Saluting Our Veterans

I overslept and never did get to yoga today. It was just as well. I wouldn't have been able to get to the Collingswood Library, even if I hadn't overslept. Today is Veteran's Day. While many schools are open (New Jersey kids get enough days off in November as it is, between Thanksgiving and the Teacher's Convention), most government buildings and many smaller businesses aren't. I didn't get out of bed until after 9:30.

When I did finally get up and get dressed, I had breakfast, then made that low-fat Prevention Magazine recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They came out beautifully, nice and soft.

Ran two East Side Kids movies while baking. Most of the East Side Kids movies were filmed while World War II were raging, and more than half of them involved the Armed Forces or war in some way or another. I finally chose two that were more war-oriented than most. Flying Blind is an earlier movie from 1942 that has the boys working at an airplane factory that's dealing with sabotage. Follow the Leader is from two years later. Mugs McGinnis isn't thrilled when the Army discharges him due to bad eyes...and he's even less thrilled when a member of his gang gets killed by spies right in the Kids' basement clubhouse!

It was such a nice day, I really couldn't waste all of it inside. I went for a walk for an hour while the cookies were cooling. My first stop was Uncle Ken's. He was sitting on the porch, so I decided to have a chat with a real veteran. Uncle Ken was celebrating Veteran's Day by enjoying the nice weather and supervising the repairs on his roof. Everyone else was out with kids or working.

Went to CVS next. They didn't have the conditioner I wanted...but they did have garlic powder on sale, which I've been meaning to get for ages now. Also picked up three baskets with fall foliage in them for general fall decorations in the living room.

The park was gorgeous today. It was a perfect day in mid-November in New Jersey. The sky was bright blue, without a cloud in it. It was breezy, but not as windy as earlier in the week. It was chilly, probably in the mid-upper 50s, colder than it has been but not too bad. The foliage is at it's peak, in bright shades of rust, copper, gold, lime green, red, orange, and even some deep purple and brown. It was like walking through a rainbow.

When I got in, I had leftover steak, fresh farm market spinach, and steamed Brussels sprouts for lunch while watching the "Donald Duck in the Army" cartoons Disney made between 1942 and 1944. I traditionally watch these every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Cantankerous Donald was the perfect Disney character for wartime audiences, who loved seeing the temperamental fowl give it to the enemies and to Drill Sergent Pete as good as he got.

Although the Oscar-winning "Der Fuehrer's Face" is probably the most famous of these, my favorite is "The Vanishing Private." Pete tells Donald that he needs to make a new cannon "hard to see." He does that, all right, via a special invisibility paint. The fun really begins when Donald lands in the paint...and a spooked Pete winds up chasing "the little man that you can't see" all over the base.

After the cartoons, I went on the computer for a while. I knew I was working late tonight, so I played WebKinz this afternoon instead. I also worked on editing the long Bowery Boys story Lauren and I are working on for the NaNoWrite program this month. It challenges you to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. Look for the Bowery Boys' story by Thanksgiving and this month's Monkees story by the beginning of December!

I had a little bit of extra time before work, so I wound up my Veteran's Day by skipping from World War II to Vietnam. The Pink Panther joins the Army in "G.I Pink," but discovers that dealing with land minds, cranky drill sergeants, and nasty mascot dogs is even scarier than fighting in the jungle!

I left early for work. I'd been debating all day whether I wanted to eat out or not. I finally decided I didn't feel like cooking or having leftovers for lunch and dinner. I didn't work until 6, but I rode over to the Audubon Crossings Mall at quarter of 5.

Ended up at Chick Fil'A. I don't often eat there. First of all, they're very popular with families and are usually crowded. They often run specials, and they're the only one of the four fast-food restaurants at Audubon Crossings with a playground. Second, they're also the most expensive of the four fast-food restaurants. Arby's and Sonic are both much cheaper for some of the same food.

