White Christmas Weekend

Began the morning with breakfast and Sheriff Callie's Wild West. Toby hopes to have "Toby's Christmas Critter" so he can ride with Callie and Peck. He thinks he's found the perfect critter when he runs across a "prickle pony" wandering around the canyons. She's really Santa's reindeer Comet, who leads Toby and his friends to the bandits who stole Santa's sleigh. It's "A Very Tricky Christmas" when Tricky Travis and Oswald the Bear steal the town's Christmas tree, but they bring it back when, like a certain Grinch, they see how happy the townspeople are whether they have a tree or not.

Switched to Netflix for Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. I go further into this animated remake of the 1970 live-action musical Scrooge at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On Streaming - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Hurried off to work after Scrooge ended. Today was the Acme's big employee party, and there was tons of food! Someone ordered sausage stromboli from Tu Se Bella's, and there were ham, prime rib, and chicken empanadas. Sides included macaroni and cheese, pasta salad, broccoli bacon salad, maple-glazed carrots, green salad, and green beans with bacon. My cookies were joined by bakery sugar and oatmeal cookies and real home-made marshmallows covered in powdered sugar. I had an empanada, a slice of stromboli, the broccoli bacon salad, maple-glazed carrots, a ton of cookies, and Diet Pepsi.

Work wasn't really much of a problem, either. It was harder to keep up with the carts during the first half of my shift, when it was busier and I was doing the sweeping and the carts. The afternoon bagger arrived at 2 to take over the sweeping and help me with the carts. I was in and out without a fuss.

At least it felt festive inside and out. It snowed here last night. There was only about an inch or two on the ground, just enough for it to feel like the first day of winter, and none of the streets or sidewalks. It was bitterly cold, though, and the frigid wind blew something fierce. 

Tried to make that candy when I got home...but the filling still hadn't solidified. Turns out it required baking chocolate or good chocolate bars. I didn't think it would matter if I used chocolate chips. It's all chocolate. Apparently, there is a difference. I had to throw it away. I think I'll drop making candy for a while and just stick to cookies at Christmas.

Spent the rest of the evening watching tonight's Match Game marathon after a shower. No less than four Match Game regulars have birthdays this month. Match Game Productions saluted the one closest to this weekend, Elaine Joyce. Perky, sexy blonde dancer Elaine pretty much ran the gamut as one of the premiere ingenues on the series, starting in 1973 and ending with an early week of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983. She occasionally appeared with her dancer husband Bobby Van, including the one time she sat next to him in '73. She gave an answer to what Batman and Robin are that was so sexually charged, the episode is now banned from the airwaves.

In the later syndicated years, Gene would often call Elaine out to show off her fashionable and very early 80's collections of belted tunics and thick sweaters. She mellowed out once she had her daughter Taylor, and did it even more after Van died tragically of a brain tumor in 1981. Taylor turned up on the show twice during its last two seasons, once to let her mother show off her adorable Polish dance costume, again the next season hiding under her mother's desk from Great-Uncle Gene. 

Elaine may have had a reputation as a ditz, but she frequently won people money, especially in syndication. At least twice, she won people $10,000 on the Star Wheel. She could also be counted on for some creative answers, along with frequently feuding with Brett and Charles, who tended to talk over her and tease her.

Salute the blonde bombshell of game shows with this wacky birthday bash!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Elaine Joyce Birthday Celebration Party

Winter Dreams

Began the morning with breakfast and two holiday specials revolving around curious bears. Ted E. Bear doesn't want to be The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. He'd do anything to stay awake and find out what this Christmas thing is. He eventually ends up in the city, where he meets a Santa who finally explains that Christmas isn't just a day or a concept. It's a feeling, and one best shared with those who need it most.

Teddy bears Christopher and Holly are The Bears Who Saved Christmas when their family is stranded in a cabin during a snowstorm. They want to find a tree and evergreens to make their holidays a little brighter. With the help of a flashlight that's scared of the dark and a compass with no sense of direction, they set out to find a way to bring Christmas magic to their family.

Headed to work after Christopher and Holly ended. At least I had no trouble with Uber. Took me 6 minutes to get a ride this morning. The car didn't even take a minute to arrive going home. There was some traffic on the White Horse Pike going home, but it wasn't too bad.

There was a ton of traffic at work, too. Work was a mess. It was busy from when I arrived until when I left. I had no help keeping up with the sweeping and the carts. By the second half of my shift, the managers wanted me to shelve fruit and vegetables that people didn't want and clean the bathrooms, too. The men's bathroom was a disaster area. That meant that I didn't get to the carts until I had five minutes left of my shift, which meant I didn't get much done. The head bagger was there, but she was cashiering.

The weather wasn't spectacular when I did make it outside, either. It was clammy, cold, and cloudy. At least it also wasn't windy, but it wasn't a very pretty day. We're supposed to get rain on Sunday and next week. I guess everyone wanted to avoid that. 

I did confirm my schedule for next week. Yes, I got Christmas Eve off, along with the rest of the week. I feel a little bad about it, though. I didn't realize the head bagger wanted next week off, too. I didn't mean to shove everything on the other baggers. I wish there was a way we could all coordinate our vacations, so one person in a department didn't end up shouldering the load for others when they aren't there.

Put on The Snowman when I got home in honor of the first day of winter. This lovely British short, based on a wordless picture book, has a little boy creating a snowman who comes to life in his dreams. He first shows him all the modern delights of his home. The snowman then takes him on a flight to the North Pole, where he meets other snowmen and Father Christmas himself.

Switched to White Christmas while half-napping in the game chair. I went further into this classic Bing Crosby-Danny Kaye holiday extravaganza at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in December 2018.

White Christmas

Watched Santa Claus Is Coming to Town online next. I also discussed this one at my blog (along with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog earlier in December 2018.

Animation Celebration Double Feature - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Worked on writing after that. Queen Betty tells the worried Nutcracker that Princess Clara-Marie remains under a spell, and she's still wooden and laying on a bed. Brett the Sugar Plum Fairy and Charles the Cavalier had the nut that could save her, but they've vanished.

Broke for dinner and Match Game PM at 6:30. Betty White is the only one who understands a question about what a doctor uses a stick of dynamite to cure. Richard Dawson has more trouble with "Who's Afraid of __" in the Head-to-Head.

Match Game Syndicated continues to be a wild week. Birthday boy Gene Rayburn (he would have been 106 today) stuck the "B" from the question holder on his forehead when it fell off. David Doyle's nervous that he's come up for the fifth time that week on the Head-to-Head. He just hopes that he can get "Long and __" this time.

Finished the night at YouTube. The Bishop's Wife is currently free with ads there. Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) is desperate to convince rich widow Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper) to help him build a lavish cathedral. He prays for guidance...which arrives in the form of Dudley (Cary Grant), a debonair angel. Dudley proceeds to charm his sweet wife Julia (Loretta Young), their servants, their daughter Debbie (Karolyn Grimes), and even the kindly Professor (Monty Wooley). The only person who isn't delighted with him is Henry. Henry finally realizes that Julie and Debbie are more important than any cathedral when he worries he might have lost them to a supernatural being.

The first version of this story, later remade as The Preacher's Wife with Don Cheadle and an equally-debonair Denzel Washington. Niven, Grant, and especially Young are all wonderful as the leads. Young in particular is so luminous, you can understand why a bishop and an angel nearly end up fighting over her. Wooley has some good moments as the crusty Professor who figures out what's going on with Dudley well before any other mortal besides Henry. This warm, cozy film is highly recommended to watch while snuggled up on a cold holiday night. 

