TV played normally on my laptop. I did e-mail Pluto about the problem, but haven't heard from them yet.
Gave up on it briefly around 11:30 and decided to head out for a walk. I wanted to volunteer at the Oaklyn Library before it closed. The windy and party cloudy day looked as gloomy as I felt. There's almost no color in the neighborhood. I saw patches of daffodils coming up in other parts of town, but they aren't here. Gardens were brown and yellow and lifeless, and the few banners were faded Valentine's Day or winter flags. I saw only a few people outside, heading into cars on a day that remained cold and blustery.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't much busier. They're still going through their books and DVDs and clearing out older or less-used titles. I didn't see much to do in the adult DVD area, but the kids' books were a mess. Had to shelve quite a few titles they'd left laying on shelves or between stacks. It being lunchtime, I saw one other man there reading the newspaper. Went to the bathroom and headed back out.
I wasn't really in the mood to go home. Had enough money left on my food stamps for a chilled mocha cappuccino drink. WaWa's coffee drink is sweet and creamy enough to mask the bitter flavor. Tossed in a soft pretzel for a snack.
After I got home, I watched I Dream of Jeannie on The Roku Channel to test the box; opted for "Everybody's a Movie Star" from the third season. Big shot movie directer Allen Kerr (Paul Lynde) wants to film a documentary at NASA and chooses Tony and Roger as his stars. Roger gets a big head when he thinks Allen called him a "natural talent"...but he really thinks Roger's a nuisance.
Got the laundry done after lunch. I picked the perfect time to do it. The laundromat was empty when I arrived, and I think I saw one other person the whole 40 minutes or so I was there. Maybe the brief flurry I ran into on my way to the White Horse Pike scared everyone off. At any rate, I worked on story notes and ignored Rachel Ray and General Hospital on ABC.
When I got in, I put everything away, then went on the computer to work on writing. Angry after Richard kicks her, Malade drains his energy. She surrounds Charles with fire, the one thing he's most terrified of. She's just thrown Richard away as Gene smashes the front door in. Accidentally - he'd been hoping to get it open, not destroy it. Marcia has to drag Bill over to do it, but they do manage to attack Malade before she can use her magic on anyone else.
Broke for dinner at 6:30...or so I thought. I spent another hour fruitlessly messing with Pluto TV. It worked once, briefly showing bigger and easier to read interface before crashing again. Tried to upload Stirr TV, but they would also play for a few minutes before crashing.
Finally gave up and added my Roku to my YouTube account instead. It did allow me to watch some Match Game. The nighttime Match Game had an Audience Match question in 1975 that went "___ Olsen." Surprisingly, the top answer was not the show's announcer Johnny Olsen! In an episode from 1976, poor Gene had a bad cold...which no one wanted him to spread around. The others kept avoiding him as much as possible. Brett teased Gene about his brown suede shoes in a 1978 show.
Wasn't really up to anything but Charlie's Angels on The Roku Channel after all that. "I Will Be Remembered" is a spooky first season episode. Former movie star Gloria Gibson (Ida Lupino) believes someone is trying to drive her insane, recreating death scenes from her previous films. She's hoping to make a comeback with a remake of one of her big hits. Kate poses as her secretary and takes care of her at home, Kelly lands a job as an extra, and Jill is supposed to be a reporter. Someone, however, doesn't appreciate the women snooping and is determined to get them and Gloria out of the way.
Molly of Denali wants to show off for her cousin by insisting she knows how to do "Snowboarding, Qyah Style." There's one problem - she's never snowboarded before in her life. She tries to learn how from her friend Tooey, until their neighbors give them ideas for their own kind of tricks. Nadia, the daughter of a friend of Molly's mother, is supposed to do the "Seal Dance" for a local festival, but she can't get the moves right. Molly, a historic statue of a seal dancer, a group of real seals swimming by the shore, and Grandpa Nat's stories all inspire her to keep practicing until she figures it out.
I intended to return to Pluto TV for Match Game on Buzzr...but Pluto TV just would not work. They updated their interface yesterday, and now it decided it didn't like my Roku anymore. I'd reset the Roku and put the app on. It would show the main screen, load...then return to the home screen. The Roku itself played everything else fine, and Buzzr and Pluto TV played normally on my laptop. I did e-mail Pluto about the problem, but haven't heard from them yet.
Gave up on it briefly around 11:30 and decided to head out for a walk. I wanted to volunteer at the Oaklyn Library before it closed. The windy and party cloudy day looked as gloomy as I felt. There's almost no color in the neighborhood. I saw patches of daffodils coming up in other parts of town, but they aren't here. Gardens were brown and yellow and lifeless, and the few banners were faded Valentine's Day or winter flags. I saw only a few people outside, heading into cars on a day that remained cold and blustery.
The Oaklyn Library wasn't much busier. They're still going through their books and DVDs and clearing out older or less-used titles. I didn't see much to do in the adult DVD area, but the kids' books were a mess. Had to shelve quite a few titles they'd left laying on shelves or between stacks. It being lunchtime, I saw one other man there reading the newspaper. Went to the bathroom and headed back out.
I wasn't really in the mood to go home. Had enough money left on my food stamps for a chilled mocha cappuccino drink. WaWa's coffee drink is sweet and creamy enough to mask the bitter flavor. Tossed in a soft pretzel for a snack.
After I got home, I watched I Dream of Jeannie on The Roku Channel to test the box; opted for "Everybody's a Movie Star" from the third season. Big shot movie directer Allen Kerr (Paul Lynde) wants to film a documentary at NASA and chooses Tony and Roger as his stars. Roger gets a big head when he thinks Allen called him a "natural talent"...but he really thinks Roger's a nuisance.
Got the laundry done after lunch. I picked the perfect time to do it. The laundromat was empty when I arrived, and I think I saw one other person the whole 40 minutes or so I was there. Maybe the brief flurry I ran into on my way to the White Horse Pike scared everyone off. At any rate, I worked on story notes and ignored Rachel Ray and General Hospital on ABC.
When I got in, I put everything away, then went on the computer to work on writing. Angry after Richard kicks her, Malade drains his energy. She surrounds Charles with fire, the one thing he's most terrified of. She's just thrown Richard away as Gene smashes the front door in. Accidentally - he'd been hoping to get it open, not destroy it. Marcia has to drag Bill over to do it, but they do manage to attack Malade before she can use her magic on anyone else.
Broke for dinner at 6:30...or so I thought. I spent another hour fruitlessly messing with Pluto TV. It worked once, briefly showing bigger and easier to read interface before crashing again. Tried to upload Stirr TV, but they would also play for a few minutes before crashing.
Finally gave up and added my Roku to my YouTube account instead. It did allow me to watch some Match Game. The nighttime Match Game had an Audience Match question in 1975 that went "___ Olsen." Surprisingly, the top answer was not the show's announcer Johnny Olsen! In an episode from 1976, poor Gene had a bad cold...which no one wanted him to spread around. The others kept avoiding him as much as possible. Brett teased Gene about his brown suede shoes in a 1978 show.
Wasn't really up to anything but Charlie's Angels on The Roku Channel after all that. "I Will Be Remembered" is a spooky first season episode. Former movie star Gloria Gibson (Ida Lupino) believes someone is trying to drive her insane, recreating death scenes from her previous films. She's hoping to make a comeback with a remake of one of her big hits. Kate poses as her secretary and takes care of her at home, Kelly lands a job as an extra, and Jill is supposed to be a reporter. Someone, however, doesn't appreciate the women snooping and is determined to get them and Gloria out of the way.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Daydream Believers
Began a thankfully sunny morning with breakfast and To Tell the Truth. The contestants on the second half of the show were three women who wrote a book on a subject near and dear to my heart - conservation of our oceans. Everyone said the lady was the gentle-but-firm #2...and they were all right. She may have been tiny, but she apparently managed to organize a 51-country summit to discuss regulating water pollution and cleaning up our oceans. Growing up next to the beach, with both my father and stepfather working on the ocean, keeping our seas clean were a major concern during my childhood. (Especially after medical waste did wash up on the Jersey Shore in the late 80's-early 90's.)
What's My Line? featured the youngest contestant I'd ever seen on a game show - the little fellow was only four. The panel didn't get close to guessing what he did. He and his 9 and 10-year-old brothers were stunt drivers in mini-cars. Poor kid looked too terrified to say much besides "yes" or "no." His brothers proved to be far chattier, discussing their act and their dreams for the future.
Work went far better than it did yesterday. We were dead all morning. I did have to take registers briefly, but other than that, I spent the day doing returns or outside with the carts. It may have been just as well. The day was cold and gusty, but it was also much sunnier than it has been, and the sun felt nice when you could get into it.
Changed and had a quick lunch as soon as I got home. Finished out Sailor Moon Super S as I ate. The Guardians finally make it to Nehelania in "When the Crystal Shines: The Beautiful Power of Dreams." They don't do well against her dark magic, until the Amazoness Quartet replace the Golden Crystal with a pineapple. That gives Sailor Chibi-Moon the chance to call on all dreamers to save their planet and the power to keep on dreamin'.
We get Nehelania's backstory in "Dreams Forever: Fill the Heavens With Light." Sailor Moon pursues the evil dark queen as she flees with Chibi-Moon back to her shattered mirror. She'd once been the queen of an asteroid, adored for her beauty by her fawning servants. One day, when she looked into her mirror, it showed her what she would become - a broken down, wrinkled crone like Zirconia. Horrified, she consumed all of her subjects' dream mirrors to stay young, turning them into her monsters. Hoping to destroy Sailor Moon's dreams for the future, she throws Chibi-Usa off the crumbling circus tent...but nothing can stop a pair of beautifully dreaming Guardians.
(Incidentally, this is my second-favorite season of the original show. A lot of fans prefer the third season because of Sailor Neptune and Uranus, but this one is a lot of fun, has some interesting discussions on the importance of dreams in our lives, and I frankly like Nehelania and the creepy members of the Dead Moon Circus better as villains than the bickering Doombusters. I will add, however, that this isn't for those who are new to Sailor Moon's world. Newcomers and casual viewers will want to start with the first or second seasons to get a better idea of the characters and their relationships. For those of you who have seen the rest of the series, this season is one of the better ones.)
Headed out to run errands right after the cartoon ended. The park remains bleak, all yellow and mud-brown, even as gardens begin to show signs of spring. The wind must have blown most people home. I saw a couple of folks out for a walk and a few ducks and Canadian Geese by the entrance and not much else.
It got a little busier at the Haddon Township Library. Their adult DVD shelves continue to overflow. I could only get about half the titles in. I did take out movies this week for the first time in a while. I've wanted to see Toy Story 4 and Abominable for a while now. The biopic With a Song In My Heart is for review on my Musical Dreams blog next week.
Stopped at Target first on the way home. I badly needed laundry detergent, but their containers were too large and expensive. I ended up grabbing a tiny bottle of Tide from Dollar Tree. I'll pick up a larger bottle on Saturday or next week.
Went straight into writing as soon as I got home. Malade grabs Richard and begins to drain his energy. Charles plays his lute to distract her again, but she orders her trolls to destroy it and end the music. Brett tries to escape the guard-turned-troll, but her stepmother blasts her, too.
Broke at 6:30 for dinner. Nothing seemed to go right on Match Game tonight. They aired stars in the wrong places during the intro, and the "magic toaster" that holds Gene's questions refused to stay upright. Charles helped him retrieve the questions for round 1, but one of the contestants had to hold onto it to keep it from falling back down. The lady champion didn't do much better on Sale of the Century. Even with buying no bargains, she still got her rear end handed to her by a younger man who bought two out of three of them. He too opted to return for that London trip.
Finished the night after a shower with the 2007 theatrical version of Hairspray. I go further into this bubbly take on the John Waters comedy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Hairspray (2007)
What's My Line? featured the youngest contestant I'd ever seen on a game show - the little fellow was only four. The panel didn't get close to guessing what he did. He and his 9 and 10-year-old brothers were stunt drivers in mini-cars. Poor kid looked too terrified to say much besides "yes" or "no." His brothers proved to be far chattier, discussing their act and their dreams for the future.
Work went far better than it did yesterday. We were dead all morning. I did have to take registers briefly, but other than that, I spent the day doing returns or outside with the carts. It may have been just as well. The day was cold and gusty, but it was also much sunnier than it has been, and the sun felt nice when you could get into it.
Changed and had a quick lunch as soon as I got home. Finished out Sailor Moon Super S as I ate. The Guardians finally make it to Nehelania in "When the Crystal Shines: The Beautiful Power of Dreams." They don't do well against her dark magic, until the Amazoness Quartet replace the Golden Crystal with a pineapple. That gives Sailor Chibi-Moon the chance to call on all dreamers to save their planet and the power to keep on dreamin'.
We get Nehelania's backstory in "Dreams Forever: Fill the Heavens With Light." Sailor Moon pursues the evil dark queen as she flees with Chibi-Moon back to her shattered mirror. She'd once been the queen of an asteroid, adored for her beauty by her fawning servants. One day, when she looked into her mirror, it showed her what she would become - a broken down, wrinkled crone like Zirconia. Horrified, she consumed all of her subjects' dream mirrors to stay young, turning them into her monsters. Hoping to destroy Sailor Moon's dreams for the future, she throws Chibi-Usa off the crumbling circus tent...but nothing can stop a pair of beautifully dreaming Guardians.
(Incidentally, this is my second-favorite season of the original show. A lot of fans prefer the third season because of Sailor Neptune and Uranus, but this one is a lot of fun, has some interesting discussions on the importance of dreams in our lives, and I frankly like Nehelania and the creepy members of the Dead Moon Circus better as villains than the bickering Doombusters. I will add, however, that this isn't for those who are new to Sailor Moon's world. Newcomers and casual viewers will want to start with the first or second seasons to get a better idea of the characters and their relationships. For those of you who have seen the rest of the series, this season is one of the better ones.)
Headed out to run errands right after the cartoon ended. The park remains bleak, all yellow and mud-brown, even as gardens begin to show signs of spring. The wind must have blown most people home. I saw a couple of folks out for a walk and a few ducks and Canadian Geese by the entrance and not much else.
It got a little busier at the Haddon Township Library. Their adult DVD shelves continue to overflow. I could only get about half the titles in. I did take out movies this week for the first time in a while. I've wanted to see Toy Story 4 and Abominable for a while now. The biopic With a Song In My Heart is for review on my Musical Dreams blog next week.
Stopped at Target first on the way home. I badly needed laundry detergent, but their containers were too large and expensive. I ended up grabbing a tiny bottle of Tide from Dollar Tree. I'll pick up a larger bottle on Saturday or next week.
Went straight into writing as soon as I got home. Malade grabs Richard and begins to drain his energy. Charles plays his lute to distract her again, but she orders her trolls to destroy it and end the music. Brett tries to escape the guard-turned-troll, but her stepmother blasts her, too.
Broke at 6:30 for dinner. Nothing seemed to go right on Match Game tonight. They aired stars in the wrong places during the intro, and the "magic toaster" that holds Gene's questions refused to stay upright. Charles helped him retrieve the questions for round 1, but one of the contestants had to hold onto it to keep it from falling back down. The lady champion didn't do much better on Sale of the Century. Even with buying no bargains, she still got her rear end handed to her by a younger man who bought two out of three of them. He too opted to return for that London trip.
Finished the night after a shower with the 2007 theatrical version of Hairspray. I go further into this bubbly take on the John Waters comedy at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Hairspray (2007)
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Chilly Weather
Kicked off the morning with To Tell the Truth. Came in just as they were going into the last contestant. Three men all claimed to have written a book that said the average housewife should be paid for her duties. Almost everyone but Nipsey Russell got it right. The second man just sounded the most technical.
The panel didn't get that lucky on What's My Line? The gentleman who signed in sold a certain machine, but they couldn't figure out what it made. Henry Morgan finally got "peanut butter." Yes, he sold a machine for grocery stores and other commercial venues that ground fresh peanut butter. They had even less luck with the next lady. No one came close to guessing she was a professional football player! (With her towering height and wide shoulders, she looked like she could give some of the Philadelphia Eagles a run for their pigskins.)