On the other had, I'd just had roast beef for lunch, and it was too cold to sit outside and eat Sonic's. I opted for a Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich with no condiments and a Carrot-Raisin Salad. There was a line when I arrived, even at just after 5, but it moved quickly.

I had so much time left before work, I made a brief stop at FYE to see if they had anything for my brother Keefe's birthday next week. I didn't really see anything good, so I finally moved on.

After all that, my 6-10 shift at the Acme was on-and-off steady when I came in, quiet as a mouse when I left. I found out why I'd gotten a rare late shift, too. The older woman who usually works late had apparently called last week and said she wouldn't be able to come in at all for a while. Ok, I can understand that. We are just entering cold and flu season. I don't often get really late hours anymore, anyway. I just hope they don't make it a habit. I don't mind the late work, but it's nerve-wracking riding home in the pitch-dark on my bike.

Hail, Hail, the Leaves are All Here

It was a gorgeous, sunny, 60-degree day when I awoke this morning. I read The Lost Temple for a while and wrote in my journal. After I got out of bed and got dressed, I had yogurt and an apple for breakfast while watching some Armed Services-themed Bowery Boys. Here Comes the Marines is the only movie where the Boys plausibly join the Services; they're all drafted. Sach proves particularly incompetent...until he gets buddy-buddy with the head of the base, who knew his father. He's made a sergeant and proceeds to flagrantly abuse his power and his whistle. His fellow Bowery Boys, including best friend Slip Mahoney, do their best to try to bring Sach back down to Earth. They finally end up using him as bait to trap a smuggling ring.

Headed for the Haddon Township Library next. It was fairly late by then, almost 11, and I had a lot I wanted to do today. I wasn't at the library for very long. Mostly organized DVDs. There were quite a few today, including a large pile of kids' DVDs. I didn't really feel like dealing with check-out, though, so I didn't take anything out today.

Next on the list was shopping for my sister and brother's birthdays. My sister Anny turns 26 today; my brother Keefe will be 18 next week. I stopped at JoAnn's and got some bath lotion, lip gloss, and a cute necklace with a bell for Anny to wear to her job at Big Lots for Christmas. Stopped at Super Fresh for those cheaper grits. Had a quick slice of broccoli and mushroom pizza at Capitol Pizza on the White Horse Pike.

When I got home, I put everything away and went right back out again to rake leaves. It was the perfect day for it, too. Clouds rolled in briefly while I was running errands, but nothing came of it. By the time I was raking, it was sunny and gorgeous again. It's still windy, but not so bad that I had trouble raking. Once again, I got the entire yard done and my porch swept, not to mention earned 20 dollars. And once again, it felt good to really DO something, instead of just standing behind a register.

Went inside after I finished the sweeping. I made dinner while running the last of the four Bowery Boys Armed Services comedies, Clipped Wings. By 1953, when this one was made, the emphasis was fully on comedy, and the Boys were down to four and soda shop owner Louie. In fact, it's just Slip and Sach who end up soldiers this time. They inadvertently join the Air Force when they visit the base to ask about a friend who was arrested for spying. The highlight is Sach ending up in a barracks filled with women, including an older female sergeant who doesn't appreciate his wandering eyes.

Dinner came out very well, too. I made Baked Chicken Legs in Marsala Sauce and steamed Brussels sprouts. For dessert, I used up the home-made whole wheat bread that didn't quite bake right and made it into a delicious bread pudding from the Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, with skim milk and egg whites substituting for whole milk and whole eggs. Still came out very sweet and creamy.

It's My Life

Started an absolutely gorgeous, blustery 60-degree fall day with a walk to the Oaklyn Library. Actually, I didn't really do much there. Neither the books nor the DVDs needed much organizing, and they're finally clearing out some of the older videos. I wanted to take out some of the usual Christmas and Thanksgiving books I check out of the Oaklyn Library every November, but I was only able to find a kids' book on Thanksgiving and Cranberry Thanksgiving. I also took out two Christmas craft-and-recipes books to get ideas for Christmas food gifts.