The First Day of Winter

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales. The first story in this all-original anthology is a condensed Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge, Porky as Cratchit, and Bugs as Nephew Fred and the Ghosts. The second has Wile E. Coyote chasing Road Runner into the snow-covered mountains as he rocket-skates and skies to catch his dinner. Taz ends up in a Santa suit in the last short, with Bugs trying to keep him from completely destroying his house.

Headed off to work just as that ended. Work was a little busier than yesterday. People are starting to come out of the malls and pick up ingredients for baking and Christmas dinner, along with cards and wrapping paper and bags. I spent the first hour doing returns; shelved candy between customers. We had enough help by quarter of 3 for me to shut down without a relief.

Soon as I got home, I changed and loaded fudge into bags and boxes while watching The Year Without a Santa Claus. I went further into my favorite Rankin-Bass special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog on Christmas Eve 2019.

Christmas Eve Double Feature - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Year Without a Santa Claus

Let the DVD move on to another Rankin-Bass favorite, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, as I tied the bags with curling ribbon and loaded them into my backpack. I went further into this charming Biblical tale of the donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem in an entry last year.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The First Christmas & Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

Spent the next couple of hours writing. The Nutcracker and chatty Major Mint (Bill Daily) try to push Debralee away, but the Mouse Queen hems her in. She's about to be turned into a doll herself when Gene steps in...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Since there were things going on at the house, I opted to go out for dinner. Ended up at Crown Chicken and Gyro around the corner. I must have missed the dinner crowd, because they were quiet. I ate my fish gyro and slender fries in silence, listening to the accents on the gentlemen behind the counter.

Wanted to get mouthwash and batteries at Dollar General, which I forgot yesterday. They didn't have the mouthwash I wanted, but I did find batteries. They really didn't have much of anything else, either. They're so cleared out, they're already starting to put out their Valentine's Day candy.

Went for a stroll down by Newton Lake Park before it gets too wet and cold for outdoor activities. Some of the lights that way were pretty nifty, too. I saw houses with elegant wire statues, houses with bushes outlined in soft cobalt blue, and houses with lit menorahs in their windows. Those who didn't go for lights had big wreaths on their front doors. 

Put on Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol when I got in. I went into this early network animated holiday special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog in 2020. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Finished up the night online with Frosty the Snowman in honor of the first day of winter. The original Rankin-Bass Frosty special begins on a snowy morning right before Christmas. Little Karen and her friends are delighted when a magician's top hat brings their snowy friend (Jackie Vernon) to life. Not only is it getting too warm for Frosty to remain, but the magician (Billy DeWolfe) wants his hat back. He's so desperate, he follows Frosty and Karen to the North Pole, where they hope Santa will have a place for him.

Once Upon a Wintertime

Began a sunny morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel's Winter Adventure" first takes him, his dad, and Prince Wednesday sledding, then to the pond to skate for the first time. Dan's not sure about the high hill or the slippery ice, but his dad tells him to try them a little bit at a time and see how he likes them. The Tigers take Daniel to see the "Neighborhood Nutcracker" at the Enchanted Garden. O the Owl is a little intimidated by the crowds, but his father takes him in a little at the time. Daniel ends up center-stage when he has to join Katarina and Henrietta in the Nutcracker after Prince Wednesday gets sick and has to learn their dance a bit at a time.

Switched to snow and Christmas-themed shorts in honor of the first day of winter as I got ready to head out. "Arctic Antics" and "Winter" are Silly Symphonies depicting animals playing in the snow. The first gives us adorable polar bears and off-key walruses, while the second has more typical woodland creatures running into their holes when the groundhog sees his shadow. "Chip n' Dale" want to steal Donald's popcorn on a wintry day. He does everything he can to fend them off. Likewise, they're "Toy Tinkers" who want to swipe Don's Christmas nut stash. "Snow Foolin'" is a Paramount Screen Gems sing-along version of "Jingle Bells." "The Snow Man" comes to life and terrorizes residents of the North Pole in a strange 30's short.

Struggled into my new winter boots (it took a while for me to zipper them), then grabbed my laundry bag and coat. Saw a huge truck pull up to the curb just as I made my way down the sidewalk. Veterans of America arrived to take Jodie's overflowing donations (and mine too). 

Delivered three bags of cookies to my next-door neighbors, Sandy around the corner, and my friend Erica down the street. Erica was the only one around to accept hers. She gave me sweet and florid compliments on my new black snow boots and the gray coat Jodie and Dad gave me a few years ago.

Made pretty much the same laundry run as last week. Dropped the laundry at the laundromat, then went to Family Dollar for freeze-dried fruit and muffin papers. Picked up a soft pretzel and an Eggnog Smoothie at WaWa while the laundry was in the dryer. The smoothie at least tasted like eggnog, even if it was a bit watery.

Put away the laundry, then had lunch. Started Buttermilk Herb Bread while watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Clark Grizwauld (Chevy Chase) is determined to give everyone a "good-old fashioned family Christmas." Trouble is, the two sets of grandparents he invites over don't get along, the yuppies next door are about ready to strangle him for the mess he's caused, his excessive outdoor light display shorts out the neighborhood power grid, and the bonus he's hoping to get from his grouchy boss (Brian Doyle Murphy) is late. Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his brood show up just as Clark gets the lights going and cause even more chaos. In the end, as the tree burns and the SWAT team comes in through the windows, Clark finally figures out that we can't make Christmas perfect...but we can make it memorable.

One of the most popular Christmas movies of the last 30 years or so. If nothing else, this always made me appreciate my family's comparatively quiet Christmases and understand why Mom and Dad always insisted relatives who wanted to visit during the holidays did so the week between Christmas and New Year's. Great fun for pre-teens and teenagers who will be going on their own Christmas vacations this week, and adults who have likely gone through a lot of what happens here.

Came in as Tattletales was on its last question. This is Betty White Christmas week on Buzzr, with all the celebrity-based shows featuring Betty as a panelist or player. Alas, Betty and her Password-hosting husband Allen Ludden were defeated at the last minute by pulp writer Mickey Spillane and his wife Sherri and country charmer Bill Anderson and his wife Becky. Press Your Luck got nearly as crazy as last week. This time, the champ did prevail, winning a trip to Curacao, among other prizes, and retired with over 50,000 dollars worth of cash and prizes.

(By the way, the bread came out beautifully. I haven't tasted it, but it baked perfect and golden brown and smelled amazing in the oven. I need to do more yeast bread while I'm living here.)

Switched to writing for a while as the bread rose again. Gene makes a deal with eager reporter Robert Walden. If he helps him get a new ship and rescue his crew, he'll make sure he gets his scoop and in with his boss. Walden agrees to it, mainly so they can both have dinner.

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Penny Marshall joined in for her only week on Match Game '75, along with Betty, Orson Bean, Melinda O'Fee, and the regulars, as Brett braced for answers on "she's not getting older, she's getting ___." Match Game PM began with Gene appearing to sleep on his usual entryway and ended with him filling in the last few minutes with a spontaneous tap dance.

Sale of the Century got very close today. The champ and the one lady each bought something, and everyone won a Fame Game. In the end, the champ and the other guy were neck-and-neck at the Speed Round, but the champ missed a question that allowed the guy to win the game. He picked up the 10,000 on the Match the Prizes board.

Made Cream Cheese Mints while the shows were on. These didn't come out quite as well as the bread did. I put a little too much milk in, and they got too hard to deal with. I had to chill the candy several times to really be able to work it. 