Work was even quieter than yesterday. We're between holidays, it's the middle of the week, and it's cold again. The temperature only hit the mid-30's, not as cold as it could be at this time of year, but more than it has been. I did end up in a register briefly early-on, but I mostly spent the first half of the day rounding up carts and baskets and the second half sweeping and shelving items after another bagger arrived.
Changed after I got home, then watched Sailor Moon Super S as I ate oranges and vanilla yogurt with peanut butter for lunch. It's a "Clash of Dreams: Minako and Makoto's Broken Friendship" when the two argue over a handsome preschool teacher and whose dreams will be easier to fulfill. Their quarrel becomes a moot point when Cere Cere, the elegant flower-arranging Amazon, attacks the teacher.
Chibi-Usa and her guy friend Kyusuke learn to "Overcome Your Fear: The Jump to Freedom" in order to be able to jump the vault on their school's Sports Day. Jun Jun the Amazon Acrobat teaches him how to deal with his fear, by making him so afraid, he forgets it...but she still goes after his dream mirror. It takes jumping over her flying monster for Chibi-Usa to overcome her own fear of the vault.
Headed off to Westmont after the second episode ended. The weather continued to be blahh, gray, and cold, with the sun only occasionally peeking through. It may have scared people off. Few people strolled by the leafless black trees and crusty yellow grass in Newton Lake Park besides a flock of ducks and Canadian geese going for an afternoon swim near the Westmont entrance.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't much busier than the Acme when I got in. The kids began to file in and play with the toys in the children's area even as I shelved their DVDs. Didn't do as well with the adult titles, which are still overflowing. I've been having so much fun exploring online and Roku for movie and TV options, I just ended up getting the next book in that soul food mystery series, Murder With Macaroni and Cheese.
Took a quick peek at AC Moore on the way home. Surprisingly, despite it posting closing notices, it looks like it's put out Easter items. I checked the doll clothes and considered getting a few things for Ariel, but decided to wait. Besides, it was getting late, and I wanted to sneak some writing in.
Went online when I got in. Ira's guards can't hide their nerves about the empty castle. They're convinced it's haunted...and they're even more convinced when tools and arrows come out of nowhere and they're tackled by empty air. Ira knows something's up, and he's even more suspicious when he recognizes Richard's voice...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Carol the contestant continued her winning ways on Match Game. She just barely beat two challengers, but did much better on the Audience Match and Head-to-Head. In fact, she did so well, she became the show's all-time winner at that point. Brett criticized Gene's fashion sense, insisting on him wearing an orange scarf with his outfit instead of a brown polka-dot tie. (I can see what she meant...but it looked ridiculous. Gene didn't have the neck to pull it off.)
Finished the night after a Match Game Syndicated premiere on YouTube by renting Stormy Weather at Amazon. Went further into this dynamic vehicle for Lena Horne and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Stormy Weather
The panel didn't get that lucky on What's My Line? The gentleman who signed in sold a certain machine, but they couldn't figure out what it made. Henry Morgan finally got "peanut butter." Yes, he sold a machine for grocery stores and other commercial venues that ground fresh peanut butter. They had even less luck with the next lady. No one came close to guessing she was a professional football player! (With her towering height and wide shoulders, she looked like she could give some of the Philadelphia Eagles a run for their pigskins.)
Work was even quieter than yesterday. We're between holidays, it's the middle of the week, and it's cold again. The temperature only hit the mid-30's, not as cold as it could be at this time of year, but more than it has been. I did end up in a register briefly early-on, but I mostly spent the first half of the day rounding up carts and baskets and the second half sweeping and shelving items after another bagger arrived.
Changed after I got home, then watched Sailor Moon Super S as I ate oranges and vanilla yogurt with peanut butter for lunch. It's a "Clash of Dreams: Minako and Makoto's Broken Friendship" when the two argue over a handsome preschool teacher and whose dreams will be easier to fulfill. Their quarrel becomes a moot point when Cere Cere, the elegant flower-arranging Amazon, attacks the teacher.
Chibi-Usa and her guy friend Kyusuke learn to "Overcome Your Fear: The Jump to Freedom" in order to be able to jump the vault on their school's Sports Day. Jun Jun the Amazon Acrobat teaches him how to deal with his fear, by making him so afraid, he forgets it...but she still goes after his dream mirror. It takes jumping over her flying monster for Chibi-Usa to overcome her own fear of the vault.
Headed off to Westmont after the second episode ended. The weather continued to be blahh, gray, and cold, with the sun only occasionally peeking through. It may have scared people off. Few people strolled by the leafless black trees and crusty yellow grass in Newton Lake Park besides a flock of ducks and Canadian geese going for an afternoon swim near the Westmont entrance.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't much busier than the Acme when I got in. The kids began to file in and play with the toys in the children's area even as I shelved their DVDs. Didn't do as well with the adult titles, which are still overflowing. I've been having so much fun exploring online and Roku for movie and TV options, I just ended up getting the next book in that soul food mystery series, Murder With Macaroni and Cheese.
Took a quick peek at AC Moore on the way home. Surprisingly, despite it posting closing notices, it looks like it's put out Easter items. I checked the doll clothes and considered getting a few things for Ariel, but decided to wait. Besides, it was getting late, and I wanted to sneak some writing in.
Went online when I got in. Ira's guards can't hide their nerves about the empty castle. They're convinced it's haunted...and they're even more convinced when tools and arrows come out of nowhere and they're tackled by empty air. Ira knows something's up, and he's even more suspicious when he recognizes Richard's voice...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Carol the contestant continued her winning ways on Match Game. She just barely beat two challengers, but did much better on the Audience Match and Head-to-Head. In fact, she did so well, she became the show's all-time winner at that point. Brett criticized Gene's fashion sense, insisting on him wearing an orange scarf with his outfit instead of a brown polka-dot tie. (I can see what she meant...but it looked ridiculous. Gene didn't have the neck to pull it off.)
Finished the night after a Match Game Syndicated premiere on YouTube by renting Stormy Weather at Amazon. Went further into this dynamic vehicle for Lena Horne and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Stormy Weather
Saturday, February 15, 2020
An Armful of Sunshine
I stayed up late last night watching YouTube. Didn't get up until almost 10:30, and it was closer to noon when I finally rolled out of bed. I got up so late, Buzzr already started running Match Game. Had a very quick brunch and made my grocery list as I enjoyed the game. Orson Bean made a cameo in the beginning as he came onstage to admit he was there as a stand-in for Gary Burgoff, whose wife was about to have a baby.
Didn't get out until past 1:30. Made my first stop of the day at the Oaklyn Library. They're still in the midst of reorganizing their adult DVD and book titles. I did those, then took a brief look at the kid area. They were about a half-hour from closing when I arrived, and I saw no one but the librarian. I headed out ten minutes before closing.
I wanted to do my grocery shopping today because the Acme's had "dessert party" in the back room, with all kinds of sweet treats set out on two tables. Along with my donuts, I saw a pineapple upside-down cake, a moist pound cake, a banana pudding cake, mini-cheesecakes, brownies, a rum bundt cake, and a regular chocolate cake with vanilla icing. I tried the rum cake, a brownie, a few donuts, and slices of the rum cake and pineapple upside-down cake. The pineapple cake was by far the best of them, perfectly sweet and fruity, with huge cherries in the center. I believe the rum cake was made with real rum - I could taste the slight bite in the near-liquid topping.
Needed quite a bit today, mainly things I kept forgetting in the past few weeks. I have an online coupon for free eggs from the Acme's rewards program, as well as online coupons for yogurt, bananas, and milk. Found broccoli and cake mix on good sales. Picked up boxes of My T Fine pudding mixes from the clearance racks. Restocked canned mandarin oranges and pineapple, toilet paper, buttermilk, lemon and lime juice, parchment paper, turkey bacon, plastic bags for bread, and chocolate chips.
My schedule's not bad. Early days all week; Tuesday and next Saturday off. The head bagger went on vacation again. At the very least, I'll have the time to get a lot done after work, and Tuesday is the only day this week we're supposed to get rain.
Returned to Buzzr when I got home. Let's Make a Deal had Monty Hall giving out a Mexican vacation to a lady who wanted a Hawaiian vacation and a tropical holiday to a woman who wanted to go to Mexico. The first lady ended up being one of the big dealers of the day and got cash that would likely be enough to go anywhere she wanted. A couple dressed as vacationers in sun hats and kiddie floats got the big deal, a huge stereo and TV set and a gorgeous piano.
Continued into Classic Concentration as I got organized and rounded up the laundry. The audience got unusually rowdy today as a college student and an older woman from Brooklyn both got "Take" cards...and both claimed a beautiful grandfather clock that they claimed to want badly. In the end, the young man took it back, won all the other prizes, and got the puzzle right. He couldn't figure out the car bonus round as fast, though. Alex Trebek joined in the fun, cracking jokes about his ex-wife and getting unusually loose for him.
Headed to the laundromat even before Concentration ended. I really needed to wash work clothes and couldn't put it off. For once, I picked the right time. They weren't busy at all. However, I discovered to my dismay that they raised the prices on the cheap washers another 25 cents; they're now $2.75, just 25 cents less expensive than the big front-loading washers. I'm tempted to use those from now-on, no matter how much slower they are. It got so late by the time my load came out, I ended up rushing the dryer and not letting them go as long as I probably should have.
Listened to Billy Joel on my CD player as I put the clothes away when I got home, then switched to writing. Bill the wolf figures out what happened to Brett when he sniffs around the comb in her head. The comb has been dipped in poison. Charles gets it out right away and restores her to health, though she remains groggy and sick. Marcia and Richard demand that the old woman explain herself, but she's not exactly talking.
I finished so late, I didn't break for dinner until well past 7:30. Made turkey bacon, roasted potatoes, and scrambled eggs with spinach, cheese, and mushrooms while watching more Sailor Moon. The second half of the Super S (fourth) season arrived from Amazon yesterday. The first disc kicks off with "Destined Partners? Makoto's Innocence." Makoto is thrilled when a handsome, mysterious young man chooses to dance with her at a big college party. She's so smitten with him, she stays up all night waiting for him. That young man, however, is far from what he seems...and his wooing her is part of a Dead Moon Circus plot.
Fish Eye goes after Mamoru in "Shadow of Evil: The Trio's Last Chance." Fed up with their constant failures, Zirconia tells them what they really are...and that if they don't get Mamoru's dreams, she'll return them to what they were. Fish Eye desperately tries to woo Mamoru, but he adores his dream-filled Usagi. Puzzled, the Amazon ends up befriending Usagi and trying to find out why he and his guy buddies don't have beautiful dreams like hers.
Finished the night with Heidi's Song for free on Vudu. I go further into this lovely Hanna-Barbara animated musical from my childhood at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Saturday - Heidi's Song
Didn't get out until past 1:30. Made my first stop of the day at the Oaklyn Library. They're still in the midst of reorganizing their adult DVD and book titles. I did those, then took a brief look at the kid area. They were about a half-hour from closing when I arrived, and I saw no one but the librarian. I headed out ten minutes before closing.
I wanted to do my grocery shopping today because the Acme's had "dessert party" in the back room, with all kinds of sweet treats set out on two tables. Along with my donuts, I saw a pineapple upside-down cake, a moist pound cake, a banana pudding cake, mini-cheesecakes, brownies, a rum bundt cake, and a regular chocolate cake with vanilla icing. I tried the rum cake, a brownie, a few donuts, and slices of the rum cake and pineapple upside-down cake. The pineapple cake was by far the best of them, perfectly sweet and fruity, with huge cherries in the center. I believe the rum cake was made with real rum - I could taste the slight bite in the near-liquid topping.
Needed quite a bit today, mainly things I kept forgetting in the past few weeks. I have an online coupon for free eggs from the Acme's rewards program, as well as online coupons for yogurt, bananas, and milk. Found broccoli and cake mix on good sales. Picked up boxes of My T Fine pudding mixes from the clearance racks. Restocked canned mandarin oranges and pineapple, toilet paper, buttermilk, lemon and lime juice, parchment paper, turkey bacon, plastic bags for bread, and chocolate chips.
My schedule's not bad. Early days all week; Tuesday and next Saturday off. The head bagger went on vacation again. At the very least, I'll have the time to get a lot done after work, and Tuesday is the only day this week we're supposed to get rain.
Returned to Buzzr when I got home. Let's Make a Deal had Monty Hall giving out a Mexican vacation to a lady who wanted a Hawaiian vacation and a tropical holiday to a woman who wanted to go to Mexico. The first lady ended up being one of the big dealers of the day and got cash that would likely be enough to go anywhere she wanted. A couple dressed as vacationers in sun hats and kiddie floats got the big deal, a huge stereo and TV set and a gorgeous piano.
Continued into Classic Concentration as I got organized and rounded up the laundry. The audience got unusually rowdy today as a college student and an older woman from Brooklyn both got "Take" cards...and both claimed a beautiful grandfather clock that they claimed to want badly. In the end, the young man took it back, won all the other prizes, and got the puzzle right. He couldn't figure out the car bonus round as fast, though. Alex Trebek joined in the fun, cracking jokes about his ex-wife and getting unusually loose for him.
Headed to the laundromat even before Concentration ended. I really needed to wash work clothes and couldn't put it off. For once, I picked the right time. They weren't busy at all. However, I discovered to my dismay that they raised the prices on the cheap washers another 25 cents; they're now $2.75, just 25 cents less expensive than the big front-loading washers. I'm tempted to use those from now-on, no matter how much slower they are. It got so late by the time my load came out, I ended up rushing the dryer and not letting them go as long as I probably should have.
Listened to Billy Joel on my CD player as I put the clothes away when I got home, then switched to writing. Bill the wolf figures out what happened to Brett when he sniffs around the comb in her head. The comb has been dipped in poison. Charles gets it out right away and restores her to health, though she remains groggy and sick. Marcia and Richard demand that the old woman explain herself, but she's not exactly talking.
I finished so late, I didn't break for dinner until well past 7:30. Made turkey bacon, roasted potatoes, and scrambled eggs with spinach, cheese, and mushrooms while watching more Sailor Moon. The second half of the Super S (fourth) season arrived from Amazon yesterday. The first disc kicks off with "Destined Partners? Makoto's Innocence." Makoto is thrilled when a handsome, mysterious young man chooses to dance with her at a big college party. She's so smitten with him, she stays up all night waiting for him. That young man, however, is far from what he seems...and his wooing her is part of a Dead Moon Circus plot.
Fish Eye goes after Mamoru in "Shadow of Evil: The Trio's Last Chance." Fed up with their constant failures, Zirconia tells them what they really are...and that if they don't get Mamoru's dreams, she'll return them to what they were. Fish Eye desperately tries to woo Mamoru, but he adores his dream-filled Usagi. Puzzled, the Amazon ends up befriending Usagi and trying to find out why he and his guy buddies don't have beautiful dreams like hers.
Finished the night with Heidi's Song for free on Vudu. I go further into this lovely Hanna-Barbara animated musical from my childhood at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Saturday - Heidi's Song
Monday, February 10, 2020
Rainy Winter
Began a dreary, rainy morning with breakfast and Press Your Luck. At least all three contestants did better than the ones I saw the other day. These actually had money after the first round. This time, it was down to an older man and a college student. The man hit a Whammy on his last turn, allowing the other guy to win a loveseat and a Hawaiian trip, among other prizes. Blockbusters was also pretty exciting, with that mother and daughter going up against a handsome young bartender. Many a female heart was broken when the women finally got past him.
Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing that mall essay. I've never been much of a clothes person. My mother would want me to try on clothes when we went to the mall, but I'd rather spend time at Sam Goody's or Waldenbooks or B. Dalton Booksellers or anywhere else. I'm overweight, and it was hard to find plus sizes in all those silly little "hip" stores like Merry-Go-Round and County Seat. Bookstores, video stores, and music stores were not only more fun, but I easily found movies, books, and CDs there that I would have otherwise had to order from Columbia House before the advent of the internet.
When we ate at the Hamilton Mall, we'd actually go across the parking lot to Red Lobster. It was such a big deal. Sure, there's seafood restaurants in Cape May County, but none of them had tropical slush drinks that came in giant plastic cups or those incredible cheddar cheese biscuits. We always tried to sneak a few of those home with us. Once, Dad put the leftovers on the roof of the car before we left...and forgot they were there until we heard the "thump" shortly after turning onto the Atlantic City Expressway. The only food we retained from that trip was Rose's slice of key lime pie, which she kept with her and wouldn't let anyone else touch.