Went for a pleasant walk around the neighborhood next. The weather was just so nice, other than the chilly wind. It blew leaves off of people's carefully-created piles and whipped them around my ankles before carrying them into the street. Most people got their Halloween decorations down over the weekend, though a few houses still have ghosts and cobwebs out. Most have just left pumpkins and mums, and maybe a few Thanksgiving or fall banners.

I had leftover chicken meatloaf and spinach salad for lunch, then headed to work. Work was busy all night, with not even the annoying customers I had last night. It had slowed down enough by 6:30 that I was able to shut down and leave with no relief.

Declaration of Independence

Started a fairly sunny morning with laundry. I made sure to get in by at least quarter of 10, so there wouldn't be any problems with finding a washer and dryer. I made it just in time. There were only two other young women who looked like college students and the lady who owns the laundromat when I arrived. After a half-hour, it was crowded with couples, families, and more older people.

After I got home, I put the laundry away. I'd washed the bed sheets today, so I put the sheets away, put fresh ones on, and made the bed. After I finished with the bed, I went for a walk.

I spent the walk trying to tackle the problem of how to handle this "James" who has been posting derogatory comments on this blog for the past at least four or five months, maybe more. Since the spring, at least. I haven't had problems with trolls in the past, and I'd like to avoid them in the future.

The truth is...I've always been afraid of turning into a child again. I'm afraid of someone coming and taking me away from the life I'm living and putting me with crazy people or just taking my independence. I'm afraid what happened when I was a kid - being treated like I'm a freak - will repeat itself.

It won't. I'm not a child, and I'm not a freak. I'm a damaged woman with a hurt child inside, but the woman and the child are still healing. Maybe I'll always be healing...but I know my own mind. I'm not crazy, and I'm not going to hurt someone. I'm tired of people breathing down my neck and telling me how to live my life. What makes them so perfect that they can insult me? Are they scared of someone who is different...of something that's out of their worldview?

Maybe the way I live isn't the way other people would live. Maybe I do get too upset over things. Maybe I do obsess more than I should. Maybe I didn't vote last week. That doesn't make me a bad person. It makes me an honest person. (Which is more than I can say about most politicians.)

I'm proud of my independence. I live alone. I make my own money. I volunteer. I ride my bike. I explore. I travel. I go to yoga class. So I don't have kids or a family. Neither do a lot of other people these days. Being single doesn't make you irresponsible. It just means you don't have to worry about someone leaving the toilet seat up when you aren't at home.

You know what? As the Leonard Berenstein song from the original On the Town goes, I'm lucky to be me. I'm my own person. I don't answer to anyone. I can go where I please, when I please. I can eat what I want or not eat it. I can watch Bowery Boys all day and talk with my best friend online all night. I can go wherever I want, and no one is looking over my shoulder or second-guessing my decisions.

Who am I? Someone who has a lot to learn. Someone who has learned a lot since the spring. What have I learned? That I'm not such a bad person. That I need my independence - it's part of my very being. That I like kids but aren't sure I want to raise them. That I do have friends and can meet people. That I feel better when I try to stay upbeat. That obsessions aren't such horrible things to have if you can make them work for you. That I need to join a group that really works at something and doesn't just sit there and talks about it, whether it's doll-collecting or yoga or dance. That I do need to work on some things...but I can do others just fine.

I switched the comments to "registered users only." If nasty comments continue, this blog will become private and by invitation only. I wanted to send this "James"'s name to Blogger and get them blocked, but it doesn't look like they can do that. As I said in my previous blog entries, I will not tolerate bullying anymore...on this blog or in my life.

I was on Blogger for so long trying to figure out how to change the comments, I was almost late for work. I did make it just in time.