Switched to Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey while I finished up the mints. Nestor is a donkey with a problem. He has incredibly long ears that drag the ground and make him the butt of all the jokes on the farm. He and his mother finally flee, but he loses her to a snow storm. Sweet cherub Tilly takes him to the Middle East, where he's purchased by a certain couple who need a gentle donkey to take them to Bethlehem. Only he can see the couple and her precious unborn child safely through the sand storm in the desert.

Finished the night with more Christmas programming online. In The Bishop's Wife, David Niven is Bishop Henry Brougham, who wants to convince a wealthy older woman (Gladys Cooper) to donate the money for him to build a huge new cathedral. He's pursuing this so hard, it's causing him to neglect his daughter and his sweet wife Julia (Loretta Young). Enter Dudley (Cary Grant), an impossibly suave and handsome man who also happens to be an angel. He takes Henry's place with Julia in many activities, including skating and hearing the local boys' choir, but falls for her in the process. Henry's friend the Professor (Monty Wooley) convinces him to stand up for his love. Dudley's not there to help him build a cathedral, after all. He's there to show Henry that the most important things in our lives are the people and places we really care about.

Charming holiday tale with all three leads luminous and Grant making an especially delightful angel. Check out his quick method for decorating Christmas trees!

Maddie and David deal with their own holiday troubles in the second season Moonlighting episode 'Twas the Episode Before Christmas." Agnes DiPesto finds a baby in her laundry basket, prompting her bosses to search for its mother. They find a group of crooks who may have been involved in the death of the baby's father, and are now searching for mother and child. David and Maddie try to figure out what happened to the mother, all while arguing over the idea of children and taking care of them. 

Winter Was Warm

The torrential rain from last night had stopped by the time I woke up this morning. It started up again while I was making breakfast and watching Frosty the Snowman in honor of this being the first day of winter. Frosty comes to life when a magic hat that a magician threw away ends up on his head. The kids are delighted, but the magician wants the hat back now that he knows it really works. Karen, one of the kids, and Hocus Pocus the rabbit evade the magician and help take Frosty up north so he won't melt.

Went right into Frosty's Winter Wonderland while doing dishes and calling my dad for a ride to work. In this sequel, Frosty's happy to see the kids again, but he gets lonely when they're not around. They make him a snow wife to keep him company, but can't figure out how to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, a jealous Jack Frost will do anything to make sure that he's the only beloved winter character.

Put on The Snowman while I got ready for work. We head to England for the tale of a little boy who builds a snowman that comes to life on Christmas Eve. He shows his frosty friend his house and his family's motorcycle. His friend in turn takes him on a gorgeous flight to the North Pole to meet Santa and other snow people having a holiday party.

Dad picked me up around 10. It was still raining at that point, but the wind was gone, and the rain was down to a steady shower. I didn't really work until 11, but I wanted to leave early in order to hit the Audubon post office and send out Mom and Anny's packages. As it turned out, the line at the post office was only slightly longer than the one in Oaklyn earlier this week, and it moved fast. I was in and out in less than ten minutes.

I got out so fast, I decided to check out a few stores. I didn't find anything at Goodwill this time, but I did go back and get that Star Wars calendar I looked at last week when I was Christmas shopping. The line at Five Below was slightly longer than the one at the post office, but it moved just as quickly.

The rain was slowing down and the sun was struggling to peek between clouds as I strolled across the parking lot and behind the mall to the Acme. We had our Employee Luncheon today. The other reason I wanted to come early was to bring the cookies I made for the party. I wasn't the only one who donated food, either. I saw baked ziti, roast beef and au jus gravy and rolls for roast beef sandwiches, hoagies from the deli, macaroni and cheese, baked spinach dip, plastic buckets of cooked and spiced shrimp, Buffalo cheese and chicken dip, and meatballs in sauce.

Along with my cookies, dessert included sugar cookies and carrot and chocolate cakes brought by one of the deli ladies, a huge pound cake, a cheesecake that vanished quickly, a loaf of cranberry bread, a box of Dunkin' Donuts, and baskets of candy canes and Hershey's Miniatures. I had a hoagie, the spinach dip, and the ziti for lunch, the pound cake, the carrot cake, and two sugar cookies for lunch, and a doughnut and some shrimp for a snack.

My favorite by far was the spinach dip. Yum! It was perfect, creamy and just earthy and savory enough. Who needs chips? I ate it with a fork.

Finished doing the candy when I came in, then spent most of the rest of the day putting away loose items. I did get stuck in the register twice when we got busy. It wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be. We were on-and-off steady the entire afternoon. I thought it would be a lot worse on the Friday before Christmas.

I'm thrilled with my schedule next week, especially compared to last year on Christmas week. Slightly more hours, Christmas Day, Thursday, and next Saturday off...and perfectly normal mid-morning hours on Sunday and Christmas Eve. Not only will I be able to get a lot done, but I'll actually be able to make it to Dad and Jodie's party on Christmas Eve without rushing this time. (Evidently, the Acme learned their lesson after the mess last year on Christmas weekend and hired a LOT more holiday help.)

By the time Dad picked me up, the rain was long gone. It had even been sunny when I helped a nice lady who broke her ankle out to her car. Clouds had moved in again sometime after that, but they were just hanging around and making everything warm and damp. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since this morning. Saw a card to me from Mom in the mailbox when Dad dropped me off. It said "Do Not Open Until Christmas" - so that one is going to have to wait for next week.

Spent the next few hours writing. Gerda explains to Leia and Luke about how Norweden calls snow the "white bees" that gather the frosty "nectar" that creates their crystals. She also warns them about the Summer Witch, who lives in her own garden out in the country. Most of the locals fear her, thinking she'll drain their minds or turn them into animals, but Gerda assures them that she's just lonely.

Broke for a very fast leftovers dinner at 7. Went right into It's a Wonderful Life while I ate. George Bailey (James Stewart) thinks that life has passed him by. He's lived in the same small town all his life, working in his father's building and loan, building houses for the townspeople and giving them somewhere to go so they won't have to rely on nasty old Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). One Christmas Eve right after World War II, his Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) loses $8,000 that his business desperately needs. He prays for guidance...which arrives in the form of the sweet-natured angel Clarence (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George what the town where he lives and all it's citizens would have been like if he'd never been born. Mr. Potter literally owns the town, and no one knows him, not even his beloved wife Mary (Donna Reed). He finally starts to realize what a wonderful life he has...and how much his family and friends mean to him.

One of my favorite Christmas movies. I love the cast of beloved character actors having fun playing the citizens of Bedford Falls. Special kudos to Beluah Bondi as George's mother, Lillian Randolph as the Bailey family's hilarious maid Annie, and Travers as the nicest second-class angel who ever came from the heavens. Some of the pro-small-town sentiment might not work with everyone nowadays, but if you love warm, comforting dramas or are a fan of Stewart or the cast, this might be your cup of Christmas tea, too.

The final episode of Tiny Toon Adventures, "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toon Christmas Special," is a very funny spoof of Wonderful Life. There's even a bit of black-and-white "footage" from the film included. Buster is upset when he's pulled from directing the Toons' big holiday show and replaced by Montana Max. He's going to jump out of the film when he's stopped by a rabbit named Harvey with a familiar-sounding voice who shows him what it would have been like if he'd never been on the show.

Finished the night with the first Happy Days Christmas episode from the second season. "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas?" Fonzie, who keeps insisting that he has a big party to go to for Christmas. Richie believes otherwise and invites him over to share the Cunninghams' holiday. Mr. Cunningham is adamant at first that Christmas Eve is to reserved for family only...until Fonzie helps them fix their Santa Claus and their lights and shows them how much fun it can be to share Christmas with someone who is alone for the holiday.