It was past 1:30 when I finally broke for lunch. On Linda Young's suggestion from the other day, I decided to give Molly of Denali a try on PBS Kids. Molly Mobray (Sovereign Bill) is an Alaskan native who lives in the fictional village of Qyah with her family and her best friends Tooey (Sequoia Janvier) and Trini (Vienna Leacock). In the first short, "Ice Sculpture," Aunt Midge (Adeline Potts) asks Molly's mother Layla (Jules Arita Koostachin) to join an ice sculpture contest, but she's too busy. Molly wants to see her mother make an ice carving, so she and her friends find a way to hold a carving contest right there in Qyah.
Molly's Uncle Jack tells the "Tale of the Totem" when her family comes to see his new version of a totem from 1940 erected. He intends to use special abalone shells to make the eyes extra special. When Molly and her cousin Randall accidentally lose one of the shells, they first turn to shops to find one, then Jack's wife Merna. But it turns out that Uncle Jack has a surprise in store for the kids...
I can see why Linda enjoyed this one so much. The lovely Alaskan setting and Molly's native heritage gives this show an edge that similar coming-of-age tales lack. It's really interesting to learn more about life for modern Alaskan residents and how they combine the traditions of the past with twenty first century technology like the internet. Molly herself is a delight, smart and fun and utterly determined. Absolutely nothing stops her from solving a problem, whether it's a lost shell or finding a source of light for their ice sculpture contest.
Even if you normally consider yourself to be way too old for PBS Kids fare, this unusual cartoon and its strong-willed little heroine are absolutely worth checking out.
The rain continued to fall steadily as I ate. I debated staying home, but finally just opted to grab my library book and coat and head out. It's supposed to rain all week, and I wasn't going to wait until Saturday to go to Haddon Township. Besides, there were a few other things I needed.
The Haddon Township Library was my first stop. Either the rain scared the adults off, or they all had work this week. The kids' DVDs weren't really full, but the adults racks were so stuffed, I couldn't get most of them on the shelves. Didn't take out movies this week - I'm still enjoying exploring online - but I did grab a soul-food based cozy mystery and Carter Beats the Devil, the story of a magician in the 1920's. I originally read Carter in the mid-2000's, shortly after I moved up here, but haven't read it since. Thought it was time I gave it another look.
Made a quick stop at Dollar Tree on the way home. Picked up sponges and a card for Jessa's birthday on Wednesday. As it was rush hour by this point, they had a line going into the aisle. Thank heavens a second register opened! I went in, got what I needed, and went out. The rain was still going as I went home; I just went home and got wet.
A package awaited me on Charlie's porch when I got home. Lauren told me last night she intended to send me a copy of Scrabble for Valentine's Day. We had so much fun playing Roll With It! last spring, she wanted to find other games we could play together. It's even the nifty "retro" version with the original 1949 cover.
Worked on writing after I changed into dry clothes. After Richard breaks for lunch (to Charles' disappointment), Charles joins Brett, Marcia, and Bill in the garden. All three try to ask Bill about their collective dream, but the little wolf hotly denies that they're any more than just the products of their subconsciousness.
Had leftovers for dinner at 7. Watched Sale of the Century while I ate. We had a new champ, a lady who managed to stay two steps ahead of the crowd for most of the game, even with buying one of the Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash game. She had no more luck with the Bonus Round than the previous winner, though...
Returned to Charlie's Angels after a shower. Tanya Roberts replaced Shelly Hack as Julie Rogers during the fifth and final season. She got to put her role as the most streetwise Angel to use in "Chorus Line Angels" when she goes undercover as an agent who gets her dancer, Kris (Jacklyn Smith) a role in a Vegas show trying out in LA. Kris poses as a reporter doing a story on the director putting the show together. The show's star and original choreographer vanished, and its backer wants the girls to figure out why. The new choreographer is disgusted by this, as Kelly has no experience, but she may not be the real problem...
Finished the night on YouTube. The guy who's been posting and cleaning up all the Match Game episodes strung together 25 of Orson Bean's most memorable appearances on the show, including the very first episode of the original 1960's Match Game. Check this out to see even more of his best work on the show:
Match Game - Honoring Orson Bean
Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing that mall essay. I've never been much of a clothes person. My mother would want me to try on clothes when we went to the mall, but I'd rather spend time at Sam Goody's or Waldenbooks or B. Dalton Booksellers or anywhere else. I'm overweight, and it was hard to find plus sizes in all those silly little "hip" stores like Merry-Go-Round and County Seat. Bookstores, video stores, and music stores were not only more fun, but I easily found movies, books, and CDs there that I would have otherwise had to order from Columbia House before the advent of the internet.
When we ate at the Hamilton Mall, we'd actually go across the parking lot to Red Lobster. It was such a big deal. Sure, there's seafood restaurants in Cape May County, but none of them had tropical slush drinks that came in giant plastic cups or those incredible cheddar cheese biscuits. We always tried to sneak a few of those home with us. Once, Dad put the leftovers on the roof of the car before we left...and forgot they were there until we heard the "thump" shortly after turning onto the Atlantic City Expressway. The only food we retained from that trip was Rose's slice of key lime pie, which she kept with her and wouldn't let anyone else touch.
It was past 1:30 when I finally broke for lunch. On Linda Young's suggestion from the other day, I decided to give Molly of Denali a try on PBS Kids. Molly Mobray (Sovereign Bill) is an Alaskan native who lives in the fictional village of Qyah with her family and her best friends Tooey (Sequoia Janvier) and Trini (Vienna Leacock). In the first short, "Ice Sculpture," Aunt Midge (Adeline Potts) asks Molly's mother Layla (Jules Arita Koostachin) to join an ice sculpture contest, but she's too busy. Molly wants to see her mother make an ice carving, so she and her friends find a way to hold a carving contest right there in Qyah.
Molly's Uncle Jack tells the "Tale of the Totem" when her family comes to see his new version of a totem from 1940 erected. He intends to use special abalone shells to make the eyes extra special. When Molly and her cousin Randall accidentally lose one of the shells, they first turn to shops to find one, then Jack's wife Merna. But it turns out that Uncle Jack has a surprise in store for the kids...
I can see why Linda enjoyed this one so much. The lovely Alaskan setting and Molly's native heritage gives this show an edge that similar coming-of-age tales lack. It's really interesting to learn more about life for modern Alaskan residents and how they combine the traditions of the past with twenty first century technology like the internet. Molly herself is a delight, smart and fun and utterly determined. Absolutely nothing stops her from solving a problem, whether it's a lost shell or finding a source of light for their ice sculpture contest.
Even if you normally consider yourself to be way too old for PBS Kids fare, this unusual cartoon and its strong-willed little heroine are absolutely worth checking out.
The rain continued to fall steadily as I ate. I debated staying home, but finally just opted to grab my library book and coat and head out. It's supposed to rain all week, and I wasn't going to wait until Saturday to go to Haddon Township. Besides, there were a few other things I needed.
The Haddon Township Library was my first stop. Either the rain scared the adults off, or they all had work this week. The kids' DVDs weren't really full, but the adults racks were so stuffed, I couldn't get most of them on the shelves. Didn't take out movies this week - I'm still enjoying exploring online - but I did grab a soul-food based cozy mystery and Carter Beats the Devil, the story of a magician in the 1920's. I originally read Carter in the mid-2000's, shortly after I moved up here, but haven't read it since. Thought it was time I gave it another look.
Made a quick stop at Dollar Tree on the way home. Picked up sponges and a card for Jessa's birthday on Wednesday. As it was rush hour by this point, they had a line going into the aisle. Thank heavens a second register opened! I went in, got what I needed, and went out. The rain was still going as I went home; I just went home and got wet.
A package awaited me on Charlie's porch when I got home. Lauren told me last night she intended to send me a copy of Scrabble for Valentine's Day. We had so much fun playing Roll With It! last spring, she wanted to find other games we could play together. It's even the nifty "retro" version with the original 1949 cover.
Worked on writing after I changed into dry clothes. After Richard breaks for lunch (to Charles' disappointment), Charles joins Brett, Marcia, and Bill in the garden. All three try to ask Bill about their collective dream, but the little wolf hotly denies that they're any more than just the products of their subconsciousness.
Had leftovers for dinner at 7. Watched Sale of the Century while I ate. We had a new champ, a lady who managed to stay two steps ahead of the crowd for most of the game, even with buying one of the Instant Bargains and the Instant Cash game. She had no more luck with the Bonus Round than the previous winner, though...
Returned to Charlie's Angels after a shower. Tanya Roberts replaced Shelly Hack as Julie Rogers during the fifth and final season. She got to put her role as the most streetwise Angel to use in "Chorus Line Angels" when she goes undercover as an agent who gets her dancer, Kris (Jacklyn Smith) a role in a Vegas show trying out in LA. Kris poses as a reporter doing a story on the director putting the show together. The show's star and original choreographer vanished, and its backer wants the girls to figure out why. The new choreographer is disgusted by this, as Kelly has no experience, but she may not be the real problem...
Finished the night on YouTube. The guy who's been posting and cleaning up all the Match Game episodes strung together 25 of Orson Bean's most memorable appearances on the show, including the very first episode of the original 1960's Match Game. Check this out to see even more of his best work on the show:
Match Game - Honoring Orson Bean
Saturday, February 08, 2020
Return of the Sun
Stayed up late last night and slept in this morning. I was so glad to finally awaken to blue skies sunshine after the rain we've had all week! Celebrated with breakfast and Split Second. I came in during the second half of the 11 AM episode. From the looks of thing, the one guy in the middle had kicked rear the whole game, and though the ladies put up a fight in the speed round, he ultimately answered his questions first. Wasn't able to get the car in the bonus round, though, and opted to come back next week.
Switched to another Winnie the Pooh Valentine's Day special while doing the dishes. This one is actually an episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It's "Un-Valentine's Day" when Rabbit cancels the holiday in the wake of the avalanche of valentines Pooh sent last year. As so often happens when a resident of the 100 Acres Woods cancels a holiday, it doesn't stay canceled for long. Someone leaves Pooh a honey pot...which leads to flying cakes, Piglet clinging to a giant heart, and Rabbit putting on his idea of a romantic play. But who did send the original pot of honey? The episode also includes the super-short "The Three Little Piglets." The group tries to tell the famous folk tale, but Pooh keeps injecting honey, and Rabbit does not want to be the Big Bad Bunny.
Thought I'd try something a little different while getting organized. My sisters and I were huge fans of the original My Little Pony & Friends in the mid-80's, both the toys and the cartoon. The toys remain popular with collectors to this day. The cartoon can be cutesy, but some episodes are surprisingly dark for a girl show from this era. Take "Bright Lights," a four-part story from the second season. Four of the baby ponies are crazy about Nightshade, a handsome pony singing idol who is holding a concert in Ponyland. His zebra manager convinces the little ponies to join their band as back-up singers. As soon as they do, he steals their shadows and energy. Their human friend Megan and their horrified mothers go searching for them...and to find out who's really behind the shadow thefts.
Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. My first stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library. Organized DVDs and books in the kids' area. The library just reorganized their DVDs and cleared out a lot of them. I picked up a box set of all of Shirley Temple's movies for a dollar. (Which means, look for reviews of her musicals at my Musical Dreams blog over the next few months.)
Next stop was the Acme. I had a lot of groceries I needed, and there were quite a few good sales this weekend. Had online coupons for peanut butter, canned tomato sauce, brown sugar, and the Oui yogurts in the little glass jar. An online coupon coupled with a sale on Honey Bunches of Oats allowed me to get it for free. Found turkey bacon with a manager's coupon and sales on crusted fish fillets. The Steve's Organic Ice Cream is still on clearance; went with Cold Cinnamon Coffee Brew. Restocked cranberries, bananas, butter, milk, frozen peas, cake mix, white flour, mechanical pencils, and muffin papers.
Not a bad schedule this week. On one hand, a long and early day tomorrow and I work four days straight through. On the other hand, I have Monday and next Saturday off, and a lot of morning and mid-afternoon shifts will allow me to get writing and other things done at home.
Ran Classic Concentration while putting everything away. Though a young man found the "take" card and was able to swipe pearl earrings from the older woman challenger, she still not only won in the end, but picked up more prizes, including sailing lessons and fresh flowers for a year. In a truly heart-stopping moment, she literally completed the bonus round and got the car at the very last possible second.
Worked on both the mall essay and the fanfic for a while. I wish malls hadn't been so quick to drop fun things like arcades, book stores, toy stores, and DVD and video stores...and considering that many are re-adding arcades, movie theaters, and other entertainment options, I suspect a lot of them are regretting it, too. I don't care if you can find them online. It's more fun to pick them up in a store. Clothes are not the be-all and end-all of everything. Not to mention, there's the sheer hang-out factor. I envy 80's and 90's kids who got to hang out in malls when they were younger. I don't have those stories. Kids in Lower Township had to beg their parents to drive them to malls further up north, or drive themselves and their friends almost an hour or more if they were teens.
Moved on to the fanfic around 5:30. The storm intensifies, turning Richard into a frozen statue. Brett clings to Charles, her dear friend, to protect her from the storm and from Malade's magic. Marcia tries to hang on to her prince friend, but he's vanishing in the heavy snow. All she hears before he disappears into the snow is his warning not to be misled by appearances and to look closer to find him...
Ran Descendants 3 earlier in the evening. I go further into the final movie in this series at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Musicals On TV - Descendants 3
It was almost 7:30 before I broke for dinner. Made spinach bacon salad with that turkey bacon while switching around Roku. The Roku Channel currently has the first two seasons of the late 70's-early 80's mystery-action series Hart to Hart. Since it was set around Valentine's Day, I chose the second season episode "Hart-Shaped Murder." Jennifer Hart (Stephanie Powers), the wife of wealthy industrialist Johnathan Hart (Robert Wagner), sends chocolate hearts to the members of her charity committee as a thank-you gift. However, the hearts are stolen or destroyed almost as soon as they're delivered. As the Harts investigate the thefts, someone sends them a seemingly random box of candies. Good thing the Harts and their man-of-all-trades Max (Lionel Stander) are on diets, because this box of goodies has a poison center inside that candy shell.
Finished the night after a shower with Match Game episodes on YouTube in honor of comedian and long-time regular Orson Bean, who was tragically run over by a car today at 91. His witty and homespun Vermont humor was a favorite on the show pretty much through its entire run. These episodes should give you at least a decent idea of some of his talents:
Match Game '74 - Orson's debut on the 70's show (and Marcia Wallace's as well).
Match Game '74 - Orson's gives an unusual - and rather sexual - answer to a later question.
Match Game '76 - Orson gives wry observations to some rather wild antics, including problems with the set and Betty White getting all tied up in tape.
Switched to another Winnie the Pooh Valentine's Day special while doing the dishes. This one is actually an episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It's "Un-Valentine's Day" when Rabbit cancels the holiday in the wake of the avalanche of valentines Pooh sent last year. As so often happens when a resident of the 100 Acres Woods cancels a holiday, it doesn't stay canceled for long. Someone leaves Pooh a honey pot...which leads to flying cakes, Piglet clinging to a giant heart, and Rabbit putting on his idea of a romantic play. But who did send the original pot of honey? The episode also includes the super-short "The Three Little Piglets." The group tries to tell the famous folk tale, but Pooh keeps injecting honey, and Rabbit does not want to be the Big Bad Bunny.
Thought I'd try something a little different while getting organized. My sisters and I were huge fans of the original My Little Pony & Friends in the mid-80's, both the toys and the cartoon. The toys remain popular with collectors to this day. The cartoon can be cutesy, but some episodes are surprisingly dark for a girl show from this era. Take "Bright Lights," a four-part story from the second season. Four of the baby ponies are crazy about Nightshade, a handsome pony singing idol who is holding a concert in Ponyland. His zebra manager convinces the little ponies to join their band as back-up singers. As soon as they do, he steals their shadows and energy. Their human friend Megan and their horrified mothers go searching for them...and to find out who's really behind the shadow thefts.
Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. My first stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library. Organized DVDs and books in the kids' area. The library just reorganized their DVDs and cleared out a lot of them. I picked up a box set of all of Shirley Temple's movies for a dollar. (Which means, look for reviews of her musicals at my Musical Dreams blog over the next few months.)