Work was a pain early on. There were a few annoying customers. One woman threw a fit when she didn't get a game piece for the promotion that's going on at the Acme. If you spend 50 dollars, you can get a ticket, pull the tab off, and win prizes ranging from coupons to a home makeover. She didn't spend 50 dollars, but the last people had and she got mad when she couldn't get a ticket.

An hour later, I got stuck with one of those people who buys a cart full of food, and then oops, they have to take half of it back, because they somehow thought that 100 dollars worth of food came to 50. And one of the women was snapping curses at the other because she didn't even WANT half this food and oh, why were they buying all of this? I really didn't need to hear that. If they didn't want the food, they shouldn't have brought it to the register. Plus, the other woman kept going through her full cart to see what she should keep, which meant she put one item on the belt per five minutes, which meant they took forever to ring up. Why can't people be more considerate? Stores are public places.

In any event, the second half of my shift was far quieter and less eventful. I had no relief and shut down without a problem.

I needed a birthday card for my sister Anny and stocked up on the last two French Vanilla Mousse Mixes for the holidays, then headed home. Dark clouds had been gathering since my walk earlier in the afternoon. It had been mildly sprinkling on my way to work. The ground was wet by quarter after 7, but it wasn't raining at all. We must have gotten a short but heavy shower sometime after I got in.

I Get a Kick Out of Them

I slept in on a chilly, sunny November Sunday...more than the clock said, due to Daylight Savings last night. Got up in time for a long, quiet breakfast of Apple-Cornmeal Pancakes and a pear. Ran the Coasters record I picked up from a yard sale a few weeks ago, then listened to Brunch With the Beatles. "The Beatles and Other British Invasion Bands." Normally, I'm not crazy about shows that focus on the early Beatles songs that sounded too...well, too boy-band-ish. This theme, however, alternates Beatles hits from 1963-1965 with other British acts who debuted in America during those years. Among my favorites were Herman's Hermits "I'm Into Something Good" and two from Dusty Springfield, "Wishin' and Hopin'" and "I Only Wanna Be With You."

Talked to Mom after breakfast. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood. She was on her way out to run errands. She was very happy with her new cell phone, which can take pictures. She wants to get pictures of his son before he finishes his senior year of high school. Dad got himself a Droid, so he can enjoy his newest pastime - putting money in the stock market.

Edited some Bowery Boys stories for a while before heading to work. Work was on-and-off really busy, not surprising for a football Sunday in November. I was in and out with no problems other than my relief was one of those college boys with a second job who is always late.

I had tilapia with peppers and mushrooms for dinner, then went online for tonight's Dress Circle. "The Shows of November" was the theme for tonight. November is a big month for Broadway openings, and among the hits and flops that first appeared in November are Cabaret, Jersey Boys, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, Bells Are Ringing, the recent musical version of Young Frankestein, and the cult flops The Grass Harp and Taboo.

Oh, and the Eagles played a big game tonight against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Though the Colts did come back in the second half, the Eagles ultimately won 26-24.

Harvest Time

I awoke to a beautiful, bright fall day. The breeze was chilly, but the sun felt nice on my back. I slept a bit later than usual on a Saturday and got a late start to the Farm Market.

The Farm Market was busy when I arrived around 10. Many of the usual food booths had been replaced by local craftspeople selling their wares. Lots of dogs out, too. I saw a little terrier who reminded me of my friends Linda and James Young's dog Willow, an elegant greyhound, and an adorable brown and white dachshund. I ended up buying apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, golden beets (thought I'd try them), bananas from the wholesaler, and the first fresh New Jersey cranberries of the season.

I saw no yard sales today, so I ended up going straight home. I put everything away and spent an hour working on editing Bowery Boys stories. Posted two short stories, "Sick Day" and "East Side Story," at the Bowery Boys' Basement Clubhouse.