Perfect Winter Day

Began my morning quietly with breakfast and The Small One. Don Bluth's last project for Disney before breaking out on his own was the touching tale of a little boy who has to sell his beloved but aging little donkey in a local city. No one takes them seriously, either making fun of them or barely looking at the poor animal...until they encounter a kind man named Joseph, who needs a gentle donkey to take his wife to Bethlehem.

Spent most of the rest of the morning and early afternoon writing. BB is happy to see Rey Quite Contrary and Poe the Piper's Son and their friends getting along so well. They even take part in a huge dance number in the Toyland Town Square. The number ends, however, with the arrival of the police and Jack Hux and Jill Phasma, who insist that they saw Poe the Piper's Son stealing Kaydel Bo Peep's sheep! The police admit they found wool and lamb sausage in Poe's house, too.

Broke a little early for lunch at 12:30 so I could get the cupcakes together. Half of them are going downstairs for Charlie and his men. The other half are Dad-Bruce's Christmas present. Ran Kung Fu Panda Holiday while I got organized. Po is looking forward to the Winter Fest, the big winter festival in their town. Every year, he and his dad make noodles for all their family and many people in the town. His holiday is thrown into chaos when Shi-Fu reveals that the Dragon Warrior is to host a huge, elegant dinner for all the martial arts masters in China on the same night. Poe does what he thinks is his duty, but trying to be elegant only makes a mess and upsets a bunny chef whose reputation he accidentally harms. He finally discovers why the winter holidays bring people closer together, no matter who they are or what they do.

In honor of the first day of winter, I ran animated shorts from various sets about snow, winter, and winter activities while eating lunch and getting ready for work. "Snow Foolin'" is from Paramount's Famous Studios and is one of their Screen Songs sing-a-long shorts. Animals have fun in the snow before singing along to "Jingle Bells." No clue where "The Snow Man" originally came from, but it looks like it dates to at least the 30's. A group of Inuit and Arctic animals build what they think is a snowman, but turns out to be a genuine yeti. They have to melt him to get rid of him. "Arctic Antics," one of Disney's earlier Silly Symphonies, and "Winter," one of their last black-and-white ones, are basically animals dancing and singing in the snow. ("Arctic Antics" does feature a cute sequence with penguins dancing to "March of the Toy Soldiers.") Tweety gets into "Puddy Tat Trouble" when he has to dodge not only Sylvester but a second cat on a snowy day in the city.

Work was surprisingly quiet for so close to Christmas. I guess everyone's waiting for the weekend. Besides, it was too nice to be shopping. The day was sunny, windless, and chilly but not out of line for the time of year, probably in the mid to upper 40's. I was more than happy to spend the first half of my shift rounding up carts and doing the trash, and the second doing returns. Grabbed sugar (brown and white) on my way home.

Finished out "Puddy Tat Trouble," then did a couple more winter and Christmas-themed cartoons while eating leftovers for dinner. "Chip n' Dale" named the two mischievous chipmunks who forever bedevil Donald and Pluto. Here, Donald has chopped their home down to fuel his fire. They just want their home and nut supply back. They're also after Donald's nuts in the Oscar-nominated "Toy Tinkers." The duo get into Donald's house on Christmas Eve and try to snitch his goodies. Donald's attempt to get rid of them turns into an all-out holiday war.

Tried to take a shower after dinner, but...brrrr! The water was freezing, and it refused to get warmer. I finally gave up and just took a very cold shower.

Ended the night with Scrooge. This musical version from 1969 features Albert Finney as the title miser and Sir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. I've kind of grown fond of the music from this one over the years since I picked up the soundtrack. "Thank You Very Much" was the sole hit, but I also like "December the 25th" for Fezziwig and the chorus and "Christmas Children" for Bob Cratchit and his brood as they do their Christmas shopping. I have no idea why they felt the need to extend the Future segment to actually end up in hell. (This is the only version besides Mickey's Christmas Carol I've seen even attempt this.) Otherwise, if you're a fan of Finney or Leslie Bricusse (who wrote the music for this one as well as the screenplay), the music alone makes this worth catching. 

The First Day of Winter

I woke up a lot later than I planned. It was nearly 11 before I got to breakfast! Went right into my last loaf of bread after I ate. I've given Jodie pumpkin pudding pie for her Christmas Eve party the last few years. After it was a pain to get there last year and never got eaten, I decided to bring something more portable that might disappear faster. I finally opted for the Golden Pumpkin Bread that goes over so well on the other side of the family on Black Friday morning. It's quick to make (even for quick bread), cooks fairly well, and smells divine in the oven.

(This is also the last baked holiday gift I'm making from scratch. The cupcakes I plan on doing for Dad and Charlie tomorrow will be from a mix.)

Ran National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as I worked. Clark Griswauld (Chevy Chase) is looking forward to a big, old-fashioned family Christmas, with lots of presents, a huge tree, and all his family gathered around a fine meal. As with all of Clark's plans, what he imagines and what actually happens are two entirely different matters. The two sets of in-laws don't get along. The tree Clark (literally) digs out of the ground is bigger than his house. He has so many lights on his roof, he shuts down the neighborhood power grid. His yuppie neighbors think he's insane. And then his hillbilly cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his family show up and cause even more chaos. When Christmas Eve is one disaster after another, Clark finally snaps...until he learns that we really can't make Christmas perfect, but we can make it memorable.

Another childhood favorite that used to show up on cable a lot. If nothing else, this movie always made me at least somewhat appreciate our comparatively quiet Christmases and understand why Mom and Dad always insisted that any relatives who wanted to come around did so on Christmas Day or the week afterwards. A lot of scatological humor makes this for older kids just starting their own Christmas vacations and adults who have probably gone through most of what happens to Clark here.

Howard Cunningham has a similar dilemma in the second season Happy Days episode "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas?" He wants Christmas Eve to be reserved for a quiet, old-fashioned holiday for the immediate family...until Richie realizes Fonzie, despite his insistence otherwise, doesn't have a place to go for Christmas. Father and son have to figure out how to invite Fonzie over without hurting his pride.

Larry Appleton is having trouble just getting home for the holiday in "A Christmas Story" from the second season of Perfect Strangers. A snowstorm has stranded him and Balki in Chicago, much to his dismay. He was really looking forward to Christmas with his family in Madison. Balki cheers him up by reminding him of what the season is all about.

Finally headed out to do the laundry around 2. I just walked, pushing the laundry and detergent in my old cart. I probably should have gone earlier. It was really busy when I got in. Thankfully, I was able to get a washer and dryer pretty fast. I had a ton of laundry to do. Worked on story notes while Steve Harvey and Ellen chattered in the background.

Saw Richard as I was coming in. I was able to give him the cranberry bread for him and his family and tell him about the bike. He said he'd take a look at it.

While he looked at it, I worked on my story. The old man who takes Luke and Leia in is Palpatine, who claims to be the missing merchant. Leia's suspicious. His clothes are too big and look like they were made for someone else. There's things monogrammed "HS" all over his gingerbread home.

He leads them to a huge dining room, where guards in red armor and a handsome man with reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes sets out their meal. Leia had seen the man just moments before, and he'd been clear-eyed then. Now, his eyes are empty and clouded, and he moves stiffly, as if he's a puppet and someone else is pulling the strings. He won't speak to anyone or look them in the eye. Palpatine claims he's his nephew, a mute simpleton and a charity case he'd just taken in. Luke asks for him to eat with them, but Palpatine quickly insists he's a servant.