Next stop was the Acme. I had a lot of groceries I needed, and there were quite a few good sales this weekend. Had online coupons for peanut butter, canned tomato sauce, brown sugar, and the Oui yogurts in the little glass jar. An online coupon coupled with a sale on Honey Bunches of Oats allowed me to get it for free. Found turkey bacon with a manager's coupon and sales on crusted fish fillets. The Steve's Organic Ice Cream is still on clearance; went with Cold Cinnamon Coffee Brew. Restocked cranberries, bananas, butter, milk, frozen peas, cake mix, white flour, mechanical pencils, and muffin papers.
Not a bad schedule this week. On one hand, a long and early day tomorrow and I work four days straight through. On the other hand, I have Monday and next Saturday off, and a lot of morning and mid-afternoon shifts will allow me to get writing and other things done at home.
Ran Classic Concentration while putting everything away. Though a young man found the "take" card and was able to swipe pearl earrings from the older woman challenger, she still not only won in the end, but picked up more prizes, including sailing lessons and fresh flowers for a year. In a truly heart-stopping moment, she literally completed the bonus round and got the car at the very last possible second.
Worked on both the mall essay and the fanfic for a while. I wish malls hadn't been so quick to drop fun things like arcades, book stores, toy stores, and DVD and video stores...and considering that many are re-adding arcades, movie theaters, and other entertainment options, I suspect a lot of them are regretting it, too. I don't care if you can find them online. It's more fun to pick them up in a store. Clothes are not the be-all and end-all of everything. Not to mention, there's the sheer hang-out factor. I envy 80's and 90's kids who got to hang out in malls when they were younger. I don't have those stories. Kids in Lower Township had to beg their parents to drive them to malls further up north, or drive themselves and their friends almost an hour or more if they were teens.
Moved on to the fanfic around 5:30. The storm intensifies, turning Richard into a frozen statue. Brett clings to Charles, her dear friend, to protect her from the storm and from Malade's magic. Marcia tries to hang on to her prince friend, but he's vanishing in the heavy snow. All she hears before he disappears into the snow is his warning not to be misled by appearances and to look closer to find him...
Ran Descendants 3 earlier in the evening. I go further into the final movie in this series at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Musicals On TV - Descendants 3
It was almost 7:30 before I broke for dinner. Made spinach bacon salad with that turkey bacon while switching around Roku. The Roku Channel currently has the first two seasons of the late 70's-early 80's mystery-action series Hart to Hart. Since it was set around Valentine's Day, I chose the second season episode "Hart-Shaped Murder." Jennifer Hart (Stephanie Powers), the wife of wealthy industrialist Johnathan Hart (Robert Wagner), sends chocolate hearts to the members of her charity committee as a thank-you gift. However, the hearts are stolen or destroyed almost as soon as they're delivered. As the Harts investigate the thefts, someone sends them a seemingly random box of candies. Good thing the Harts and their man-of-all-trades Max (Lionel Stander) are on diets, because this box of goodies has a poison center inside that candy shell.
Finished the night after a shower with Match Game episodes on YouTube in honor of comedian and long-time regular Orson Bean, who was tragically run over by a car today at 91. His witty and homespun Vermont humor was a favorite on the show pretty much through its entire run. These episodes should give you at least a decent idea of some of his talents:
Match Game '74 - Orson's debut on the 70's show (and Marcia Wallace's as well).
Match Game '74 - Orson's gives an unusual - and rather sexual - answer to a later question.
Match Game '76 - Orson gives wry observations to some rather wild antics, including problems with the set and Betty White getting all tied up in tape.
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
After the Rain Was Gone
I awoke to a rainy, gloomy morning. Thankfully, the rain had already begun to clear out as I ate my breakfast and watched Press Your Luck. This may be the most exciting episode I've seen yet! Everyone kept getting Whammies in the first round, leaving no contestant with any money. The one woman got four Whammies straight off in the second half and was knocked out, but the guys kept passing their spins back and forth as they earned more money and prizes. In the end, the slightly older man finally got one last Whammy that knocked him out and let the other man win a Caribbean vacation and wide-screen TV, among other prizes. It got so crazy, host Peter Tomarken flopped over his podium in sheer exhaustion when they finished!
After all that, I was more than happy when Buzzr moved on to Blockbusters and I moved on to making the bed. An older woman went up against a mother-daughter team. It was neck-and-neck for a while, but the daughter finally came up with the last hexagon that won them the game.
Continued on with Match Game while cleaning the bathroom and going over old journals in the back room. Robert Mandan of the sitcom Soap joins Brett, Gene, Charles, and semi-regulars Lee "Catwoman" Merriweather, impressionist Richard Paul, and Betty White. I used to love Soap when I was a kid, though I'm pretty sure I didn't understand any of what went on in it. Mandan did pretty well for his first time, too, including winning a Head-To-Head bonus round for a contestant.
Moved on to cleaning the kitchen and running Downton Abbey next. Season 2 ends with a run of marriages. Lavinia (Zoe Boyle) is set to wed Abbey heir Matthew (Dan Stevens), while valet Bates (Brendan Coyle) secretly marries head housemaid Anna (Joanne Froggett). Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) tries to figure out what to do with his feelings about maid Jane (Clare Calbraith), but he knows how he feels about his daughter Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) becoming engaged to chauffeur Branson (Allen Leech). His Lordship attempts to buy Branson off before he realizes how determined the young people are. Everything changes when Cora, Lavinia, and butler Carson (Jim Carter) are all hit with the Spanish flu during the infamous flu epidemic of 1918 and Bates is accused of killing his wife.
Switched to more Peanuts specials while eating lunch and writing out the rent. Charlie Brown would do anything to ask the Little Red Haired Girl to the school dance in A Charlie Brown Valentine, but he ends up taking Peppermint Patty and Marcie. Meanwhile, Sally and Lucy would be happy if their crushes would give them the time of day, and Snoopy is recruited to write everyone's valentines.
Chuck finds another girl to drool over in Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown. He somehow manages to fall for a beautiful girl he sees for two seconds in the crowd at a football game on TV and drags Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock across town and into the country to find her. Even when he does, he still can't talk to her and hopes Linus will act as his second.
As I prepared to leave, I found an envelope stuck in my door. It turned out to be the new rental agreement...which had been raised almost a 100 dollars to 850. I don't know what I'm going to do, or why she keeps raising the rent this high. They can fix all the windows and porches they want, but in the end, it's still a small three-room apartment with bad carpeting, a teeny kitchen, and an unheated room in the back. Unfortunately, as I discovered last year when I looked for apartments, I can't afford to go anywhere else. No one will take me with my lack of finances. I need to talk to Rose and try to convince her to lower that rent.
(At least the rain was long gone. It remained cloudy and in the 60's for the rest of the day, but it never rained again.)
For the time being, I needed another check. I messed up on the other rent check. PNC in Collingswood was dead when I arrived. I went in, bought my check, and went out.
Dodged traffic coming out of Haddon Township High School and headed down Cuthbert to the library. They were just as busy with kids coming out of class and into the library and children's activities. They were holding the adult DVDs for one of the teen volunteers, but I did shelve the kid titles. Once again, didn't take anything out. I'm still exploring Roku and working on Downton Abbey.
Stopped really quick at Target for sugar. It's cheaper there than at Dollar General or the Acme. I grabbed the sugar, rang it up in self-checkout, and headed out.
Went into writing to cheer myself up when I got in. Revised the previous sequence. Charles is enjoying his time at the Summer-Winter Castle. Bill spends time trying to court Marcia, while Brett and Gene attempt to teach him about magic and Richard teaches him to use a sword, or tries to. The only fly in the ointment is the dream the entire crowd has every night that lands them in the garden in fine clothes. Brett suspect something is up, but they don't know what, until they hear something rustling in the bushes...
Broke for leftovers at 6:30. Match Game went backwards to 1975 for one of their best weeks. Husband-and-wife Password king and queen Allen Ludden and Betty White joined Gene, the regulars, and adorable Brit Dolly Martin as two lovely lady contestants did their best matching. That sweet girl was finally defeated on Sale of the Century by a contestant named Chou Chou whom had also turned up a decade earlier in Password Plus (and won big there, too). She didn't have as much luck at the bonus round, though.
Finished the night with Descendants. I go further into this wildly popular Disney Channel musical about the children of Disney villains going to school with the "good" kids at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Musicals On TV - Descendants (2015)
After all that, I was more than happy when Buzzr moved on to Blockbusters and I moved on to making the bed. An older woman went up against a mother-daughter team. It was neck-and-neck for a while, but the daughter finally came up with the last hexagon that won them the game.
Continued on with Match Game while cleaning the bathroom and going over old journals in the back room. Robert Mandan of the sitcom Soap joins Brett, Gene, Charles, and semi-regulars Lee "Catwoman" Merriweather, impressionist Richard Paul, and Betty White. I used to love Soap when I was a kid, though I'm pretty sure I didn't understand any of what went on in it. Mandan did pretty well for his first time, too, including winning a Head-To-Head bonus round for a contestant.
Moved on to cleaning the kitchen and running Downton Abbey next. Season 2 ends with a run of marriages. Lavinia (Zoe Boyle) is set to wed Abbey heir Matthew (Dan Stevens), while valet Bates (Brendan Coyle) secretly marries head housemaid Anna (Joanne Froggett). Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) tries to figure out what to do with his feelings about maid Jane (Clare Calbraith), but he knows how he feels about his daughter Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) becoming engaged to chauffeur Branson (Allen Leech). His Lordship attempts to buy Branson off before he realizes how determined the young people are. Everything changes when Cora, Lavinia, and butler Carson (Jim Carter) are all hit with the Spanish flu during the infamous flu epidemic of 1918 and Bates is accused of killing his wife.
Switched to more Peanuts specials while eating lunch and writing out the rent. Charlie Brown would do anything to ask the Little Red Haired Girl to the school dance in A Charlie Brown Valentine, but he ends up taking Peppermint Patty and Marcie. Meanwhile, Sally and Lucy would be happy if their crushes would give them the time of day, and Snoopy is recruited to write everyone's valentines.
Chuck finds another girl to drool over in Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown. He somehow manages to fall for a beautiful girl he sees for two seconds in the crowd at a football game on TV and drags Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock across town and into the country to find her. Even when he does, he still can't talk to her and hopes Linus will act as his second.
As I prepared to leave, I found an envelope stuck in my door. It turned out to be the new rental agreement...which had been raised almost a 100 dollars to 850. I don't know what I'm going to do, or why she keeps raising the rent this high. They can fix all the windows and porches they want, but in the end, it's still a small three-room apartment with bad carpeting, a teeny kitchen, and an unheated room in the back. Unfortunately, as I discovered last year when I looked for apartments, I can't afford to go anywhere else. No one will take me with my lack of finances. I need to talk to Rose and try to convince her to lower that rent.
(At least the rain was long gone. It remained cloudy and in the 60's for the rest of the day, but it never rained again.)
For the time being, I needed another check. I messed up on the other rent check. PNC in Collingswood was dead when I arrived. I went in, bought my check, and went out.
Dodged traffic coming out of Haddon Township High School and headed down Cuthbert to the library. They were just as busy with kids coming out of class and into the library and children's activities. They were holding the adult DVDs for one of the teen volunteers, but I did shelve the kid titles. Once again, didn't take anything out. I'm still exploring Roku and working on Downton Abbey.
Stopped really quick at Target for sugar. It's cheaper there than at Dollar General or the Acme. I grabbed the sugar, rang it up in self-checkout, and headed out.
Went into writing to cheer myself up when I got in. Revised the previous sequence. Charles is enjoying his time at the Summer-Winter Castle. Bill spends time trying to court Marcia, while Brett and Gene attempt to teach him about magic and Richard teaches him to use a sword, or tries to. The only fly in the ointment is the dream the entire crowd has every night that lands them in the garden in fine clothes. Brett suspect something is up, but they don't know what, until they hear something rustling in the bushes...
Broke for leftovers at 6:30. Match Game went backwards to 1975 for one of their best weeks. Husband-and-wife Password king and queen Allen Ludden and Betty White joined Gene, the regulars, and adorable Brit Dolly Martin as two lovely lady contestants did their best matching. That sweet girl was finally defeated on Sale of the Century by a contestant named Chou Chou whom had also turned up a decade earlier in Password Plus (and won big there, too). She didn't have as much luck at the bonus round, though.
Finished the night with Descendants. I go further into this wildly popular Disney Channel musical about the children of Disney villains going to school with the "good" kids at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Musicals On TV - Descendants (2015)
Saturday, February 01, 2020
A Foggy Morning In Oaklyn Town
When I awoke this morning, I thought I was in San Francisco for a minute. A heavy white fog swallowed the backyard. I could barely see the trees. It mostly burned off by the time I rolled out of bed and had breakfast, but would remain cloudy and chilly for the rest of the day.
Ran Split Second as I ate. The champ on the first episode won four times in a row in previous episodes; five times, and he'd get the car outright. Two young woman put up more than a good fight and were neck-in-neck with him for the entire episode. In fact, he barely pulled ahead and won in the speed round. I have to agree with Monty Hall that it was likely the most exiting episode of the show I'd ever seen. The second one wasn't quite as exciting. The one lady dominated most of the show and went on to the bonus round, though she didn't get the car.
Watched Tiny Toon Adventures as I began making snickerdoodles. "The Acme Bowl" has the football squad from Acme Looniversity taking on the cheaters at Perfecto Prep. New quarterback Buster claims he has some great moves that could win them the game, but Plucky's defection to Perfecto may set them up for a fumble.
Switched to The Three Stooges while rolling the cookie dough in cinnamon sugar. "Three Little Pigskins" is one of their earliest shorts. Gangsters who want to place a bet on a big game mistake them for the trio of football stars they've convinced to go pro. Their girlfriends, including a sarcastic Lucille Ball, think they're the football players, but they don't know anything about the game.
Switched to shorts while pulling the cookies out of the oven. The Fleischer Brothers did two football shorts with Popeye in two years. "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" is the earlier one. Popeye's frustrated when Olive pays more attention to quarterback Bluto than to him and eventually ends up playing the whole game against Bluto's team himself. He tells Swee' Pea the story of how he became "The Football Toucher Downer" by consuming spinach in order to win a game.
Mickey Mouse is "Touchdown Mickey" in one of his black-and-white shorts. He may not exactly be your typical Patrick Mahomes material, but that doesn't stop him from making plays and showing off for Minnie and Clarabelle on the sidelines. An overly enthusiastic Goofy is an even less-likely Howard Cosell in the radio booth.
Watched a little bit of Match Game before finally heading out. The Oaklyn Library's been rearranging their DVDs again. The adult titles were shifted from shelves in the center of the main room to the ones on the side that used to hold books. I have no idea where they intend to put the books that were there, though. Did more in the kids' area, organizing DVDs and the picture books.
Part of the reason I wanted to do my grocery shopping today was to bring my cookies to the Acme's annual employee Chili Cook-Off. They always hold this the day before the Super Bowl. I had tasty peppers and sausage, the same baked ziti I ate at Christmas, macaroni salad, a hot turkey sandwich, spinach dip that was so rich, I ate it with a fork, brownies, and soft bakery peanut butter and oatmeal cookies. I also saw roast beef, the last of what had been macaroni and cheese, meatballs in sauce, a "zesty sausage and cheese" soup, Buffalo chicken dip, a yellow cake from the bakery with white icing, and an empty plate that looked like it held cheesecake.
I would have come to the store under any circumstances. I needed to get my schedule and do a little grocery shopping. Grabbed two boxes of Bigalow black tea off the discontinued shelves. Decided I'd try a brand of low-fat premium ice cream, Steve's, that also seems to be discontinued; went with their blackberry crumble. Tangerines were on sale, too. Restocked cranberries, bananas, vanilla, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt.
My schedule next week is an improvement over the past month or so. Same amount of hours, but I have Tuesday off along with Friday and Saturday and a later day on Sunday. Seems the head bagger wanted Monday off, but that's ok. I'll work longer hours if it means my days off are more spread out.