After I finished with the editing, I went for a pleasant walk. Fat white clouds were scuttling in as I strolled down Goff Avenue to the river, then back down to West Clinton. It was breezy, but not anywhere near as windy as it has been the past few weeks. Leaves crunched underfoot, and the air smelled like dried leaves and logs. A few folks still have their Halloween decorations up (and probably will until Veteran's Day on Thursday), but most have general fall decorations, like scarecrows and uncarved pumpkins.

I had a quick lunch when I got home. Watched most of Bowery Battalion, the first of four Bowery Boys movies set in the Armed Services. The Boys aren't exactly the most popular soldiers in the Army when they get spooked by an air raid drill and enlist. They may get their chances to prove themselves as worthy soldiers, however, when they rescue the owner of their soda shop hangout Louie Dumbrowski from a gang of spies who want the top-secret formula he has memorized.

Went to work after lunch. Work was busy for most of the afternoon, not surprising on a gorgeous Saturday in November. We're starting a new promotion, too. Customers receive a card they can send in to win prizes if they buy fifty dollars worth of groceries.

Came home and had leftovers while watching The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold, one of the lesser-known holiday specials I occasionally take in during November. It's a Rankin-Bass half-hour program from the late 70s, when they started to get really, really strange with their ideas. In this case, a young Irish sailor finds himself up to his hatches in trouble when he lands on an island inhabited by the Wee Folk...and accidentally uproots a tree that imprisoned a banshee who had been after their treasure.

Pumpkin, Dust, and Rock N' Roll

I took advantage of weather that remained dreary to sleep in as much as I could this morning. After I got up, I had a quick cereal breakfast and watched the Angelina Ballerina Christmas special, Christmas In Mouseland. Angelina is looking forward to her school's big pantomime of Cinderella and is desperately hoping to dance the title role. She's devastated when it goes to her rival Penelope Pinkpaws instead...and she's chosen to play the Wicked Stepmouse! Things go from bad to worse when she's dropped from the production after a fit of temperament and a sledding accident lands the understudy, her beloved teacher Miss Lilly, in the hospital. Angelina takes it on herself to talk the pantomime's writer Mr. Operatski in to staying...and to realize that they both need to learn a lot about patience and determination.

Poor Angelina! I think some of the adults were a bit hard on her here. While she shouldn't have thrown a fit about losing the role, what happened to Miss Lilly wasn't entirely her fault. I have to give her some credit, though. She's one tough missy. Miss Lilly is right about her determination.

(And by the way, before people start jumping on me, yes, I watch Christmas specials and listen to Christmas music in November. My rule is, if an animation franchise or TV show has a Thanksgiving episode, I watch that in November and wait until after Thanksgiving for the Christmas show. Anything else is fair game. I have at least 50 holiday-related videos and DVDs and well over 100 holiday CDs, cassettes, and records. There's just too much to fit into 25 days anymore!)

Headed out after Angelina ended. First stop of the day was the Oaklyn Library for this week's volunteering session there. I organized the DVDs, then did the children's videos and the kids' picture books. The videos really needed it. They had been put away in the kids' section...but many of them had been tossed in any old way, and it just looked clunky.

Next stop was the Acme. They were busy there, but they had plenty of help, and no one asked me to stay. Good thing, because I did need to pick up my paycheck and do some grocery shopping. I took advantage of a coupon from Acme and a $.79 Swanson's Broth sale to stock up for winter soups and sauces. Also bought yogurt, granola bars, canned pumpkin, ground chicken, steak, parchment paper, eggs, a roll for dinner, and a Christmas present for a friend.

I went straight home with my grocery load, then put it away and went right back out again. It was still cloudy when I rode to the Acme, but by the time I walked to the bank, the sun was coming out. It was in and out for the rest of the day.

I thought of having lunch out after I left the bank, but I remembered I intended to make my own cheese steak for dinner. I just got a pretzel and a fountain Coke Zero with a bit of raspberry and vanilla syrups instead. After my snack, I hiked around the neighborhood, enjoying the blustery breezes and the wonderful upper 50s-lower 60s temperatures. It really looks like fall now; all of the trees have reached their peak and are turning lovely shades of rust, copper, gold, red, brown, and pumpkin orange.