One of the guards finally takes Luke and Leia upstairs to the bedrooms. Leia's too tired to consider her suspicions any longer. She finally passes out on a bed made from cotton candy.

Richard called while I was working on my story. The back rim just isn't fixable. He'll let me borrow his wife's bike until I can get a new rim from Amazon.com or somewhere similar online.

Finally broke around 7:30 to have a fried egg and spinach wrap for a late dinner. Watched Frosty's Winter Wonderland in honor of today being the Winter Solstice. Frosty's happy to be back among his young friends, but something is missing. The kids build him a wife, so he won't be lonely while they're inside. Frosty calls her Crystal, but then has to figure out how to make her "all livin'." Meanwhile, Jack Frost is jealous of Frosty's popularity and wants to prove he's the only reason to love winter.

Ended the night with Super Smash Brothers Brawl. I didn't have a lot of time, so I thought I'd try something different and quick. I played my usual Princess Peach on solo Classic Normal mode...and to my surprise, actually did pretty well. I had a harder time with the bonus "Target Smash" rounds than with kicking the characters' rears. (Literally. One of Peach's signature moves is a very high kick the Rockettes would admire.) I only needed three continues out of 11 rounds.

Kings Of Wistful Thinking

Started this very cold morning with more swashbuckling cartoons and sitcoms. One of my favorite Perfect Strangers episodes is "Family Feud" from the sixth season. Larry finds himself embroiled in a feud between Balki's clan and one from the next Mediterranean island over. When Larry insults the man who has come to settle the feud with Balki, he ends up in a duel with him instead.

Duels also figure into the third-season Backyardigans episode "The Two Musketeers." Pablo and Tyrone are two Musketeers who are happy making balloon animals and getting into the occasional spars with the Empress' Guards Austin and Uniqua. When a third Musketeer wants to join their ranks, they're skeptical...until the yellow hippo girl proves to be a very loyal friend and fighter.

Work was dead for most of the day. Another bout with literally freezing weather (we never got above the 10s today) probably scared a lot of people off. It did start to pick up a bit later, around 2, but by that time, I was almost done. I was in and out with no problems; a manager came in for me, as my relief was a little late.

I hurried home on my bike. Thankfully, the wind chill factor was a non-factor. There was no wind today. It was just the biting cold, and I could handle that for 10 minutes. The sidewalks are still icy, but the roads are largely clear, even the ones that were still covered in snow yesterday.

I spent the rest of the evening crocheting and watching The King of Marven Gardens. A Philadelphia radio talk show host (Jack Nicholson) is called to Atlantic City to bail out his con-artist brother (Bruce Dern), who is looking for one last big one. He's hoping to get his boss (Scatman Crothers) to fund the purchase of an island to build a casino on. Meanwhile, he's living in a derilict ocean hotel with a former beauty queen (Ellen Burstyn) who is hoping to make her nubile stepdaughter into the next Miss America. Real-life and Atlantic City's then-down-and-out fortunes clash with their plans, making the radio host wonder if they can pull if off, or if it's just yet another of his brother's pipe dreams...

Interesting, though rather depressing, story from director Bob Raefelson (who also created The Monkees and directed Head and Five Easy Pieces, among others) gives Nicholson a rare chance to play the quiet guy for a change; Burstyn and Dern also come off well as the small-time dreamers with big-time hopes. Not the most uplifting story, though, and very, very slow moving. On the other hand, location shooting gives us a great view of Atlantic City between the end of its heyday and the coming of the casinos (as well as a brief look at Philly in the 70s) and adds a great deal to the gritty, tough feel.

Not for action junkies or those looking for Nicholson in a typical role, but if you're a fan of the cast or Rafelson's other projects or want a good look at a pre-casinos AC, this is worth a look.

Tales of Winter

It was still sunny outside when I got up this morning. Started off with breakfast and a couple of cartoons revolving around snow and winter. Jack Frost is one of the better 70s Rankin-Bass specials. The title character falls for a human girl and begs to be made human himself in order to woo her. Unfortunately, an evil Cossack king and a handsome knight are also interested in her. When the Cossack threatens her village, Jack gives up his new life to save his friends.

An earlier Rankin-Bass special gives us another version of Jack Frost. In Frosty's Winter Wonderland, the little sprite is jealous because Frosty's getting all the attention from the kids. He becomes determined to keep a mere snowman from showing up the creator of winter! Meanwhile, Frosty's lonely. The kids create a "snow wife" named Crystal to be his companion. It's good-natured Crystal who finally stops Jack Frost from disrupting the wedding and shows him that he can be their friend, too.

The Backyardigans are having their own problems in the snow. Uniqua wants to know "The Secret of Snow," but Ice Lady Tasha has no time for her queries. She keeps sending Uniqua to warm places. Uniqua keeps coming back, with Tyrone and Pablo joining in later. They show Tasha and her bored assistant Austin that there's no real "secret of snow," but friendship is even more important.

Olive chooses Popeye to accompany her on a skiing jaunt in "I-Ski-You-Ski," but Bluto doesn't want to share the lanky lass. He does his best to put their romance on thin ice!

I spent most of the day at work. I ended up there until 7; I was originally only supposed to work until 5. We were steady, busier than yesterday, but still not overwhelming. While the main roads are mostly clear, the back roads are covered in ice and congealed salted snow. They were afraid they wouldn't have enough people to help them when some stock people called out and they had to pull cashiers to help stock shelves.

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. Mom sent me all of my old school information from various Child Study Teams for me to show my counselor to explain why I ended up in Special Ed schools and classes in the first place...and to explain it to me.

I've always had trouble with my peers, going back as far as elementary school. Even in high school, I had trouble, though it wasn't as pronounced as it was in grade school. Simply put, I had emotional issues and didn't get along with my peers, thanks to my early puberty, years of being Cape May Elementary's favorite butt of every joke, the teachers' inability to admit there was a problem, and my parents' ongoing war.

Some of the emotional issues did clear up once I got away from Cape May Elementary and my parents got marital counseling. Others linger to this day - I still prefer to work alone and have trouble getting along with my peers. I'm not good at dealing with my emotions, and I just can't be "logical" like Mom and Rose can.

Mom also sent me a really interesting book called The Tao of Womanhood. I'll see if I can go over that starting tomorrow.

The Dolls With the Bows In Their Hair

Slept in this morning; Brunch With the Beatles was almost half-way done when I finally got up and going. The emphasis were on singles that didn't make it to #1. Among the Beatles singles that didn't quite hit the top spot were "Lady Madonna," "Something," "If I Fell," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Penny Lane." Solo singles that didn't make it to the top included George's "All Those Years Ago," Ringo's "No No Song," John's "Power to the People," and Paul and Wings' "Live and Let Die."

I made Gingerbread Pancakes for breakfast. Tried calling Mom, but she had my nephew Skylar there. Oh, well. I forgot to call her when I got in from work, too. I'll try again tomorrow.

After I finished breakfast and the Beatles, I did a few things around the house. I was tired of looking at the winter decorations. I'm bored, with winter and with myself. I took them down. I'll wait to put up the spring, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter items until after I've dusted sometime this week, though.

When that was done, I changed the dolls into more spring-y clothing. Samantha's in a hand-made version of her ice-blue Skating Party Dress I bought on eBay. Jessa switched her good red and black and white plaid dress for a more casual emerald green wrap-front blouse over Molly's corduroys and a pair of black high-top sneakers. Molly wears the shamrock-print dress I found at a yard sale and black flats with her Miss Victory Costume socks. Felicity sports her Pink Birthday Dress and Pinner Apron.