Got home, put everything away while watching Let's Make a Deal, then went into writing. At the end of the dinner, Bill the wolf proposes to Marcia. She tells him that she thinks he's very sweet, but she's in love with someone else - the man who wrote the letters. Bill's heartbroken, but the others encourage him to keep trying.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ate yogurt and cranberry sauce while watching two football-related Peanuts specials. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown when he's tapped to escort Heather, the Little Red Haired Girl and Homecoming Queen, to the big homecoming dance and kiss her. He's a lot more interested in being her escort than in trying to keep Lucy from pulling the ball away from him during the big game.
Chuck and Linus are the ones in love in You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown. They fall for a little girl named Melody who watches them practicing for the Punt and Pass Contest during their local football game. The prize is a bike and a trip to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Snoopy coaches his Woodstock Eagles past three teams of animals larger than them to victory.
Finished the night after a shower with Jack Frost. I go into more detail on this bittersweet Rankin-Bass Groundhog's Day fairy tale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Happy Groundhog's Day! - Jack Frost
Ran Split Second as I ate. The champ on the first episode won four times in a row in previous episodes; five times, and he'd get the car outright. Two young woman put up more than a good fight and were neck-in-neck with him for the entire episode. In fact, he barely pulled ahead and won in the speed round. I have to agree with Monty Hall that it was likely the most exiting episode of the show I'd ever seen. The second one wasn't quite as exciting. The one lady dominated most of the show and went on to the bonus round, though she didn't get the car.
Watched Tiny Toon Adventures as I began making snickerdoodles. "The Acme Bowl" has the football squad from Acme Looniversity taking on the cheaters at Perfecto Prep. New quarterback Buster claims he has some great moves that could win them the game, but Plucky's defection to Perfecto may set them up for a fumble.
Switched to The Three Stooges while rolling the cookie dough in cinnamon sugar. "Three Little Pigskins" is one of their earliest shorts. Gangsters who want to place a bet on a big game mistake them for the trio of football stars they've convinced to go pro. Their girlfriends, including a sarcastic Lucille Ball, think they're the football players, but they don't know anything about the game.
Switched to shorts while pulling the cookies out of the oven. The Fleischer Brothers did two football shorts with Popeye in two years. "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" is the earlier one. Popeye's frustrated when Olive pays more attention to quarterback Bluto than to him and eventually ends up playing the whole game against Bluto's team himself. He tells Swee' Pea the story of how he became "The Football Toucher Downer" by consuming spinach in order to win a game.
Mickey Mouse is "Touchdown Mickey" in one of his black-and-white shorts. He may not exactly be your typical Patrick Mahomes material, but that doesn't stop him from making plays and showing off for Minnie and Clarabelle on the sidelines. An overly enthusiastic Goofy is an even less-likely Howard Cosell in the radio booth.
Watched a little bit of Match Game before finally heading out. The Oaklyn Library's been rearranging their DVDs again. The adult titles were shifted from shelves in the center of the main room to the ones on the side that used to hold books. I have no idea where they intend to put the books that were there, though. Did more in the kids' area, organizing DVDs and the picture books.
Part of the reason I wanted to do my grocery shopping today was to bring my cookies to the Acme's annual employee Chili Cook-Off. They always hold this the day before the Super Bowl. I had tasty peppers and sausage, the same baked ziti I ate at Christmas, macaroni salad, a hot turkey sandwich, spinach dip that was so rich, I ate it with a fork, brownies, and soft bakery peanut butter and oatmeal cookies. I also saw roast beef, the last of what had been macaroni and cheese, meatballs in sauce, a "zesty sausage and cheese" soup, Buffalo chicken dip, a yellow cake from the bakery with white icing, and an empty plate that looked like it held cheesecake.
I would have come to the store under any circumstances. I needed to get my schedule and do a little grocery shopping. Grabbed two boxes of Bigalow black tea off the discontinued shelves. Decided I'd try a brand of low-fat premium ice cream, Steve's, that also seems to be discontinued; went with their blackberry crumble. Tangerines were on sale, too. Restocked cranberries, bananas, vanilla, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt.
My schedule next week is an improvement over the past month or so. Same amount of hours, but I have Tuesday off along with Friday and Saturday and a later day on Sunday. Seems the head bagger wanted Monday off, but that's ok. I'll work longer hours if it means my days off are more spread out.
Got home, put everything away while watching Let's Make a Deal, then went into writing. At the end of the dinner, Bill the wolf proposes to Marcia. She tells him that she thinks he's very sweet, but she's in love with someone else - the man who wrote the letters. Bill's heartbroken, but the others encourage him to keep trying.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Ate yogurt and cranberry sauce while watching two football-related Peanuts specials. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown when he's tapped to escort Heather, the Little Red Haired Girl and Homecoming Queen, to the big homecoming dance and kiss her. He's a lot more interested in being her escort than in trying to keep Lucy from pulling the ball away from him during the big game.
Chuck and Linus are the ones in love in You're In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown. They fall for a little girl named Melody who watches them practicing for the Punt and Pass Contest during their local football game. The prize is a bike and a trip to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Snoopy coaches his Woodstock Eagles past three teams of animals larger than them to victory.
Finished the night after a shower with Jack Frost. I go into more detail on this bittersweet Rankin-Bass Groundhog's Day fairy tale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Happy Groundhog's Day! - Jack Frost
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Tax Woman
Kicked off the day with a quick breakfast and What's My Line? The panel really rolled today. Soupy Sales guessed that a woman was a flag man on a construction crew almost immediately. (And bless her! I hope she did well there.) It took them a little longer with the second man, but Arlene Francis finally figured out that the gentleman created a clam opening that could cut open a clam and get the meat out without switching utensils.
Work was absolutely dead this morning. I did do carts, but I also had plenty of time to clean up a spilled flower container, rounded up the outside trash and recycling, and sweep the store. At least it was nice when I was outside, breezy and chilly, but also sunny, with a lovely blue sky.
Went straight home after I finished. Read The Whole Town's Talking, then put on the first Valentine's Day special of the season while eating yogurt and celery with peanut butter for lunch. Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers is a series of bits from various shorts tied together in a story that has Bugs insisting that an Elmer-like Cupid is meddling with the Toons' affairs. The DVD also includes two full shorts. "Holiday Highlights" is a spoof of popular holidays in the calendar, including Valentine's Day. "Past Perfumance" has Pepe La Pew pursuing a disguised cat at a movie studio after his scent clears out the director and crew.
Pulled up the seat on my bike, then headed out. Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. It was an absolutely glorious day for it, with the sun shining on the deep green waters and the wind blowing through the dried reeds and plants on the shore. I dodged plenty of people taking themselves or their dogs out for a stroll and kids on their way home from school.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy when I arrived, too. A lot of people must have taken out DVDs earlier this week, because the return carts were overflowing. I shelved more than half the adult titles and couldn't fit in more. I was only there for about 45 minutes, not long enough to finish the cart, though I did get to most of it. The library only had two of Fannie's books in. I grabbed the non-holiday one, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Didn't take any movies out. I still haven't gotten through Downton Abbey, and there's other movies and shows I haven't watched yet at home, online and on disc.
Made a quick stop at Target on the way home. All I needed was conditioner. Went in, grabbed Pantene's curl formula, and went out.
My W2 arrived today, allowing me to finally finish my taxes. It takes me less than an hour. I own no property, have no dependents, only have one part-time job, and do it online. It went out and was accepted by the end of the night. I should have 900 dollars coming within the next few weeks.
Worked on writing for a little while after I finished. Marcia loves the dress Jo Ann (Worley) gave her that had been the Queen's. Bill is literally speechless. For once, it takes Charles and Richard's prompting to even get him to talk to her. Of course, once they get him going, he has a tendency to not stop...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game. Jo Ann Pflug, Betty White, and Bert Convy finished out their run with two episodes where Richard gave "hand" as an answer to the Audience Match "trench ___," leading everyone to spend the remaining show joking about the dangers of "trench hand." The young man on Sale of the Century continued his excellent run, winning the money on the bonus round with one minute to spare.
Finished the night with The Pirate. I go further into this cult swashbuckler, my second Judy Garland-Gene Kelly musical of the week, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Cult Flops - The Pirate
Work was absolutely dead this morning. I did do carts, but I also had plenty of time to clean up a spilled flower container, rounded up the outside trash and recycling, and sweep the store. At least it was nice when I was outside, breezy and chilly, but also sunny, with a lovely blue sky.
Went straight home after I finished. Read The Whole Town's Talking, then put on the first Valentine's Day special of the season while eating yogurt and celery with peanut butter for lunch. Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers is a series of bits from various shorts tied together in a story that has Bugs insisting that an Elmer-like Cupid is meddling with the Toons' affairs. The DVD also includes two full shorts. "Holiday Highlights" is a spoof of popular holidays in the calendar, including Valentine's Day. "Past Perfumance" has Pepe La Pew pursuing a disguised cat at a movie studio after his scent clears out the director and crew.
Pulled up the seat on my bike, then headed out. Took the long way across Newton Lake Park. It was an absolutely glorious day for it, with the sun shining on the deep green waters and the wind blowing through the dried reeds and plants on the shore. I dodged plenty of people taking themselves or their dogs out for a stroll and kids on their way home from school.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy when I arrived, too. A lot of people must have taken out DVDs earlier this week, because the return carts were overflowing. I shelved more than half the adult titles and couldn't fit in more. I was only there for about 45 minutes, not long enough to finish the cart, though I did get to most of it. The library only had two of Fannie's books in. I grabbed the non-holiday one, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Didn't take any movies out. I still haven't gotten through Downton Abbey, and there's other movies and shows I haven't watched yet at home, online and on disc.
Made a quick stop at Target on the way home. All I needed was conditioner. Went in, grabbed Pantene's curl formula, and went out.
My W2 arrived today, allowing me to finally finish my taxes. It takes me less than an hour. I own no property, have no dependents, only have one part-time job, and do it online. It went out and was accepted by the end of the night. I should have 900 dollars coming within the next few weeks.
Worked on writing for a little while after I finished. Marcia loves the dress Jo Ann (Worley) gave her that had been the Queen's. Bill is literally speechless. For once, it takes Charles and Richard's prompting to even get him to talk to her. Of course, once they get him going, he has a tendency to not stop...
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had leftovers while watching Match Game. Jo Ann Pflug, Betty White, and Bert Convy finished out their run with two episodes where Richard gave "hand" as an answer to the Audience Match "trench ___," leading everyone to spend the remaining show joking about the dangers of "trench hand." The young man on Sale of the Century continued his excellent run, winning the money on the bonus round with one minute to spare.
Finished the night with The Pirate. I go further into this cult swashbuckler, my second Judy Garland-Gene Kelly musical of the week, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Cult Flops - The Pirate
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Matches and Disappointments
Began the morning finishing off another Lois Lenski book, Blue Ridge Billy, and didn't get moving until past 10:30. Blockbusters was just winding down when I had breakfast. Started getting organized as they went into Match Game. Soap opera sweetheart Trish Stewart, old-school Catskills comedian Jack Carter, and noisy comedienne Kaye Stevens joined Gene and the regulars for two episodes from 1974. John Forsythe found himself dealing with a trio of very unusual "Angels" in Brett, bubbly blonde Elaine Joyce, and sassy Alabama belle Fannie Flagg in a show from '75.
Finally headed off around 12:30. I managed to balance the broken seat well enough to get where I was going. At least it was a nice day for a ride in Newton Lake Park. The sun sparkled on the greenish water, and the wind had finally vanished. I wasn't the only one out enjoying myself, either. There were quite a few people out and about, mainly dog walkers and older folks getting out while the weather's still good.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy for around 1. A lot of people must have taken movies out during the bad weather last weekend and the cold early this week. The return carts were overloaded with just about everything. I had enough time to shelve all of the kids' titles and about half the adult ones before rushing out. And no, I didn't take anything out. I haven't watched two of the movies I took out last week and half of The Magic School Bus, plus there's Downton Abbey that I borrowed from Mom and tons of stuff on Roku.
Everything went south after I left the library. My original plan was to take the bus to the Garden State Market in Cherry Hill and walk or ride the bike to the bike shop from there. The Transit buses do have bike racks, but I haven't used one in over a decade. I had no idea how to get the bike on the rack, and no one got out to help me or show me how to do it. I finally gave up and waved the bus on in tears and frustration.
Rode down the hill to the Westmont Acme to buy a banana, a bagel, and a bottle of Propel water for the cheapest, quickest lunch I could come up with. I thought about just riding the bike over to Cherry Hill, but by that point, it was past 2. It would probably take me an hour to get to the shop, and that was without considering traffic. Decided I'd just go home and would look up and see if Uber can carry bikes. I'll try again on Friday morning.
Once again cut across a gorgeous park, but this time, I took a longer route that took me across from the Collingswood High School. Technically, the road on the Oaklyn side of the park isn't a part of the park, but a well-worn dirt road indicated that many people stroll down there anyway. And no wonder. It was lovely, warm and glittering, if a bit muddy with the unpaved road. The path took me up to a stone staircase on Bettlewood Avenue, where I hit the street.
I went that way because it's just a couple of blocks from Dollar General. I needed new underwear, and the packs of Hanes there were cheaper than the fancier ones at Target. Got in, grabbed a pack of briefs that fit, and got out.
Did some writing when I came home. Charles and Marcia make the group a wonderful dinner of quail stew, then celebrate with Charles playing music and the others dancing. They just finished when Bill Cullen's horse suddenly rides up to Marcia without him. Now she's worried, and so are the others. He wouldn't have left his horse behind...
Broke for dinner at 6. Did more Match Game while I had leftovers, and then while starting Peanut Butter Cookies. Gene kicked off one of the funniest episodes of 1975 by trying to haul a massive antique radio microphone around. Later, Fannie Flagg kept flirting with a handsome contestant, culminating with her mock-fainting after she gave him the 500 dollar answer in the Audience Match and he kissed her. It got so crazy, the others had to separate them after she matched him in the Head-to-Head! All this, plus Brett sparring with Broadway legend Ethel Merman.
Sale of the Century didn't get quite as wild, but it was a pretty exciting game. All three contestants were neck-and-neck almost the entire game. In the end, one woman probably bought too many of the "instant bargains," and the man simply outpaced her and the other lady in the speed round. He did win some nice bedroom furniture, but missed the bonus round money by one minute.
Ended the night on a more sober note with Downton Abbey. By the fourth episode of season 2, both the upstairs and downstairs residents of Downton are deep into World War I. It kicks off with Ethel, one of the maids (Amy Nuttall) being caught making love with the Major (Daniel Pirrie) in charge of the soldiers at Downton and being dismissed. Meanwhile, everyone is concerned about Matthew (Dan Stevens), the heir to Downton, and William (Thomas Howes), the second footman, who are at the front and were reported missing. There's also Branson the chauffeur (Allen Leech) asking Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findley) to marry him and give up her wealthy life, and the concert for the servicemen the sisters are planning. While the concert works out better than anyone expected, things don't go so well for poor Ethel...
Finally headed off around 12:30. I managed to balance the broken seat well enough to get where I was going. At least it was a nice day for a ride in Newton Lake Park. The sun sparkled on the greenish water, and the wind had finally vanished. I wasn't the only one out enjoying myself, either. There were quite a few people out and about, mainly dog walkers and older folks getting out while the weather's still good.
The Haddon Township Library was fairly busy for around 1. A lot of people must have taken movies out during the bad weather last weekend and the cold early this week. The return carts were overloaded with just about everything. I had enough time to shelve all of the kids' titles and about half the adult ones before rushing out. And no, I didn't take anything out. I haven't watched two of the movies I took out last week and half of The Magic School Bus, plus there's Downton Abbey that I borrowed from Mom and tons of stuff on Roku.
Everything went south after I left the library. My original plan was to take the bus to the Garden State Market in Cherry Hill and walk or ride the bike to the bike shop from there. The Transit buses do have bike racks, but I haven't used one in over a decade. I had no idea how to get the bike on the rack, and no one got out to help me or show me how to do it. I finally gave up and waved the bus on in tears and frustration.
Rode down the hill to the Westmont Acme to buy a banana, a bagel, and a bottle of Propel water for the cheapest, quickest lunch I could come up with. I thought about just riding the bike over to Cherry Hill, but by that point, it was past 2. It would probably take me an hour to get to the shop, and that was without considering traffic. Decided I'd just go home and would look up and see if Uber can carry bikes. I'll try again on Friday morning.
