It was cloudy and tad humid when I got up this morning. The clouds started to break up a bit as I played this week's American Top 40 re-run. Casey returned us to the 80s as we made our way into mid-October 1982. Hits that fall included "Abracadabra" by The Steve Miller Band, "Gloria" by Laura Brannigan from the Flashdance soundtrack, "Eye In the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project, "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls, "Heart Attack" by Olivia Newton-John, "Heartlight" by Neil Diamond, "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac, and "Break It to Me Gently" by Juice Newton. John Cougar (later Melloncamp) had the top spot that week with one of his earliest and most iconic hits, "Jack and Diane."
I headed out as soon as "Jack and Diane" ended. There was a lot going on this week, including a ton of yard sales. I didn't need to run up to Haddon Heights to find them this time. I passed by at least two in Oaklyn and one in Collingswood just on my way to the Farm Market. Didn't find anything at the ones in Oaklyn, but I did get a blank journal for a dollar from the Collingswood sale.
The Farm Market was bustling, even as several booths disappeared, and others are on their last weeks. The Farm Market will probably only be open for another month or so. The Saturday before Thanksgiving is usually their last week. Despite this, the fall harvest is at its height. Tons of people were buying greens, squash, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, cranberries, apples, pears, radishes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts for their sports parties and cold-weather meals. I didn't really need much this week. Just bought pears (bosc this time; the bartletts I bought last week got mushy too fast), tiny gala apples, mushrooms, and an onion.
(There were fire trucks on Atlantic Avenue as I did my shopping, much to the delight of several children. I have no idea what was going on. I didn't see any smoke. Someone said they saw the fire fighters go into a house; I hope everyone was ok.)
Spent the rest of the morning riding around Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Audubon. My first stops were three yard sales in the neighborhood behind Haddon Avenue, across from Yogawood. The first sale on Woodlawn Terrace had three boxes of awesome records. I ended up with:
Jimi Hendrix - The Essential Jimi Hendrix
Carole King - Her Greatest Hits: Songs of Long Ago
George Benson - Shape of Things to Come
A Peter Pan book-and-record with two Wonder Woman stories
A yard sale a few streets down advertised a huge collection of vintage dolls, including AG items. I was disappointed when I arrived. Most of the dolls were vintage but were in lousy shape. There were a Felicity, Kirsten, and Samantha in decent shape...but she wanted $100 per doll. They weren't in THAT great of a condition. The few AG things she had left were mostly for the "Bitty Baby" baby dolls. I did get Josefina's straw summer hat (packaged with a rose wreath, for some reason) for $10.
Headed down to Haddon Township next for a block sale on Belmont, then down to Kraft Court across from the Rite Aid in Westmont. No luck in either place. A sale on South Barrett in Audubon didn't have much, either. I had more luck with a church yard sale in Haddon Township a block from the the Clyde S. Jennings Elementary School. This sale yielded a coffee-table book from Reader's Digest called 20th Century: The Way We Lived, an adorable Polite Panda Care Bear (I know I've been trying to avoid the Care Bears, but Polite and her brother Perfect are hard to find...and Polite is a talking bear, though she only says one phrase), a candy corn and pumpkin-topped cupcake, and some nice conversation with the older women running the bake sale.
Since it was on my way home, I made the Oaklyn Library my next stop. They were fairy busy with people on the computers, possibly because of the in-and-out cloudy weather. I mostly organized the DVDs and the kids' books. With nothing to shelve, I was out in a little over a half-hour.
When I got in, I had the last of the chocolate muffins and an apple for lunch, then swept the porch. The porch really, really needed it. Though the trees haven't really shown it, it is fall, and the leaves are starting to come down in great numbers. The acorn crop is really heavy this year, too.
Dubbed Kid Millions as I ate and did my chores. This 1934 Eddie Cantor/Goldwyn extravaganza was the first of two Goldwyn musicals to pair him with, of all the unlikely people, Ethel Merman. Merman is a singing shop girl whose sleazy boyfriend wants to take her to Egypt to collect the money of her ex-lover, an archaeologist who recently died and left 77 million dollars in his will. Cantor is the true heir, a gentle Brooklyn resident who is beloved by local kids but constantly bullied by his adopted brothers. When Cantor heads for Egypt to get his millions, Merman and her man follow and somehow convince Eddie that Merman is his mother. (Don't ask how.) Also on Eddie's trail are a southern gentleman, his daughter (Ann Southern), and her swain (George Murphy). When they do finally get to Egypt, Eddie runs afoul of a sultan who considers the money to be cursed and his own unmarriable daughter. It'll take all of Eddie's own cunning and good luck to keep him and the others out of the stew pot and get the ice cream factory of his dreams.