Having enjoyed listening to Les Miserables and Chicago last week, I put on more recordings of stage shows that were adapted for the screen...and even three screen musicals that found their way to the stage. The original 1950s sountrack LP for High Society, the two-disc collector's edition of the 2007 musical version of Hairspray, and the 2002 original Broadway cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie represented the latter. (While the stage versions of Hairspray and Millie were long-running hits on Broadway, High Society, despite some decent reviews and a not-bad cast album, was not.) Stage musicals adapted for film included my rare LP soundtrack album for Ken Russell's version of The Boy Friend and a Decca studio cast recording of Babes In Toyland.

Work was busier than yesterday when I came in...but it died down just as fast. I found out why when walked out of work and saw that the Black Horse Pike was clogged with red and blue lights and sirens. I had no idea of what was going on. I assumed it was some kind of car accident.

Just a Little Bit of Snow

Started today with a run to the gym. At that point, around 11:30, it was partly cloudy and chilly but otherwise perfectly fine. I did the elliptical machine and worked on my arms. Whew! The elliptical machine works up quite a sweat, the most of the three running/biking apparatuses at Lucile Roberts. I was only on for 20 minutes with a resistance of 3, and I was sweating. When I finished, I did the arm-based weight machines, worked with weights, and stretched to cool down.

Since I was in the area, I stopped by the Acme on the way home. I needed milk badly. I also grabbed a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine to get some ideas about running businesses. They were busy, but no more or less so than on any other day. The forecast called for less than an inch of snow that wasn't really supposed to stick to the street.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at my apartment. I made Beef and Winter Vegetable Stew for an early dinner. I finally dusted the apartment, finishing this month's cleaning. I baked a Lemon-Coconut Chiffon Cake. I shelved the copy of Winnie the Pooh that came in the mail today.

Ran several cartoons and specials related to winter as I did my chores and baking. Frosty's Winter Wonderland is Rankin-Bass' follow-up to their original 1969 Frosty special; Frosty Returns is actually a very different Frosty story from 1992. Winter Wonderland, which tells how Frosty made himself a wife, is the better of the two. Returns has its own charms, though, including a really cute performance by John Goodman as the title snowman.

I dug through my cartoon sets for shorts relating to snow after the specials were done. I went with the Donald Duck classic Donald's Snow Fight, the Sylvester/Tweety vehicle Puddy Tat Trouble and the Bugs short Frigid Hare, and the Woody Woodpecker tales Pantry Panic and Ski For Two. I had just enough time after the cartoons ended to pull the cake out of the oven, grab my coat, and hurry out to work!

The rush may not have been necessary. Work was just barely busy when I arrived, stone-cold dead when I left. I spent the majority of the night shelving candy. Needless to say, there were no problems whatsoever.

It had been flurrying on and off since about 3PM. It was doing it when I went to work. By the time I got out, the snow had gotten much heavier. It was sticking to the grass (and to my porch), but the sidewalks and streets were just wet. I had a very quick and very pretty ride home.

On the Road to Recovery

Woke up with a sore throat and a bit of sniffling, but not much else...which meant that I could catch up on some chores I'd put off over the past few days. The first of these was my rent. I got that together and delivered it at Miss Ellie's door on my way out.

The second was my laundry. I got in around 10:30...which may have been a mistake. The place was packed. There was an older lady doing hers and at least four couples and one pair of what sounded like sisters. I was just barely able to get a washer and a drier.

Got home and put everything away, then had chicken soup for lunch. After that, I worked on some more editing. The three Bowery Boys stories I'm editing now are all related, so I'm going to wait until I'm done with all of them to post them. Look for them later this week or this weekend!

I had just enough time after that to take down the general winter decorations. Everything but three cardboard snowflakes were squeezed into the small container I use for winter-related items. The snowflakes showed the mark of having been up since late November; there were stains where condensation on the windows had gathered under them. They went in the recycling.

(And I must remember to get a new container for the winter items. They've finally outgrown the one they're in now.)

Headed to work right after I put the container in the back room. Work was busy again, far busier than the norm for a Tuesday. This wasn't surprising, given that today is the first day of the month. The chillier but otherwise still nice weather must have put everyone in good moods, for once.

The worst problem I had today was a toddler who kept trying to get into everything in her mother's order. She tore open the Apple Jacks box and dumped a canister of bread crumbs on the floor! For once, it was the kid's fault. The mother was doing everything she could to bag AND get the kid to behave, but the kid wasn't having any of it. She finally stuck the kid between her and the register...and she still managed to climb on the back of it!

I'm gonna have to hit the Haddon Township Library whether I'm up to it or not tomorrow. The DVDs are due, and so are some of my books.

Balance and the Winter Weather Surprise

It was mostly sunny, cold, and windless this morning when I headed out for this week's yoga class. A full class concentrated on variations on one of my favorite poses, the Warrior pose. It's a basic standing pose, and for once, I'm actually quite good at it. Other than I can't really bind, I actually felt really good about the pose.

I got my first of several surprises of the day when I left class and headed for the library. While the thrift shop is now officially closed, it would seem that the Collingswood Variety Store has been (temporarily?) resurrected. There was a sign in the door that said they're open from 12-4 most days. I'm wondering if someone bought them, or they're just trying to sell off the last of their stock?

The library wasn't terribly busy, possibly due to the cold. I just put away and organized DVDs. Went home early. By this point, it was getting cloudier and colder, and I had other things I wanted to do.

High on that list of "things I wanted to do" at home was make the Cherry-Coconut Bar Cookies. I love coconut, and for several years I tried different Christmas cookies that featured coconut before falling in love with these. They're made the same as Lemon Squares, with a pastry bottom that's baked first, but the filling is made from coconut and cherries instead of lemon. I made sure to grease the bottom of the pan; the recipe in The Betty Crocker Cooky Book says not to, but the last time I didn't, I couldn't get the darn things out of the pan. They came out beautifully, flaky and sweet and very, very pink!

By the time I headed to work, the clouds had gathered...and they had the pearly-whiteness of snow. A few flakes were just starting to tumble down as I rode to work, but I assumed it was a passing flurry and thought nothing of it. We weren't supposed to get any kind of snow.

At least, I thought nothing of it...until I saw quite clearly when I peeked out the windows of the lobby about an hour and a half later that it not only continued to snow hard, but it was sticking. The Acme was on-and-off busy, surprising for such crazy weather. Considering the way everyone was fussing, I'm surprised anybody was out at all once the snow started. I have the feeling my customers didn't like being taken by surprise; no one on any local forecast said anything about even a dusting of snow.

I briefly debated calling Dad or Uncle Ken for a ride home. Then people started giving reports of the long, long line of traffic on the Black Horse Pike and all the accidents caused by people who wouldn't go slow on the slippery roads. Obviously, this night was not made for cars. I treated myself to Edy's Peppermint Ice Cream (they started tomorrow's sale early) and walked home.

I'm glad I did. The snow was gone by the time I got out. We only got a dusting, but it still looked lovely against all the Christmas lights. I had no problem walking. I slipped slightly twice and had a close call with a glossy sign that had fallen over on the Oaklyn ramp. Otherwise, I walked at my normal speed with absolutely no problems. (Given the black ice, I wasn't going to chance getting on the bike.) In fact, it was so nice, I took a shortcut through Audubon Park and got my walk to admire the lights in after all.

There was a package waiting for me when I got home. It was from Lauren. I decided to have the crock-pot chicken stew I'd started for dinner and wait until I got online to open my present from her. Good thing - turns out there was more to the package. I had to pull on my boots after my shower and go get the rest of it, which I hadn't seen on the porch.