Once again cut across a gorgeous park, but this time, I took a longer route that took me across from the Collingswood High School. Technically, the road on the Oaklyn side of the park isn't a part of the park, but a well-worn dirt road indicated that many people stroll down there anyway. And no wonder. It was lovely, warm and glittering, if a bit muddy with the unpaved road. The path took me up to a stone staircase on Bettlewood Avenue, where I hit the street.
I went that way because it's just a couple of blocks from Dollar General. I needed new underwear, and the packs of Hanes there were cheaper than the fancier ones at Target. Got in, grabbed a pack of briefs that fit, and got out.
Did some writing when I came home. Charles and Marcia make the group a wonderful dinner of quail stew, then celebrate with Charles playing music and the others dancing. They just finished when Bill Cullen's horse suddenly rides up to Marcia without him. Now she's worried, and so are the others. He wouldn't have left his horse behind...
Broke for dinner at 6. Did more Match Game while I had leftovers, and then while starting Peanut Butter Cookies. Gene kicked off one of the funniest episodes of 1975 by trying to haul a massive antique radio microphone around. Later, Fannie Flagg kept flirting with a handsome contestant, culminating with her mock-fainting after she gave him the 500 dollar answer in the Audience Match and he kissed her. It got so crazy, the others had to separate them after she matched him in the Head-to-Head! All this, plus Brett sparring with Broadway legend Ethel Merman.
Sale of the Century didn't get quite as wild, but it was a pretty exciting game. All three contestants were neck-and-neck almost the entire game. In the end, one woman probably bought too many of the "instant bargains," and the man simply outpaced her and the other lady in the speed round. He did win some nice bedroom furniture, but missed the bonus round money by one minute.
Ended the night on a more sober note with Downton Abbey. By the fourth episode of season 2, both the upstairs and downstairs residents of Downton are deep into World War I. It kicks off with Ethel, one of the maids (Amy Nuttall) being caught making love with the Major (Daniel Pirrie) in charge of the soldiers at Downton and being dismissed. Meanwhile, everyone is concerned about Matthew (Dan Stevens), the heir to Downton, and William (Thomas Howes), the second footman, who are at the front and were reported missing. There's also Branson the chauffeur (Allen Leech) asking Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findley) to marry him and give up her wealthy life, and the concert for the servicemen the sisters are planning. While the concert works out better than anyone expected, things don't go so well for poor Ethel...
Friday, January 17, 2020
I Dream of Vacation
I was so happy to actually sleep in a little this morning. Buzzr was on Press Your Luck by the time I had breakfast. This one came down to a young man who won a trip and several prizes, and a woman who got a big trip but several Whammies. The man finally got enough money to pass her and win all together. A woman played a mother-son duo on Blockbusters. She seemed to do well, until the son got a bunch of sports-related questions.
Headed out around quarter of 11 to get my laundry done. Unlike the past two weeks, they were totally dead when I arrived, and I never saw more than two people while I was there. I thought it was a good time to try the new, front-loading larger washers. They took more coins and ran for longer than usual, but they also wrung the clothes out better. They were a little less damp when I took them out, and didn't take quite as long to dry. I worked on story notes and ignored The View and Action News on Channel 6.
Watched an episode of Match Game while putting my clothes away, then went back out again. Wanted to hit the Oaklyn Library before they closed for the day. They were surprisingly busy for them, with a group of people gathered around the main table near the TV. I wonder if they were the board of directors or heads of the library? I think I saw one of the librarians among them. I half-listened to them while organizing DVDs and board books in the kids' area.
Took the long way down Nicholson Road and past WalMart to Tu Se Bella's Pizza for lunch. At least it was a nice day for a ride! It's colder, in the 30's, and still windy, but also sunny and cloudless (and much nicer than it's supposed to be tomorrow). It was almost 2 by the time I arrived, which was reflected in an empty dining area. I had a quick slice of broccoli-shrimp and a slice of cheese with a bottle of Sprite "Lymonade" (lemonade flavor - not bad, tart like lemonade should be).
To my surprise, the Acme wasn't busy, either. I figured they'd be mobbed, thanks to the weather reports for tomorrow. I guess everyone heard we're not really supposed to get much snow. Good thing, because I had a lot of shopping to do. They're having their occasional "buck a bag" vegetable sale. I grabbed celery, oranges, grape tomatoes, and bagged spinach. Treated myself to Mint Fudge Tracks light Acme generic ice cream on clearance. Found another book for Lilah's birthday, this one a "place a sticker and finish the story" picture book. Restocked yogurt, cranberries, canned crushed pineapples, canned mandarin oranges, peanut butter, toilet paper, milk, ground turkey, turkey hot dogs, canned black beans, tuna, and frozen broccoli florets.
My schedule for next week is...vacation! Why take my final vacation week in late January? First of all, there's Lilah's birthday. I loved going to Anny's house for her party last year. Second, it's mid-way between my previous vacation (September) and what will likely be my next vacation (May). Third, I have counseling on Tuesday, and Amanda wanted to get together on Thursday. Fourth...I really, really just need time off after what's been a busy and often frustrating couple of weeks at work. Other than those three days, my only plans are the usual writing and volunteering, and maybe a trip to the movies to either catch Cats for review or see Rise of Skywalker a second time.
Started the last season of The Magic School Bus while putting everything away. The kids are supposed to be watching their principal Mr. Rhule's beloved Rhode Island Red rooster Giblets, but he flies away. They go to a farm to get an egg that's been fertilized by a chicken and a rooster, then try to hatch the egg themselves, but it's slow going. Ms. Frizzle lets the kids, and then Arnold, go inside the egg to see how it's made, and then how a new life forms.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Marcia sadly admits that she'd been writing with a man whom she only knew as "Will." She'd fallen for his charming and witty (if badly spelled) letters, but Malade invaded the Summer-Winter Castle before they could go on a date and she presumed he was killed. Bill tries to tell her what happened at the Castle, but once again, something forces him into wolf howls before much comes out.
I also re-wrote a bit earlier. Bill Cullen is going to the next town over and asks Marcia, his friend and best customer, if she wants a gift. She asks for a rose. Most people in town grown vegetables. She hasn't seen a rose since leaving home.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had the turkey hot dogs and a spinach-tomato salad with apple cider dressing while watching more Match Game. Cutie-pie Sarah Kennedy from Laugh In, MGM dancer Bobby Van, and comedienne Ann Elder join Gene and the regulars in an episode from 1975. Gene kept flirting with teeny Sarah, even kissing her rather hard at one point, to the mild amusement of Richard and the frustration of Brett (who went down and gave him a good smack on the shoulders).
Spent the next hour or so taking another nice, relaxing bath. As I mentioned, it's been a long couple of weeks. I brought a book, but I didn't read it. Just sat back, closed my eyes, listened to Jazz For When You're Alone, and breathed. Got so relaxed, I almost passed out at several points.
Finished the night with two episodes of I Dream of Jeannie on Crackle. I saw it when I was switching around the other night. Rose was always more into this show when we were little - I preferred sensible Samantha on Bewitched - but I thought I'd give it another try. Kicked off with the first episode, "The Lady In the Bottle." Captain Tony Nielson (Larry Hagman) is an astronaut who crashes on a desert island. He finds a woman genie (Barbara Eden) in a bottle appropriately named Jeannie and sets her free. She's crazy about him whether she's free or not and follows him in her bottle back to Florida. Now he has to figure out how to explain her to his fiancee Melissa (Karen Sharpe) and her father, Brigadier General Stone (Phillip Ober) that he's not as crazy as he sounds.
Skipped ahead to a second season western spoof, "The Fastest Gun In the East." Tony makes the mistake of wishing he were out west while watching a TV western. Jeannie makes him appear in the real west as the marshal of a small town under fire by land-grabbing cattle rustlers. The duo have to stop a cattle stampede, release an unfairly imprisoned man, and figure out who is the man behind the land grabbing scheme, before the bandits get around Jeannie's magic and take them out.
Headed out around quarter of 11 to get my laundry done. Unlike the past two weeks, they were totally dead when I arrived, and I never saw more than two people while I was there. I thought it was a good time to try the new, front-loading larger washers. They took more coins and ran for longer than usual, but they also wrung the clothes out better. They were a little less damp when I took them out, and didn't take quite as long to dry. I worked on story notes and ignored The View and Action News on Channel 6.
Watched an episode of Match Game while putting my clothes away, then went back out again. Wanted to hit the Oaklyn Library before they closed for the day. They were surprisingly busy for them, with a group of people gathered around the main table near the TV. I wonder if they were the board of directors or heads of the library? I think I saw one of the librarians among them. I half-listened to them while organizing DVDs and board books in the kids' area.
Took the long way down Nicholson Road and past WalMart to Tu Se Bella's Pizza for lunch. At least it was a nice day for a ride! It's colder, in the 30's, and still windy, but also sunny and cloudless (and much nicer than it's supposed to be tomorrow). It was almost 2 by the time I arrived, which was reflected in an empty dining area. I had a quick slice of broccoli-shrimp and a slice of cheese with a bottle of Sprite "Lymonade" (lemonade flavor - not bad, tart like lemonade should be).
To my surprise, the Acme wasn't busy, either. I figured they'd be mobbed, thanks to the weather reports for tomorrow. I guess everyone heard we're not really supposed to get much snow. Good thing, because I had a lot of shopping to do. They're having their occasional "buck a bag" vegetable sale. I grabbed celery, oranges, grape tomatoes, and bagged spinach. Treated myself to Mint Fudge Tracks light Acme generic ice cream on clearance. Found another book for Lilah's birthday, this one a "place a sticker and finish the story" picture book. Restocked yogurt, cranberries, canned crushed pineapples, canned mandarin oranges, peanut butter, toilet paper, milk, ground turkey, turkey hot dogs, canned black beans, tuna, and frozen broccoli florets.
My schedule for next week is...vacation! Why take my final vacation week in late January? First of all, there's Lilah's birthday. I loved going to Anny's house for her party last year. Second, it's mid-way between my previous vacation (September) and what will likely be my next vacation (May). Third, I have counseling on Tuesday, and Amanda wanted to get together on Thursday. Fourth...I really, really just need time off after what's been a busy and often frustrating couple of weeks at work. Other than those three days, my only plans are the usual writing and volunteering, and maybe a trip to the movies to either catch Cats for review or see Rise of Skywalker a second time.
Started the last season of The Magic School Bus while putting everything away. The kids are supposed to be watching their principal Mr. Rhule's beloved Rhode Island Red rooster Giblets, but he flies away. They go to a farm to get an egg that's been fertilized by a chicken and a rooster, then try to hatch the egg themselves, but it's slow going. Ms. Frizzle lets the kids, and then Arnold, go inside the egg to see how it's made, and then how a new life forms.
Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Marcia sadly admits that she'd been writing with a man whom she only knew as "Will." She'd fallen for his charming and witty (if badly spelled) letters, but Malade invaded the Summer-Winter Castle before they could go on a date and she presumed he was killed. Bill tries to tell her what happened at the Castle, but once again, something forces him into wolf howls before much comes out.
I also re-wrote a bit earlier. Bill Cullen is going to the next town over and asks Marcia, his friend and best customer, if she wants a gift. She asks for a rose. Most people in town grown vegetables. She hasn't seen a rose since leaving home.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had the turkey hot dogs and a spinach-tomato salad with apple cider dressing while watching more Match Game. Cutie-pie Sarah Kennedy from Laugh In, MGM dancer Bobby Van, and comedienne Ann Elder join Gene and the regulars in an episode from 1975. Gene kept flirting with teeny Sarah, even kissing her rather hard at one point, to the mild amusement of Richard and the frustration of Brett (who went down and gave him a good smack on the shoulders).
Spent the next hour or so taking another nice, relaxing bath. As I mentioned, it's been a long couple of weeks. I brought a book, but I didn't read it. Just sat back, closed my eyes, listened to Jazz For When You're Alone, and breathed. Got so relaxed, I almost passed out at several points.
Finished the night with two episodes of I Dream of Jeannie on Crackle. I saw it when I was switching around the other night. Rose was always more into this show when we were little - I preferred sensible Samantha on Bewitched - but I thought I'd give it another try. Kicked off with the first episode, "The Lady In the Bottle." Captain Tony Nielson (Larry Hagman) is an astronaut who crashes on a desert island. He finds a woman genie (Barbara Eden) in a bottle appropriately named Jeannie and sets her free. She's crazy about him whether she's free or not and follows him in her bottle back to Florida. Now he has to figure out how to explain her to his fiancee Melissa (Karen Sharpe) and her father, Brigadier General Stone (Phillip Ober) that he's not as crazy as he sounds.
Skipped ahead to a second season western spoof, "The Fastest Gun In the East." Tony makes the mistake of wishing he were out west while watching a TV western. Jeannie makes him appear in the real west as the marshal of a small town under fire by land-grabbing cattle rustlers. The duo have to stop a cattle stampede, release an unfairly imprisoned man, and figure out who is the man behind the land grabbing scheme, before the bandits get around Jeannie's magic and take them out.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Wild Is the Wind
Kicked off the morning with a quick breakfast and To Tell the Truth. Three men who all claimed to have shipped themselves to a girlfriend in Philadelphia were in the hot seats today. Tom Kennedy was the one who figured out it was number 3, the one with "the devilish smile." Soupy Sales figured out on What's My Line? that another lady from Philly sold patterns to embroider designs on jeans. They even had models show off her patterns. I thought the pants were a bit much, but the shirts and jackets were awesome - especially the cute bear jacket and shirt.
Thankfully after the past few days, work was no trouble. The worst that happened was dealing with some wild, gale-force wind outside that kept blowing carts away. It was so quiet, I spent the day either outside with the carts or doing the outside trash and recycling, doing the bathroom trash, or later, sweeping the store.
Went straight home as soon as I was done. A box for me leaned on the fence around the front yard when I arrived. It held the 80's fantasy Labyrinth for eventual review, a box of Nature's Bakery apple-cinnamon bars, and a new basket. I didn't realize that the basket was shorter than my old one...but it was also sturdier, with heavier bars and a less-complicated construction.
Headed inside after I finally got the basket on and tightened the seat. Ran the tail end of Classic Concentration and the beginning of the original 60's Password on Buzzr as I ate a quick lunch. The guy on Concentration got so close to getting a car, but there were technical difficulties, then he hesitated too long on matching. Dancer Ray Bolger and Amanda Blake of Gunsmoke were the elegant panelists on Password.
Finished out the Sailor Moon Super S set while I got organized. "Holiday In Juuban! A Carefree Princess" is a riff on the classic movie Roman Holiday. Princess Rubina of Amethyst flees her royal duties to have some fun in Tokyo. Usagi and Chibi-Usa first run into her on the street, then at a local street fair. Mamoru and the cats join them later to try to convince her to return to her hotel, before she gets hurt. But Hawk's Eye is also after the Princess, and he's determined to spoil their fun.
Finally headed back out around 2:30. I had a few errands to run. Newton Lake Park was surprisingly busy for a day where the wind was so crazy, I'm surprised I wasn't blown into the water. I dodged lots of people out for a stroll or walking their dogs before the weather turns nasty starting late tomorrow. The wind was cold, but when you could get away from it, the sun was actually quite warm, probably in the upper 40's, lower 50's.
The Haddon Township Library was a little busier than the Acme, mainly with kids out of school or parents looking for movies for the holiday weekend. Someone already put away the kids' DVDs, so I did the adult titles. Took out quite a few movies this week. Along with the fourth and final season of The Magic School Bus, I decided I'd finally have time next week for the 3-hour marathon Avengers: Endgame. Also grabbed the comedies Eddie the Eagle (about the infamous British ski jumper) and The Hustle (which I didn't get to the last time I had it out).
Made a few stops on the way home. I was looking for underwear at Target, but they had none of the bagged Fruit of the Loom I like. I'll get it at Dollar General sometime next week. Had more luck at Dollar Tree. Bought a card and a roll of rainbow-colored star-print paper for my niece Lilah's birthday party on Monday. Chuckled at the teen girls in plaid skirts in front of me just out of the Catholic high school down the street who bought 6-packs of ramen noodles and small heart-shaped boxes of chocolate with goofy mermaids or cartoon characters on them. They reminded me of Anny, who practically lived on ramen noodles at their age.