Strange, but generally cute. This is my first encounter with Cantor's vehicles beyond a few moments of Whoopee! I've caught online. You really need to be a fan of his frantic, pop-eyed brand of humor to be able to enjoy these. A nice Irving Berlin score and a good supporting cast (though Merman and Southern are underused) help. While the "Mandy" minstrel number is far from PC (Cantor wears his traditional blackface), it does feature an early performance by a very young Nicholas Brothers. Also watch out for that crazy Technicolor finale in the ice cream factory.
This is one of only two Cantor-Goldwyn musicals currently on DVD (Whoopee! is the other). If you're a fan of Merman, Cantor, or the fanciful Goldwyn musicals, head to the Warner Archives and check this one out.
Since the weather was holding out, I went for a walk to CVS for brush picks after the movie ended. While it wasn't the sunniest day in creation, it was breezy and relatively warm for mid-October, probably into the mid-60s. I wasn't the only one out and about. I saw little boys on bikes, parents chatting on lawns, and others doing lawn work or playing games with their kids. Fall flowers - mums, asters, the last of the roses - and Halloween decorations are out in full-force now, too. While most people in Oaklyn settle for pumpkins and wreaths with fall flowers, some go all out and festoon their front lawns with skeletons, graves, fake cobwebs, headless brides, and other gruesome sights.
CVS itself was actually rather busy. Good thing all I needed was brush picks. There was a line, and there didn't seem to be much help. I hurried straight home after that.
I was tired out from my trip yesterday and this morning's bike ride. I spent the rest of the day inside. I made CranApple Muffins (replaced part of the brown sugar with honey - yum, so sweet and moist), had salmon in red wine vinegar sauce with mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner, and dubbed the 12-chapter serial Zorro's Fighting Legion. This interesting continuation of the Zorro stories has the famous masked Californian fighting in a newly created Mexico with a band of men he calls his "Legion." They're up against Don Del Oro, a huge god-like-statue who has convinced the local Indians to rebel. Zorro believes that one of the other men on the council with him are really Don Del Oro. He dodges a runaway carriage, a flash flood in a cave, and lots of explosions to discover just how human this "god" is.
I've enjoyed the three Republic serials I've dubbed, and this one was no exception. There was a lot of nice work in this delightful tale, especially from Reed Hadley as Zorro himself. A must for any serial fan, especially those who love historic westerns or Zorro tales.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Travels to the Town Center
What better way could there be to begin a gorgeous, sunny fall morning than with a classic Halloween special? It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is the Peanuts' second-most popular special after the original Christmas story. Linus wants to spend Halloween in a "sincere" pumpkin patch to await the Great Pumpkin, who brings toys to all the good children on Halloween night. A love-struck Sally joins him. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown has his own problems with trick-or-treating and the party afterwards. Snoopy's too busy fighting World War I to pay much attention to Halloween festivities.
After a quick stop at WaWa for money and a bottle of water, I picked up the bus to the Voorhees Town Center. This is one of four local large malls, and the most changed in the past few years. Originally the Echelon Mall, somewhere around 2007, Voorhees decided the mall was too much in the middle of nowhere to compete with Cherry Hill and Deptford and converted it into a half-traditional mall, half "life center," with condos, restaurants, office buildings, and a cosmetology school.
The Voorhees branch of the Camden County Library System turned out to be on the same street as the office buildings, directly across from the mall's Food Court entrance. The two-story building was much larger than most of the fairly small libraries closer to home, including the Haddonfield and Haddon Township libraries. It was also very busy. While there was no line, the sale's popularity was reflected in the mountains of boxes stacked on either side of the main lobby as I entered.
I was there for about an hour. I never did find the kids' tables. Actually, there was less there than I'd hoped. This was a three-day sale, and I suspect many people may have come yesterday before or after work. I did manage to make a few good discoveries:
Two videos to dub, the musicals Cabin In the Sky and Kid Millions
Two records, the original Broadway cast albums for the 50s/early 60s shows Plain and Fancy and The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Four books: Another Sarah Ban Breathnach self-help book Something More: Excavating the Authentic Self, the Peanuts comics collection Thank Goodness for People, a Reader's Digest collection of fairy tales, and Christmas With Southern Living 1990
All of this cost me 8 dollars all together - they threw in the records for free. : D
I headed back over to the Voorhees Town Center after I finished at the library. It was hard to choose where to eat at their Food Court. There still wasn't a whole lot there, though there was more than there had been the last time I was there in 2008. I ultimately went with Qdoba Mexican Grill, a slightly more upscale eatery that specialized in fast and tasty southwestern fare. While I did enjoy the chicken quesadila, the tortilla soup proved to be too spicy for more than a few quick slurps.