Briefly ended up at the park behind the school. I wouldn't normally go there on a school day, but most kids in New Jersey have off this weekend for the yearly Teachers' Convention. There were quite a few kids there anyway, just hanging out in the playground. Some men were watering the school yard as I passed by. I don't know why. It just rained yesterday, and we've gotten tons of rain. The field looks much greener than it did during the dry summer, even nicer than during the Town Picnic last month.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at home after I finished my walk. I was originally going to go into Audubon on my walk, but my legs are tired after spending so much time at work and running around this week! I opted to dress Samantha and Molly in warmer clothes (Molly got her school outfit; Samantha her meet outfit with the white pinafore), dust the apartment, and work on the budget instead. I also made a Pumpkin Mousse Pie with the pumpkin leftover from the muffins I made last week.

After I finished the budget, I put on Top Secret! and made that cheese steak, along with carrots in white wine-horseradish sauce and the last of the steamed cauliflower.

Top Secret! is the least-well-known of the "Laugh Or I'll Shoot!" comedies. American rock star Nick Rivers travels to East Germany for a concert. He finds himself involved in a Nazi scheme to draw submarines out of the water and falls for the beautiful head of the group fighting against the Germans. And did I mention this is also a spoof of Elvis movies...and oh yeah, Val Kilmer does his own singing?

It's as bizarre as it sounds. In fact, this may be the most bizarre of the three big Zucker/Abrahams 80s movies. While Airplane! and The Naked Gun take on the relatively normal genres of disaster film and cop show, Top Secret! goes after rock musicals, Beach Boys music, World War II films, and The A-Team, among others. Alas, the emphasis on Cold War-era politics means this one hasn't dated as well as the other two...and nor have some of the sex gags.

On the other hand, I get a kick out of the very accurate parodies of 50s and early 60s rock and of the musicals of that era, where kids went into screaming fits just by hearing their idol sing a tune in a pizza shop (as in one number where Kilmer starts kids into a Grease-worthy sock hop).

And yes, Kilmer did all his own singing...and is quite good at it. He really needs to do more musicals.

Still Working

Yup, I got called in again. This time, I worked 12:30-8:30. I wouldn't mind it so much if I was more used to working long hours...and if I'd had time to prepare for working eight hours. Apparently, one of the older women who works in the morning has bronchitis and keeps calling out. With two of the other regular morning workers retiring, they don't have enough people who work mornings and early afternoons to replace her anymore.

I wouldn't have been able to go to yoga even if I wasn't called in. I awoke to a pewter-gray sky that was pouring cats, dogs, pigs, and chickens. It slowed down enough by 12:30 that I was able to get to work and barely be wet, but it was too much to get to Collingswood this morning.

Work was on-and-off steady for most of the night. We had a few annoying customers, including some of the usual beginning-of-the-month people who need attitude adjustments...and fast. Other than that, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

No problems getting home, either. By the time I finished, it neither raining nor windy nor (despite my customers' complaints) all that chilly. I actually had a rather pleasant ride home.

I did get something done this morning, though. I updated my inventories and finished editing the Bowery Boys story Snow Chuck and the Seven Bowery Boys. Look for it at the Bowery Boys' Basement Clubhouse later tonight!

Do You Hear the People Sing?

First of all, James, whomever you are, let's make one thing quite clear. I don't like being insulted. If you continue to send nasty messages to this blog, you will be marked as spam and reported to Blogger. I've been tolerating bullies like you since childhood. I am not tolerating them anymore. Not here. Not anywhere.

It makes me so mad when people do things like this. I'm tired of dealing with bullies. Why can't people just be pleasant? I've been bullied my whole life. By parents and teachers who meant well. By kids who didn't know the difference between "unique" and "weird." Why do people think they can hold power over others this way? It doesn't just happen to kids, either. Adults bully each other, too. Do people think that's really the only way to get anyone to do anything? I'm going to write what I want, thank you, not what some bully thinks I should write. If he doesn't like that, he can read someone else's blog.