Did some writing when I got home. Richard, now hidden under his hood, brings the carriage around to pick up Charles, Brett, Marcia, and Bill the wolf. Bill asks her if she'd consider him as a sweetheart, but she explains that the only man she ever loved once wrote her kind and beautiful (if badly spelled) letters. She was so enamored by them, she agreed to go on a date with him... but the letters stopped coming, and they never went on that date. She presumes he was killed when Malade invaded the Summerlands. She left shortly afterwards.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Johnny, Marcia, and Trish finished their run on Match Game helping out a sweet and funny older man who came up with some great answers. He seemed to be especially fond of Brett, whom he chose for twice in the Head-to-Head (and won money with her once). A beautiful lady in Sale of the Century killed in the Speed Round, breezed through the Bonus Round, and won herself a really nice pearl necklace.
Ended the night with Lady and the Tramp. I go further into one of Disney's most popular animated films on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Extra - Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Thankfully after the past few days, work was no trouble. The worst that happened was dealing with some wild, gale-force wind outside that kept blowing carts away. It was so quiet, I spent the day either outside with the carts or doing the outside trash and recycling, doing the bathroom trash, or later, sweeping the store.
Went straight home as soon as I was done. A box for me leaned on the fence around the front yard when I arrived. It held the 80's fantasy Labyrinth for eventual review, a box of Nature's Bakery apple-cinnamon bars, and a new basket. I didn't realize that the basket was shorter than my old one...but it was also sturdier, with heavier bars and a less-complicated construction.
Headed inside after I finally got the basket on and tightened the seat. Ran the tail end of Classic Concentration and the beginning of the original 60's Password on Buzzr as I ate a quick lunch. The guy on Concentration got so close to getting a car, but there were technical difficulties, then he hesitated too long on matching. Dancer Ray Bolger and Amanda Blake of Gunsmoke were the elegant panelists on Password.
Finished out the Sailor Moon Super S set while I got organized. "Holiday In Juuban! A Carefree Princess" is a riff on the classic movie Roman Holiday. Princess Rubina of Amethyst flees her royal duties to have some fun in Tokyo. Usagi and Chibi-Usa first run into her on the street, then at a local street fair. Mamoru and the cats join them later to try to convince her to return to her hotel, before she gets hurt. But Hawk's Eye is also after the Princess, and he's determined to spoil their fun.
Finally headed back out around 2:30. I had a few errands to run. Newton Lake Park was surprisingly busy for a day where the wind was so crazy, I'm surprised I wasn't blown into the water. I dodged lots of people out for a stroll or walking their dogs before the weather turns nasty starting late tomorrow. The wind was cold, but when you could get away from it, the sun was actually quite warm, probably in the upper 40's, lower 50's.
The Haddon Township Library was a little busier than the Acme, mainly with kids out of school or parents looking for movies for the holiday weekend. Someone already put away the kids' DVDs, so I did the adult titles. Took out quite a few movies this week. Along with the fourth and final season of The Magic School Bus, I decided I'd finally have time next week for the 3-hour marathon Avengers: Endgame. Also grabbed the comedies Eddie the Eagle (about the infamous British ski jumper) and The Hustle (which I didn't get to the last time I had it out).
Made a few stops on the way home. I was looking for underwear at Target, but they had none of the bagged Fruit of the Loom I like. I'll get it at Dollar General sometime next week. Had more luck at Dollar Tree. Bought a card and a roll of rainbow-colored star-print paper for my niece Lilah's birthday party on Monday. Chuckled at the teen girls in plaid skirts in front of me just out of the Catholic high school down the street who bought 6-packs of ramen noodles and small heart-shaped boxes of chocolate with goofy mermaids or cartoon characters on them. They reminded me of Anny, who practically lived on ramen noodles at their age.
Did some writing when I got home. Richard, now hidden under his hood, brings the carriage around to pick up Charles, Brett, Marcia, and Bill the wolf. Bill asks her if she'd consider him as a sweetheart, but she explains that the only man she ever loved once wrote her kind and beautiful (if badly spelled) letters. She was so enamored by them, she agreed to go on a date with him... but the letters stopped coming, and they never went on that date. She presumes he was killed when Malade invaded the Summerlands. She left shortly afterwards.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Johnny, Marcia, and Trish finished their run on Match Game helping out a sweet and funny older man who came up with some great answers. He seemed to be especially fond of Brett, whom he chose for twice in the Head-to-Head (and won money with her once). A beautiful lady in Sale of the Century killed in the Speed Round, breezed through the Bonus Round, and won herself a really nice pearl necklace.
Ended the night with Lady and the Tramp. I go further into one of Disney's most popular animated films on my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Extra - Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Dolls on a Warm Winter Day
Kicked off a late morning with breakfast and more Sailor Moon Super S. We're introduced to Chib-Usa's talking kitten Diana in "Artemis Is Cheating? Enter the Mysterious Kitten." Not only does he have to convince Luna that he knows nothing about this, but the girls have to deal with Tiger's Eye of the Dead Moon Circus attempting to seduce a nun, then taking it out on Artemis. "Makoto's Friendship: A Girl Who Admired Pegasus" is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Makoto had encouraged a lonely girl she knew in school to sell her novel. That novel was a best-seller, but the boy who inspired her started dating another girl, and she lost her muse. Makoto and Chibi-Usa try to convince her to write again, then rescue her from Tiger's Eye.
Spent the rest of the morning dressing the dolls for winter and January, or at least when it starts to feel more like winter. Samantha wears her gray Buster Brown school dress with the black stockings and boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Ariel's a navy turtleneck I got online, the beaded flared jeans from the early 2000's modern line, and the tan boots Whitney came in. Whitney's ready to skate on Peter Creek when it freezes up again in Molly's bright red and blue Skating Outfit (which fits her much better than it does Molly) and Springfield Collection skates. Josefina looks quite pretty in a blue and navy-striped Empire-waist dress I got on eBay and a navy flowered hat. Jessa keeps things simple in baggy cargo pants, black high-tops, and a blue-violet studded Coconut the dog shirt, all from the modern AG line. Molly's equally comfortable in her Play Outfit with the plaid flannel shirt and navy corduroys and the brown Oxfords that came with Kit's School Outfit. Felicity is glad it's warm enough to hit the trails in her emerald green Riding Outfit (though the tri-corn hat kept losing a feather).
Did some Match Game while getting organized after I put everything away, then headed out. The day was gloomy and very windy, but it was also unusually warm for January, in the upper 60's. That's probably why the Oaklyn Library was so quiet. I organized adult and kids' DVDs and shelved kids' books and never saw anyone besides me and the librarian.
Given the warm day, lunch at Sonic was practically mandatory. I had a plain old cheeseburger with tater tots and a cherry limeade. Surprisingly, I was the only one on the patio, though the parking lot was full. I guess most people didn't want to deal with the wind.
Headed to the Acme next. I mostly needed to pick up fruit and vegetables. They had a 3 for $1.99 sale on small naval oranges, and fresh cranberries are still around, too. Also grabbed Brussels sprouts and bananas. Found chicken breasts and Nature's Valley breakfast sandwich cookies on good sales. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, cereal, yogurt, butter, an onion, mushrooms, Kleenex, parchment paper, and sponges. Found a can of Goya Pinto Beans on the clearance racks in the back.
Mixed feelings on my schedule next week. On one hand, I don't have off again until next Friday, and I have to work really early tomorrow. On the other hand, I have more hours and next Friday and Saturday off. I'm taking my last vacation week before we start our cycle over the week after, which essentially means I start my vacation early.
Ran more Sailor Moon Super S when I got home and put everything away, then did some writing. Ira the Sheriff of Nerdocrumbesia shoves his way in, asking Bill Cullen if he's seen any bandits lurking in dark corners. No, he hasn't...and has no intention of mentioning Richard is hiding behind a pile of books he's carrying for Marcia. Ira makes a beeline for Marcia and tries to hit on her, but she's not interested. See, she was already writing to another guy she liked much better...
Broke for dinner at 6. Had leftover black bean dip really fast, then made Oatmeal-Pumpkin Spice Cookies, which were basically the Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies with more spices and the Pumpkin Spice Truffle Chips. Not bad. A bit sweet, but very spicy and flavorful. They cooked a little dark in the oven, but they didn't burn.
Ran more Sailor Moon while eating and baking. My favorite episode from this disc, along with "Makoto's Friendship," was "We Love Fashion: The Stylish Guardians." The episode is unusual in depicting a villainous cross-dresser - Fish Eye, the most feminine of the Amazon Trio - and a love triangle between him, a handsome fashion designer who is also in a slump, and his partner and lover. It's Usagi who finally makes the designer realize that he let his work overwhelm him...but Fish Eye is livid when he cuts him out of his life.
Finished the night with two movies on Disney Plus. I know my family rented Disney's first direct-to-video sequel Return of Jafar and it's follow-up Aladdin and the King of Thieves when they came out, but I hadn't seen either since then. I go further into how they look now at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Double Feature - Return of Jafar & Aladdin and the King of Theives
Spent the rest of the morning dressing the dolls for winter and January, or at least when it starts to feel more like winter. Samantha wears her gray Buster Brown school dress with the black stockings and boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Ariel's a navy turtleneck I got online, the beaded flared jeans from the early 2000's modern line, and the tan boots Whitney came in. Whitney's ready to skate on Peter Creek when it freezes up again in Molly's bright red and blue Skating Outfit (which fits her much better than it does Molly) and Springfield Collection skates. Josefina looks quite pretty in a blue and navy-striped Empire-waist dress I got on eBay and a navy flowered hat. Jessa keeps things simple in baggy cargo pants, black high-tops, and a blue-violet studded Coconut the dog shirt, all from the modern AG line. Molly's equally comfortable in her Play Outfit with the plaid flannel shirt and navy corduroys and the brown Oxfords that came with Kit's School Outfit. Felicity is glad it's warm enough to hit the trails in her emerald green Riding Outfit (though the tri-corn hat kept losing a feather).
Did some Match Game while getting organized after I put everything away, then headed out. The day was gloomy and very windy, but it was also unusually warm for January, in the upper 60's. That's probably why the Oaklyn Library was so quiet. I organized adult and kids' DVDs and shelved kids' books and never saw anyone besides me and the librarian.
Given the warm day, lunch at Sonic was practically mandatory. I had a plain old cheeseburger with tater tots and a cherry limeade. Surprisingly, I was the only one on the patio, though the parking lot was full. I guess most people didn't want to deal with the wind.
Headed to the Acme next. I mostly needed to pick up fruit and vegetables. They had a 3 for $1.99 sale on small naval oranges, and fresh cranberries are still around, too. Also grabbed Brussels sprouts and bananas. Found chicken breasts and Nature's Valley breakfast sandwich cookies on good sales. Restocked skim milk, brown sugar, cereal, yogurt, butter, an onion, mushrooms, Kleenex, parchment paper, and sponges. Found a can of Goya Pinto Beans on the clearance racks in the back.
Mixed feelings on my schedule next week. On one hand, I don't have off again until next Friday, and I have to work really early tomorrow. On the other hand, I have more hours and next Friday and Saturday off. I'm taking my last vacation week before we start our cycle over the week after, which essentially means I start my vacation early.
Ran more Sailor Moon Super S when I got home and put everything away, then did some writing. Ira the Sheriff of Nerdocrumbesia shoves his way in, asking Bill Cullen if he's seen any bandits lurking in dark corners. No, he hasn't...and has no intention of mentioning Richard is hiding behind a pile of books he's carrying for Marcia. Ira makes a beeline for Marcia and tries to hit on her, but she's not interested. See, she was already writing to another guy she liked much better...
Broke for dinner at 6. Had leftover black bean dip really fast, then made Oatmeal-Pumpkin Spice Cookies, which were basically the Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies with more spices and the Pumpkin Spice Truffle Chips. Not bad. A bit sweet, but very spicy and flavorful. They cooked a little dark in the oven, but they didn't burn.
Ran more Sailor Moon while eating and baking. My favorite episode from this disc, along with "Makoto's Friendship," was "We Love Fashion: The Stylish Guardians." The episode is unusual in depicting a villainous cross-dresser - Fish Eye, the most feminine of the Amazon Trio - and a love triangle between him, a handsome fashion designer who is also in a slump, and his partner and lover. It's Usagi who finally makes the designer realize that he let his work overwhelm him...but Fish Eye is livid when he cuts him out of his life.
Finished the night with two movies on Disney Plus. I know my family rented Disney's first direct-to-video sequel Return of Jafar and it's follow-up Aladdin and the King of Thieves when they came out, but I hadn't seen either since then. I go further into how they look now at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Animation Celebration Double Feature - Return of Jafar & Aladdin and the King of Theives
Tuesday, January 07, 2020
Before the Rain Came
Kicked off a grey morning with breakfast and getting the monthly cleaning done. Did the bathroom and the kitchen, then vacuumed. The bathroom wasn't really that bad, but I spent a lot of time baking and cooking for the holidays in the kitchen that month and it was really grimy, especially the top of the oven. The vacuuming was also really bad with fuzz balls coming off a new pair of sleep socks Amanda gave me.
Charlie and his two little dogs came upstairs while I was in the kitchen to deliver a package. I also finally got around to mentioning that the front door light had gone out. He did fix it, and it works fine now. The package turned out to be Lauren's older copies of fan-made Perfect Strangers season sets on DVD and almost all of the books in The Cat Who... mystery novel series. I've read almost all of the latter, but not in years. I might check out a few again, just for old time's sake.
Finished the Magic School Bus set while I cleaned. "Work Out" has the kids preparing Ms. Frizzle for the Teacher-athalon against muscle-bound gym teacher Mr. Sinew (Dan Marino). They don't think she has a chance, until she sends them into her muscles to show them just how air circulates and how important it is for your muscles to get air in order to keep working.
Phoebe "Gets Planted" when Ms. Frizzle turns her into a bean plant right before the kids' production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Shy Phoebe wants to know why her little bean plant didn't grow. She learns that plants need not only water and dirt, but sunlight to grow and make food...and that neither plants nor kids grow if they keep their leaves rolled and hide from the light.
Ms. Frizzle and the kids are thrilled when someone sends them a box of cocoa beans from their very own tree in the Amazon, only to discover that the tree has produced no beans. They travel "In the Rain Forest" to figure out what happened. Dorothy Ann and Tim, the designated "Rain Forest Inspectors," learn about the importance of ecosystems as they try to figure out why fussy Inspector 47's (Matt Frewer) cocoa trees won't grow fruit.
The bus "Rocks and Rolls" after ice gets into Arnold's new sculpture of their town's founder and sends it crashing down the mountain. The class and the bus follow it. learning about erosion and what water does to rocks when they get going in the process.
The "Holiday Special" is a riff on It's a Wonderful Life. Wanda is looking forward to attending the local performance of The Nutcracker. She's so upset when Arnold accidentally recycles the toy she was going to give to get in, she wishes recycling had never been invented. Ms. Frizzle and her friend Murph (Dolly Pardon) use the bus to show Wanda and the kids how overrun with garbage their town would get if we didn't recycle.
The show didn't really change much in its third season, other than occasionally expanding on the kids' personalities. What I love about this one is how well it's dated. While there's a few scientific concepts here or there that have changed, for the most part, this is still used to teach science to kids to this day and remains charming and enjoyable.
Switched to Match Game while eating a quick lunch. Gary Burgoff is still around, joining Brett, Gene, and Richard in answering strange questions. Went on to Classic Concentration as I got organized. A young college girl tried her best, but just couldn't get through the bonus round. The boy who won after her did better, winning one car and just missing a second.
Headed out around 2. It was getting even darker as I made my way down Newton Lake Park. They were surprisingly busy for the cold and clammy weather. I passed a woman with one big golden retriever barking like crazy at a man trying to hold back five or six huge dogs on one multi-leash and several packs of Canadian geese looking for snacks.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot quieter. A lot of people must have taken out DVDs over the weekend. The return rack was overloaded with discs, to the point where they were two rows deep. It surprised me when I managed to fit three-fourths of them on the shelves. Didn't take anything out this week. I want to explore Roku and Disney Plus and have discs I ordered online to watch.