It was worth it in the end. Lauren is the most wonderful best friend in the whole world. She made me copies of the remaining Bowery Boys movies with Huntz Hall and Stanley Clements and two books on the Bowery Boys, From Bowery to Broadway and The Films of the Bowery Boys. The former was kindly signed by its author, Len Getz. She also gave me two more movies, Angels With Dirty Faces and They Made Me a Criminal, the new WebKinz Ice Dragon, a program to make covers for home-made CDs and DVDs, and tons of gift cards to eBay, JC Penney, Barnes and Noble, FYE, and the Vermont Country Store.

Oh, and the beautiful Frostina the Ice Dragon will be either getting a snow room or a Christmas room (or maybe a combination of the two).

Promise of Spring

The sun greeted me as I awoke to the loveliest day we've had in ages. It shown through my windows as I wrote in my journal. It beamed as I enjoyed my breakfast of leftover brown rice pudding. It sparkled on the river as I got my rent for the month together. It warmed my back as I dropped off the rent and headed for work.

Yes, today was absolutely gorgeous. Other than it's still windy, it was a perfectly nice, typical day in late winter-early spring. I had very nice rides to and from work. There was no snow left on the sidewalks at all this morning...and barely any left anywhere by the time I headed home. You'd never know we've had snow around for almost a month in some places.

Work itself was on-and-off busy again, but the on times were really on. It's the beginning of the month, which always seems to bring a lot of obnoxious people who can't shop any other time out of the woodwork. Other than that, my relief was right on time and there were no major problems. I restocked on brown rice, sugar, fat-free evaporated milk, cake mix, and beef stock before heading home.

I did a few things around the house after I got home. I took out the paper recycling, which I've been meaning to do for weeks, including three boxes from recent online orders. I did the budget for the month. (Spent a LOT last month, but I needed a lot, too...and I got that tax return.) I took down the winter decorations. Normally, I'd wait another week or so to take the winter stuff down, but after this crazy season, I'm really sick of looking at it. I'll wait another week or so to put the spring decorations up - it's still a little early for that.

Winter Weather Surprise

It was merely cloudy when I rode to work at 9:30, but you'd never know it from how busy the Acme was. We were mobbed all day long, with half-way-across-the-store lines. Good thing everyone mostly behaved, and there were no real problems other than the lack of help. In fact, some of the employees were holding an "ugly sweater" contest. The winner was the customer service manager, who wore a black sweater with a pattern of what I believe were supposed to be koalas, though they may also have been fat goats. The second and third prize winners, a seafood worker and a cashier respectively. sported multi-colored Cliff Huxtable 80s sweaters. I forget what they won, other than their picture on the front bulletin board. The store even made a little party out of it and served popcorn, pretzels, and Entermann's donuts in the back room.

The crowds had begun to thin somewhat by the time my relief arrived at 3:30. I didn't realize why until I looked out the windows leading to the main entrance...and saw snow coming down. Hard. That was a shock. I'd heard that we really weren't supposed to get anything at all, and if we did, it would be a dusting. Someone needs to wipe the weather map radar lens.

I did get in little bit of shopping that I wasn't able to do yesterday, including peanut butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter baking spread, which were on a $2 for 2 with coupon in ad sale.

I also found the 5th season of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV show in the cheap DVD bin. My memories of the show are more vague the further they got into the 90s, so it'll be nice to see these again. (And Lionsgate wins the award for creative packaging. The 5th season looks like a mini-pizza box, with the discs as the pies. Even the menus on the discs continue the theme - they look like typical pizza joint menus.)

I really got lucky. It must not have been snowing for very long when I looked out the window. The ground just barely had a dusting of snow when I finally headed home. I was able to ride my bike normally, except for on Goff Avenue. I wasn't taking the chance of another spill on the ice, especially when I couldn't see the road, so I walked up and down the hill there.

The snow was falling more thickly as I arrived home, and the ground was getting more and more covered. Not surprisingly, I spent my evening at home, doing pilates, watching Turtles episodes, and eating leftover Chinese food for dinner.

Memories of Snow Days

It was snowing heavily when I went to bed last night...and still snowing when I awoke around 8:30 this morning. It would seem that yes, we and most of the East Coast got more than a foot of snow overnight and throughout the day. In fact, it was the sound of my neighbor shoveling my steps that finally got me out of bed. All schools in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area were closed (including Rutgers, Jessa's Catholic high school, and Lower Cape May Regional, where Keefe goes).

I called Mom shortly after I hopped out of bed. Yes, they got it too...worse than we did, for once. Mom was inside, doing some chores around the house. Dad and Keefe had gone to buy snow shovels. Apparently, their old shovels were in the last load of things from the garage in the old house that Daddy didn't feel like going back for.

My stepfather's always loved the snow. He'd be the first one up and out in it...and not just because he'd have to shovel his way out to go to work in the morning, either. Mom hates snow. She wouldn't go out in it unless Dad talked her into a sledding trip...and forget driving! Anny just doesn't like the outdoors, period. She'd never want to stay out for very long. Rose and Keefe, however, had no problems with jumping out of bed the moment Scott Waul said "Lower Cape May Regional School District closed" on the radio.

Mom would make us all eat breakfast, of course, no matter who was going out, probably big bowls of oatmeal or cream of wheat, or maybe scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast and orange slices. Then, it would be into layers - snow pants over tights, socks over tights, sweaters over turtlenecks, jackets over sweaters, plastic bags over socks to keep them dry, boots over plastic bags. Hats or earmuffs on heads - and don't forget your scarves!

Then, it would be out to the backyard for a snowball fight, or maybe to try to build a snowman or a snow fort, or even to just chase each other around the yard. We might pretend to be James Bond chasing bad-guys in the snow, or Han Solo and Luke Skywalker looking for Imperial spies on Hoth, or Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny eluding Elmer Fudd's gun.

When Dad came home from work, Mom would stick her head out and tell us it's the perfect time to shovel the sidewalk - if it's in North Cape May, we'd probably have to shovel the walk for our elderly neighbor Miss Ida, too. Not that we actually did a lot of shoveling. For every scoop that was actually removed from the sidewalk, another two would be thrown in someone's direction. Mom would come out to sweep the front stoop...and cluck at her husband and children and try to get them to do some real shoveling.

Then, we'd all bundle into the car - even Mom - and would go to the West Cape May Bridge to go sledding. The right side West Cape May Bridge going into Cape May borders a field, and it's one of the few places in flat Cape May County that anyone can go sledding. A dense crust of brush and trees keeps sledders out of the Cape May Canal. We'd all go down several times, sharing the long old plastic orange and blue sleds that we'd had for years. It was always mandatory that someone older had to go down with little Anny, and later Keefe - they were too young to go down on their own.

After we'd all gotten good and tired from sledding, it was home for lunch. Dad would go back to work, or if he didn't, he'd plop in front of the TV, snoring over soaps and re-runs for the rest of the afternoon. Us kids would enjoy a hot lunch, maybe grilled cheese heavy with butter and cheddar, or Mom's home-made chicken or potato and cheese soup. If we were up for it, we'd get back into our boots and go right back out again. I liked to go for walks up to WaWa on Bayshore when we lived in North Cape May and buy a soda or an Icee. When we lived in West Cape May, it might be a trip to 7-11 for an Chocolate Chip Ice Cream sandwich, maybe with Bridgitte, my best friend at the time, whose mother worked in 7-11 when we lived in West Cape May.