Beyond that, I had a good day. I started it with this week's volunteering session at the Haddon Township Library. It was gorgeous, upper 50s-lower 60s, sunny, a nice breeze but none of the wind that made earlier this week so chilly. It was so nice, I rode to the Library via Newton River Park.

There were plenty of DVDs to return and organize. I was happily occupied for an hour. After I finished, I found three books and three DVDs to take out. I skipped reading Joanna Fluke's Plum Pudding Murder when it came out last year; I decided to make up for that now. I also took out a kids' crochet book and a book of Thanksgiving recipes, ideas, and stories. Found three DVDs as well - the Angelina Ballerina Christmas special, a set of Max and Ruby fall and winter-themed shorts, and the newest Barbie As special, Barbie In a Fashion Fairy Tale.

Next stop was Super Fresh. They have better prices on real maple syrup than the Acme does. I also found the Laurel and Hardy March of the Toy Soldiers there for $4.99. I've been wanting to replace that since I got rid of the video with it and Christmas In Connecticut after I bought the latter on DVD in 2008.

Headed to the Bagel Shop for lunch. I had a little more than half of a tasty Vegetable Quesedilla for lunch. It filled me up so much, I couldn't close to finish it. Couldn't finish my pickles, either.

Went straight home via Cuthbert Road after lunch. The Wachovia Bank they were building was finished a few weeks ago. It's a pretty simple building, but they did a good job, and at least it's not a fast food place. In fact, they did such a good job, it looks like they want the rest of the mall to match. There were people on a crane painting the half of the mall next to Wachovia in soft shades of white and brown when I was riding by. I actually like it better than the gray and white it was. Looks much warmer and more inviting.

Rode straight home after that. It was after 2 by the time I got in. There was a blinking light on my answering machine. The Acme had tried to call me in. By that point, it was too late and they'd already gotten someone else anyway.

I spent the next few hours raking leaves instead. I thought this week was our week for leaf pick-up. Miss Ellie told me later that it isn't...but I'm glad I got it done anyway. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Neither she nor I need to be tripping over wet leaves and sticks.

I love raking. It's such good exercise. It gets you outside and into the fresh air. It's just so much fun! Best of all, it's something that gets things done. You get instant results. You rake the leaves, put them in piles, and take them to the curb...and you don't have leaves. It's something you really do. It's real work.

After I finished with the leaves, I swept my porch. It badly needed it. The storms last week brought down piles of leaves. I think there were more leaves on my porch than in the yard! I was wading through piles of leaves literally up to my ankles as I swept them off the sides.

Still feeling vigorous, I went for a quick walk when the porch was clear. I needed to return those Winnie the Pooh Halloween videos anyway. It was still a nice day, windless but a bit colder than earlier.

Spent the rest of the evening at home. I made chicken meatloaf, steamed cauliflower, and roasted Brussels sprouts while watching Fashion Fairytale and Max and Ruby.

Fashion Fairytale pulls Barbie out of her perpetual princess stories and into the here and now. Fired from her latest movie for mouthing off at the director, Barbie decides to head for Paris to visit her Aunt Millicent, who runs a fashion house. When she arrives, she discovers that her aunt has been run out of business by a trashy designer who steals her ideas. Barbie and Alice, a young woman who works for her aunt and secretly wishes to design clothes, find three "flaries" who add glitter to Alice's new gowns...but can they do enough "glitterizing" to save Aunt Millicent's business? And what about Ken, who is having enough trouble with transportation to Paris to fill a second Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?