Target wasn't any busier when I dropped by to pick up sugar and eggs. They have the cheapest price on sugar in the area, and while their egg prices aren't as good as Dollar General's, they're better than the Acme's. I grabbed them, paid for them at the self-checkout lines, and got out.
It started to rain just as I crossed the White Horse Pike. Good thing the Pike wasn't busy, despite it being rush hour. I dashed home as quickly as I could. The rain started to pick up as I arrived, and it's continued, sometimes noisily, for most of the night.
Went straight into writing when I got home. The cozy little shop in a nondescript building is jammed full of books and papers. It's owned by Bill (Cullen), an old friend of Gene's and a former wizard of the Summerlands court. He fled after Malade invaded and opened his shop. He's also keeping an eye on his best customer, a woman who teaches at the local school...a tall, thin woman named Marcia (Wallace) who comes in with books and asks him to borrow more.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had a ham steak and defrosted broccoli and cauliflower florets while watching more Match Game. Moved on to Sale of the Century while I made Pumpkin Triple Chip "Old School" Muffins. They're still doing the End of the Summer teen tournament. This time, a girl who enjoyed studying philosophy, a science geek, and a cheerleader who wanted to prove she was more than a pretty face went head-to-head. To my delight, the cheerleader not only won the game, but aced the bonus round and picked up a pair of scooters. She was loud - I guess she's too used to yelling out cheers - but very enthusiastic and obviously enjoyed showing what she could do.
Let's Make a Deal ran while I the muffins were in the oven. Monty tried selling a car three times, but almost everyone ended up taking money. He did better in the final deal, selling appliances to a woman dressed in yellow baby-doll pajamas carrying a Cabbage Patch Kid and a Madrid vacation and luggage to a woman baseball player.
Finished the night after a shower with The Harvey Girls. I go further into this rustic western vehicle for Judy Garland at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
The Harvey Girls
Charlie and his two little dogs came upstairs while I was in the kitchen to deliver a package. I also finally got around to mentioning that the front door light had gone out. He did fix it, and it works fine now. The package turned out to be Lauren's older copies of fan-made Perfect Strangers season sets on DVD and almost all of the books in The Cat Who... mystery novel series. I've read almost all of the latter, but not in years. I might check out a few again, just for old time's sake.
Finished the Magic School Bus set while I cleaned. "Work Out" has the kids preparing Ms. Frizzle for the Teacher-athalon against muscle-bound gym teacher Mr. Sinew (Dan Marino). They don't think she has a chance, until she sends them into her muscles to show them just how air circulates and how important it is for your muscles to get air in order to keep working.
Phoebe "Gets Planted" when Ms. Frizzle turns her into a bean plant right before the kids' production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Shy Phoebe wants to know why her little bean plant didn't grow. She learns that plants need not only water and dirt, but sunlight to grow and make food...and that neither plants nor kids grow if they keep their leaves rolled and hide from the light.
Ms. Frizzle and the kids are thrilled when someone sends them a box of cocoa beans from their very own tree in the Amazon, only to discover that the tree has produced no beans. They travel "In the Rain Forest" to figure out what happened. Dorothy Ann and Tim, the designated "Rain Forest Inspectors," learn about the importance of ecosystems as they try to figure out why fussy Inspector 47's (Matt Frewer) cocoa trees won't grow fruit.
The bus "Rocks and Rolls" after ice gets into Arnold's new sculpture of their town's founder and sends it crashing down the mountain. The class and the bus follow it. learning about erosion and what water does to rocks when they get going in the process.
The "Holiday Special" is a riff on It's a Wonderful Life. Wanda is looking forward to attending the local performance of The Nutcracker. She's so upset when Arnold accidentally recycles the toy she was going to give to get in, she wishes recycling had never been invented. Ms. Frizzle and her friend Murph (Dolly Pardon) use the bus to show Wanda and the kids how overrun with garbage their town would get if we didn't recycle.
The show didn't really change much in its third season, other than occasionally expanding on the kids' personalities. What I love about this one is how well it's dated. While there's a few scientific concepts here or there that have changed, for the most part, this is still used to teach science to kids to this day and remains charming and enjoyable.
Switched to Match Game while eating a quick lunch. Gary Burgoff is still around, joining Brett, Gene, and Richard in answering strange questions. Went on to Classic Concentration as I got organized. A young college girl tried her best, but just couldn't get through the bonus round. The boy who won after her did better, winning one car and just missing a second.
Headed out around 2. It was getting even darker as I made my way down Newton Lake Park. They were surprisingly busy for the cold and clammy weather. I passed a woman with one big golden retriever barking like crazy at a man trying to hold back five or six huge dogs on one multi-leash and several packs of Canadian geese looking for snacks.
The Haddon Township Library was a lot quieter. A lot of people must have taken out DVDs over the weekend. The return rack was overloaded with discs, to the point where they were two rows deep. It surprised me when I managed to fit three-fourths of them on the shelves. Didn't take anything out this week. I want to explore Roku and Disney Plus and have discs I ordered online to watch.
Target wasn't any busier when I dropped by to pick up sugar and eggs. They have the cheapest price on sugar in the area, and while their egg prices aren't as good as Dollar General's, they're better than the Acme's. I grabbed them, paid for them at the self-checkout lines, and got out.
It started to rain just as I crossed the White Horse Pike. Good thing the Pike wasn't busy, despite it being rush hour. I dashed home as quickly as I could. The rain started to pick up as I arrived, and it's continued, sometimes noisily, for most of the night.
Went straight into writing when I got home. The cozy little shop in a nondescript building is jammed full of books and papers. It's owned by Bill (Cullen), an old friend of Gene's and a former wizard of the Summerlands court. He fled after Malade invaded and opened his shop. He's also keeping an eye on his best customer, a woman who teaches at the local school...a tall, thin woman named Marcia (Wallace) who comes in with books and asks him to borrow more.
Broke for dinner at 6:30. Had a ham steak and defrosted broccoli and cauliflower florets while watching more Match Game. Moved on to Sale of the Century while I made Pumpkin Triple Chip "Old School" Muffins. They're still doing the End of the Summer teen tournament. This time, a girl who enjoyed studying philosophy, a science geek, and a cheerleader who wanted to prove she was more than a pretty face went head-to-head. To my delight, the cheerleader not only won the game, but aced the bonus round and picked up a pair of scooters. She was loud - I guess she's too used to yelling out cheers - but very enthusiastic and obviously enjoyed showing what she could do.
Let's Make a Deal ran while I the muffins were in the oven. Monty tried selling a car three times, but almost everyone ended up taking money. He did better in the final deal, selling appliances to a woman dressed in yellow baby-doll pajamas carrying a Cabbage Patch Kid and a Madrid vacation and luggage to a woman baseball player.
Finished the night after a shower with The Harvey Girls. I go further into this rustic western vehicle for Judy Garland at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
The Harvey Girls
Friday, January 03, 2020
Wet World of Winter
Kicked off a damp and gloomy morning with a quick breakfast, then went right into taking down the Christmas decorations. I had a great holiday season, one of the best I've ever had, but I'm ready to move on now. Took down all the smaller items, the bell on the door, the Santa statue in the bedroom, and all of the little things like the porcelain Santa teddies and the vintage Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers and the wood "Falala" and "Hohoho" signs. After all that was finally shoved into a container, I undressed the bears under the tree. Put the ones that were Christmas-only back in the container, and the year-round ones back on my bed.
Finally got back to Downton Abbey as I worked. Mom loaned me her full-series set on Thanksgiving, but I got too caught up with the holidays and Christmas movies to watch much more than the first two episodes. Picked up right where I left off with Episode 3. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is enthralled by a handsome visiting Turkish diplomat from London, Mr. Kemul Pamuk (Theo James)...but so is Thomas (Robert James-Collier), one of the footmen. Pamuk shows up in Mary's bedroom, but he dies before he can get very far. Needless to say, Mary's mother Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) isn't happy when she and the maid Anna (Joanne Froggartt) have to cover up his death and her behavior.
Episode 4 skips ahead a few months to May 1913. The arrival of a fair in town has sent everyone, upstairs and downstairs, into a dither. Poor Anna is sick with a cold, but feels much better when Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), His Lordship's valet, brings her soup and a flower. Carson the butler (Jim Carter) is more concerned about the possibility of a thief after bottles are noticed to be missing from the wine cellar. Meanwhile, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) develops her latent feminism, thanks to the pamphlets provided by a politically-minded chauffeur (Allen Leech).
Switched to Buzzr and Match Game while doing a few chores around the apartment. I really needed to make the bed, and not only because I just put a bunch of bears back on it. The blankets were starting to fall all over the place. Dressed my Cabbage Patch Kids dolls Dulcie and Carrie in regular clothes. Dulcie got a long-sleeved, red-and-white polka-dot dress with ruffly pinafore sleeves and a strawberry print on the skirt. Carrie's in her original yellow flannel dress with pink and green ribbon trim and a pink satin heart on her chest and an old baby sweater Mom put on her years ago.
Buzzr moved on to Classic Concentration by the time I'd started in on lunch. The same young man from yesterday just kept winning more main round and more prizes...but when it came to the bonus round, he just couldn't do it. He won pretty much everything you could get in 1987 but a car.
Headed out to run errands around 1:30. First stop was the banks. I needed checks. My rent was due. I just got two. The teller suggested I buy online from now on. She said she bought a box of 100 checks for 9 dollars. I may consider it next month, when I have more money after taxes.
My next stop, after dodging traffic on Cuthbert, was the Haddon Township Library. It was quiet when I arrived, but it must have been busy earlier. The DVD return cart was full. It took me over an hour to put everything away, and the TV set shelves are so full, I didn't even bother returning any of those.
For the first time in over three weeks, I took out DVDs. Had so much fun with the original Magic School Bus cartoon back in November, I thought I'd check out the third season. Also grabbed Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island and the drama Welcome to Marwen (about a man who recovers from war trauma by creating his own war-themed world with dolls based after the strong women in his life).
Stopped at WaWa on the way home. Bought an Eggnog Smoothie to see if my food stamps were in yet. I can never remember if they come in on the third or the fourth. They worked, so they're in. The Eggnog Smoothie was...ok. It did taste like eggnog, but kind of watered down.
Worked on writing when I got in (after dropping the rent in the McHughs' mail box). It's Princess Della who reveals what kept her and Patti awake - a tiny pea. She moved nineteen mattresses to get at it. Isobel doesn't believe her, until Della easily picks up her chair with her in it.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had leftovers while watching an episode of Sale of the Century from 1988. It was "End of the Summer Week," with high school kids playing for a computer and a jeep, among other prizes. I was impressed. A cheerleader, the captain of his school's basketball team, and a marching band member were really neck-and-neck the whole game, playing better than many contestants twice their age.
Took a shower, then finished the night with Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island. This one picks up a few months after The 13 Curses of Scooby Doo. Shaggy and Scooby are thrilled when they win a vacation to a tropical resort on Elvira's (Cassandra Peterson) horror show. The island, however, is more swampy than tropical, and the old mansion they're staying at is a dead ringer for the Moonscar Island plantation house. Shaggy and Scooby are tired of their vacations getting ruined by mystery-hunting and forbids them to check out the many strange occurrences...but when zombies turn up, even they admit that there's something strange here that requires for Mystery Inc to do what they do best.
Very disappointing. What I liked about the first Zombie Island was how unusually dark and mature it was for this franchise. Not too much, just right for Scooby. This is a ridiculous attempt to explain away the events of the first film as mere illusions...and as with 13 Curses, you really need to have seen the original film to understand a lot of what's going on here or why everyone's so frightened of zombies or cat creatures. I really don't recommend this one unless you're a huge fan of Scooby or the original film. Let's hope Warners does better with the theatrical Scooby movie when it comes out in May.
And I got incredibly lucky with the weather today. It was cloudy pretty much the entire afternoon. The rain didn't move in until I was online and chatting with Lauren.
Finally got back to Downton Abbey as I worked. Mom loaned me her full-series set on Thanksgiving, but I got too caught up with the holidays and Christmas movies to watch much more than the first two episodes. Picked up right where I left off with Episode 3. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is enthralled by a handsome visiting Turkish diplomat from London, Mr. Kemul Pamuk (Theo James)...but so is Thomas (Robert James-Collier), one of the footmen. Pamuk shows up in Mary's bedroom, but he dies before he can get very far. Needless to say, Mary's mother Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) isn't happy when she and the maid Anna (Joanne Froggartt) have to cover up his death and her behavior.
Episode 4 skips ahead a few months to May 1913. The arrival of a fair in town has sent everyone, upstairs and downstairs, into a dither. Poor Anna is sick with a cold, but feels much better when Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), His Lordship's valet, brings her soup and a flower. Carson the butler (Jim Carter) is more concerned about the possibility of a thief after bottles are noticed to be missing from the wine cellar. Meanwhile, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) develops her latent feminism, thanks to the pamphlets provided by a politically-minded chauffeur (Allen Leech).
Switched to Buzzr and Match Game while doing a few chores around the apartment. I really needed to make the bed, and not only because I just put a bunch of bears back on it. The blankets were starting to fall all over the place. Dressed my Cabbage Patch Kids dolls Dulcie and Carrie in regular clothes. Dulcie got a long-sleeved, red-and-white polka-dot dress with ruffly pinafore sleeves and a strawberry print on the skirt. Carrie's in her original yellow flannel dress with pink and green ribbon trim and a pink satin heart on her chest and an old baby sweater Mom put on her years ago.
Buzzr moved on to Classic Concentration by the time I'd started in on lunch. The same young man from yesterday just kept winning more main round and more prizes...but when it came to the bonus round, he just couldn't do it. He won pretty much everything you could get in 1987 but a car.
Headed out to run errands around 1:30. First stop was the banks. I needed checks. My rent was due. I just got two. The teller suggested I buy online from now on. She said she bought a box of 100 checks for 9 dollars. I may consider it next month, when I have more money after taxes.
My next stop, after dodging traffic on Cuthbert, was the Haddon Township Library. It was quiet when I arrived, but it must have been busy earlier. The DVD return cart was full. It took me over an hour to put everything away, and the TV set shelves are so full, I didn't even bother returning any of those.
For the first time in over three weeks, I took out DVDs. Had so much fun with the original Magic School Bus cartoon back in November, I thought I'd check out the third season. Also grabbed Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island and the drama Welcome to Marwen (about a man who recovers from war trauma by creating his own war-themed world with dolls based after the strong women in his life).
Stopped at WaWa on the way home. Bought an Eggnog Smoothie to see if my food stamps were in yet. I can never remember if they come in on the third or the fourth. They worked, so they're in. The Eggnog Smoothie was...ok. It did taste like eggnog, but kind of watered down.
Worked on writing when I got in (after dropping the rent in the McHughs' mail box). It's Princess Della who reveals what kept her and Patti awake - a tiny pea. She moved nineteen mattresses to get at it. Isobel doesn't believe her, until Della easily picks up her chair with her in it.
Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Had leftovers while watching an episode of Sale of the Century from 1988. It was "End of the Summer Week," with high school kids playing for a computer and a jeep, among other prizes. I was impressed. A cheerleader, the captain of his school's basketball team, and a marching band member were really neck-and-neck the whole game, playing better than many contestants twice their age.
Took a shower, then finished the night with Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island. This one picks up a few months after The 13 Curses of Scooby Doo. Shaggy and Scooby are thrilled when they win a vacation to a tropical resort on Elvira's (Cassandra Peterson) horror show. The island, however, is more swampy than tropical, and the old mansion they're staying at is a dead ringer for the Moonscar Island plantation house. Shaggy and Scooby are tired of their vacations getting ruined by mystery-hunting and forbids them to check out the many strange occurrences...but when zombies turn up, even they admit that there's something strange here that requires for Mystery Inc to do what they do best.
Very disappointing. What I liked about the first Zombie Island was how unusually dark and mature it was for this franchise. Not too much, just right for Scooby. This is a ridiculous attempt to explain away the events of the first film as mere illusions...and as with 13 Curses, you really need to have seen the original film to understand a lot of what's going on here or why everyone's so frightened of zombies or cat creatures. I really don't recommend this one unless you're a huge fan of Scooby or the original film. Let's hope Warners does better with the theatrical Scooby movie when it comes out in May.
And I got incredibly lucky with the weather today. It was cloudy pretty much the entire afternoon. The rain didn't move in until I was online and chatting with Lauren.
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