By the time dusk was spreading across the pearly skies over Cape May County, all six of us would be inside, playing a long board game like Life or Monopoly, or after about 1987, playing long fantasy RPG video games like "Final Fantasy" or "The Legend of Zelda." This would break up when Mom would say it was time for her to make dinner and Dad would want to go catch the news. If Anny or Keefe were still little, it would be time to put them down for a nap. Us older kids would go upstairs to play a shorter video game or a card game or play with toys until dinner.

I actually did get a nice walk in the snow in with Jessa this morning while my laundry was in the dryer. I really couldn't put off doing the laundry today. I desperately needed clean work clothes! My neighbor was nice enough to shovel my steps before he went to work, or I wouldn't have been going anywhere today at all.

Jess and I hiked through the ankle-deep snow drifts across the tracks to the park next-door to my apartment. It was really eerie and still. Few cars passed by. No trains chugged down the track between Hillcrest and Manor Avenues; no planes roared overhead. Most sounds were muffled, including our own voices. It was as if time had stopped. It was still snowing, too, quite heavily, and very windy. We walked the perimeter of the park, bouncing over snow that felt more like springy marshmallows in some places. When we got back to Dad's house, I walked down the steep hill in the backyard while Jessa went to get some heavier layers. I found a huge holly tree that had a nice little spot to sit down and watch the storm in. After Jessa came back out, we cleared the snow off her car, a huge old Buick, so she could go out sledding with a friend later.

When I got in from the laundry, I had lunch, cleaned off the snow that had accumulated on my steps since that morning, and added more salt. Dad drove me to work. I don't think I would have been able to get TO my bikes, much less ride on them today. It was still snowing and windy when we left, and I was worried about it getting cold and icing up later.

I was one of the only people who actually DID go to work. We had 18 call-outs today, mostly in the morning. By the time I went in, the kids who work late and were likely bored by this point were starting to trickle in. We ending up needing their help. It was surprisingly steady today, not insanely busy like yesterday, but not really dead, either.

Snow Fall

The snow was just beginning when I went to Dad's to do my laundry this morning, but it was too warm for it to stick to anything. The ground didn't get anything but wet. It's probably just as well. I was able to run to CVS and buy some sinus medicine. I stopped at the Oaklyn Library on the way back and bought The Sweetheart Season, which seems to be a kind of variation on the movie A League of Our Own - a mid-western woman who was in a woman's baseball team in 1947 tells the story to her daughter twenty years later. The women work for a cereal and flour mill that sounds a lot like General Mills, the maker of General Mills flour and Betty Crocker products, among other baking and food items. (They even have their own Betty Crocker, "Maggie Collins.")

By the time I went to work around quarter of 2, the snow still wasn't sticking, but it was coming down much harder and visibility was limited. I ended up getting a ride from Dad. I might have tried riding my bike if it the snow wasn't coming down so hard...and if it wasn't likely to stick later.

Dad made me think a bit about the Culinary School thing. I'd still like to look into it, but if possible, I'd like to avoid high-profile, high-stress jobs like being a chef in a major, busy restaurant...or on an ocean liner. I'd rather do something simple, maybe work for a smaller restaurant or a bakery. It's the same thing as with being a librarian. I don't want to do anything fancy. I just want to earn enough to live and maybe put a dollar or two away every month. I don't need a big house or tons of electronics - what would I do with them?

Work was quiet when I came in and when I left, but got very busy at rush hour, when everyone let out of work, saw the weather, and panicked. I'm glad all I needed after work was flour. I'll bet there's not a bottle of milk or a loaf of bread left in the whole store. (Or 6 packs of Canada Dry soda brands in cans - people were buying that 10 for $10 sale by the cart-loads today!)

Dad picked me up around 8. When I walked out of the Acme, I walked into a white world. Everything around me was white. The trees were covered with snow and seemed to melt into the grayish-white sky. The ground was nothing but white fluff, and the roads were getting pretty well-covered, too. It was really pretty, like a Christmas card. It's still snowing as I type this, and is supposed to continue into the morning. I think I can hear my neighbor attempting to shovel next-door.

Let There Be Slush

It was a white and gray world that met my eyes when I woke up this morning. There was nothing but snow as far as the eye could see...including on my porch. I wasn't looking forward to going to work. I cheered myself up with some snow-related cartoons, among them two Looney Tunes ("Frigid Hare" and "Putty Tat Trouble,") three Donald Duck cartoons ("Hockey Champ," "Polar Trappers," and the infamous "Donald's Snow Fight") and a Garfield and Friends sequence, "Cabin Fever."

I was hoping the rain really would clear out the snow by the time I went to work at 11AM...but there was a LOT more snow than anyone expected, probably about five or six inches (we were only expecting one or two at the most). The rain only made everything icy and sloppy. I ended up calling Uncle Ken and Dad for a ride. Uncle Ken was slightly late, and I so was I. The regular salt I put on my steps had done nothing but make salty snow, and I had to lower myself down my steps again. Much to my surprise, the Acme's parking lot, which HAD been heavily salted, was in even worse condition. I was slightly late, but we were dead and it really wasn't that big of a deal. It was on-and-off steady for most of the day. (Rather surprisingly, there were few call-outs, and my relief was on time.)

I made a quick run to FYE after that. I've been trying to save my money, but I did want the new 2-disc set for Mary Poppins that supposedly had info on the Broadway show, and I've wanted those new WebKinz. I did pick up Mary Poppins and a WebKinz Groundhog. The kid there suggested the Dragon, but somehow the weather seemed to call for a Groundhog. (And besides, that plump little fellow is just too cute!) Dad eventually picked me up, revealing that yes, Jessa was out of school today. Her Catholic high school has students from all over the Camden County area and closes at the least sight of bad weather. (From what my customers said, most other kids in the area had delayed openings.)

Spent the rest of the evening watching Mary Poppins and making Banana-Dark Chocolate Chip Bread. One of my neighbors finally came over and shoveled the remaining snow/slush on my steps and porch around quarter of five. I'm still glad I worked early. No matter how hard it was to get downstairs this morning, I really don't want to be out there when all that slush turns into ice!

Oh, and meet Phil the Groundhog! Our local weather forecaster is going to move in with Rocky the Squirrel in his Farm Room.

Snow Update

As I began my WebKinz session (I played games with Marza the Panda tonight), I happened to look out my window...and see that everything was white again. Yes, it's snowing, good and thick and fast. It's not supposed to last (it's supposed to change into sleet by morning, then freezing rain, and then just rain), but it looks very pretty and cozy right now.

Between Snow and a Cold Place

There was some snow on the ground when I got up this morning. It wasn't really much, certainly not enough to warrant yesterday's fuss. The sky, however, remained pale gray all day, almost white, a good indication that more snow is on the way. I did my laundry this morning and ran to WaWa for skim milk and Doria's Deli for brown sugar while the laundry was in the dryer. Dad, Uncle Ken, and Dolores were all home. Dad was puttering around on the computer, as always. The other two were doing chores. Dad had The Weather Channel on when I got in from my errands. He said things may get very messy tomorrow, with freezing rain and sleet in addition to snow here. Swell. Tomorrow WOULD be one of my two early work days this week.

Speaking of work, that was a bit crazy when I came in. Not only was it busy, thanks to the weather reports, but one of the morning cashiers had called out and they were short-handed. There were no call-outs in the evening and we gradually got more help as the night went on. Good thing, too, because it remained busy. It was STILL busy when I left, mostly people hoping to grab one last item before the storm hits.

I rode to and from work with no problems. By the time I went to work, almost all of the snow from last night was gone, and while I felt tiny drops of SOMETHING on my way home, at press time everything is still dry here.