I thought it was cute...but I think I like it better when Barbie isn't being herself. The "be yourself" lesson was laid on with a trowel the size of the Eiffel Tower. Ken's attempt to join her was actually a lot funnier. (And didn't she break up with him a while back?) The best part may have been the almost Pirandellian "Princess and the Pea" opening, in which we see what looks like a typical Barbie As special (even used the same character seen in a few of the princess stories as a villainous mother-type for the evil queen). It quickly gets surreal when a pack of disco-dancing zombie peas suddenly appear. Even Barbie couldn't handle that one.

The Max and Ruby episodes were a lot of fun. "Max's Christmas Passed," in which Max finds a way to cheer him and Ruby up after the Christmas decorations come down, was very sweet. So was "Max's New Year." Grandma, Max, and Ruby have a three-rabbit New Year's party...and teach Max about patience and about time when he has to wait until midnight to blow his noisemaker and have Grandma's clock-shaped cookies.

Please Mr. President, Take Pity On the Working Woman

...'Cause she's had a long day. It began around 7:30, when I was snuggled under my covers. I was rudely awaken by the sound of my phone next to my bed. Yes, it was the Acme. Could I come in at 10:30 and work eight hours? There were call-outs. I wasn't crazy about it, especially after last night was such a pain, but yes, I did agree to go in. I need the hours.

The early wake-up did give me enough time before I left to watch Election Day-themed cartoons and TV episodes. I ran You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, the Tiny Toons episode "Citizen Max", and The Monkees episode "Monkee Mayor" while I had breakfast.

Ran cartoons while I washed the windows, including the Looney Tunes politics-themed short Ballot Box Bunny. This prototypical Bugs Bunny/Yosemite Sam match-up pits the two in a battle of wills (and exploding pianos) for the mayor race of a small Southern town. Nobody can sling muck like these two...but who eventually becomes the "mare"-or is a bit of a surprise...

After that, I pretty much spent the rest of the day at work. It was tiring. I haven't worked an eight-hour day since spring. They take a lot out of you. Thank goodness it was on-and-off busy. There were a few annoying people, but nothing on the lines of yesterday. I was in and out with no problems.

Had leftovers and watched more election-themed TV show episodes at home, this time of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Remember WENN.

No, I never got to the polls myself. Just plain ran out of time. Maybe next year.

All Hallow's Day Tricks

Brr! Boy, was it chilly this morning. Good thing I'd already pulled on a second blanket. It felt so nice under the covers. I really didn't want to get up, but I had to get the laundry done before work today.

The laundry went pretty well. I got in around quarter after 10, and it wasn't really that busy. I thought a lot of people might have been recovering from Halloween yesterday.

After I got home, I folded the laundry and put it away. The next item on my to-do list was taking down the Halloween decorations and putting up what I have for Thanksgiving. I generally enjoyed my Halloween season this year. My Velma costume went over really well. The witch costume I did last year was pretty cool, too. I really need to remember to put a little more thought into my costumes; I get nice results when I do.

I was disappointed that I couldn't help with trick-or-treating, though. I had fun helping Uncle Ken and Dad last year. I hope it'll be easier for me to help out next Halloween. Halloween will be on Monday, and the towns will probably be back to having the kids trick-or-treat in the evening after school.

I have a few things for Thanksgiving. Most of the standing decorations are turkey WebKinz or things I got from yard sales. My favorite Thanksgiving decorations are the cardboard hangings depicting scenes of pilgrims and Native Americans preparing for Thanksgiving together. I actually got those from the Acme the first year I lived in Oaklyn. They're pretty big; I suspect they were really made for school bulletin board displays.

It took me longer to put everything up and take it down than I thought it would, which meant my lunch of leftover beef stew was late...and that meant I was late getting out to work. It was still fairly cold by then, no warmer than the lower 50s. I had to grab my big black winter coat for the first time since March!

Work was a total and complete pain in the rear. It's the beginning of the month, and yes, there were a lot of the usual annoying people who drive everyone totally crazy. I would like to look for another job...but I'm still not doing it now. Not during the holidays. We'll see how I feel...and if I have a strategy that might actually work...after the New Year.