I strolled around the mall for the next hour or so. The actual mall section of the Voorhees Town Center isn't nearly as big or as populated as some of the other local malls, but it does still have that huge Hallmark where I found the WebKinz Bat in October 2008 when Amanda was visiting. And yes, the Hallmark remains one of the few stores in the Camden County area with a huge selection of WebKinz. I chose a handsome WebKinz Rockerz Horse, a blue paisley fellow with a country-western theme. His name is Hank - he comes with a nifty "Grand Ol' Opry" barn and stage.
I next spent some time wandering around Boscov's. (There's also a Macy's, but I figured I could see that anywhere.) Boscov's is one of the few locally-owned department store chains left in the US. I absolutely adored this one. It seemed to have been spared the remodeling that updated the rest of the mall, and I loved it. All the neon signs and mirrored walls reminded me of the (now defunct) Rio Mall of my childhood in Rio Grande. And unlike Macy's or JCPenney's, who mostly just sell clothes, makeup, and linens, Boscov's sells EVERYTHING - clothes, linens, furniture, makeup, accessories, shoes, kids' stuff, toys, seasonal items, pet items. They even had a candy counter! Despite some decent sales, I didn't see anything I couldn't live without and left with nothing.
I headed home around quarter of 3. It took me a while to find the entrance where the bus picked up passengers. I forgot it's upstairs, which is mostly Voorhees Township offices and offices for other "services" like Liberty Travel. I hiked all around the mall, down the "Boulevard" where the restaurants are, and back over a hill. I made it with ten minutes to spare.
Other than some traffic on the White Horse Pike, the bus trips to and from the Town Center were quick and uneventful. When I got in, I put everything away and prepared my grocery list while running the other Peanuts special on the disc, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Linus is in the running for class president, but he may blow his chances when he brings up his Great Pumpkin obsession in his final speech.
I only needed a few things at the Acme, mainly stock-up items like cream of mushroom soup and flour. The real reason I was there was to get my schedule, since I'm off tomorrow, too. It's pretty par for the course for this time of year - one 9PM night, two early days. I'm a little disappointed that one of those early days is Saturday - I could probably squeeze a farm market run in, but I won't be able to hit up any yard sales.
When I got home, I enjoyed the Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes that I started before I left for the Voorhees Library, along with steamed broccoli, for dinner while watching a spooky episode of Wonder Woman from the second season. Diana Prince is in hot water when three ambassadors from an importance peace conference disappears under her watch in "Seance of Terror." The three were lured by a little boy who can take photos of them with departed loved ones. His aunt and uncle hold a false "seance" to make them believe that their loved ones want them to call off the peace talks...but why? And is that little boy really psychic?
I went straight in the bath after dinner. That felt nice. It was just me, the warm water, and Something More. I've wanted so much more for years. I know I can be more than just a cashier. I just wish I could find authenticity and still earn the money to live on my own.
After a quick stop at WaWa for money and a bottle of water, I picked up the bus to the Voorhees Town Center. This is one of four local large malls, and the most changed in the past few years. Originally the Echelon Mall, somewhere around 2007, Voorhees decided the mall was too much in the middle of nowhere to compete with Cherry Hill and Deptford and converted it into a half-traditional mall, half "life center," with condos, restaurants, office buildings, and a cosmetology school.
The Voorhees branch of the Camden County Library System turned out to be on the same street as the office buildings, directly across from the mall's Food Court entrance. The two-story building was much larger than most of the fairly small libraries closer to home, including the Haddonfield and Haddon Township libraries. It was also very busy. While there was no line, the sale's popularity was reflected in the mountains of boxes stacked on either side of the main lobby as I entered.
I was there for about an hour. I never did find the kids' tables. Actually, there was less there than I'd hoped. This was a three-day sale, and I suspect many people may have come yesterday before or after work. I did manage to make a few good discoveries:
Two videos to dub, the musicals Cabin In the Sky and Kid Millions
Two records, the original Broadway cast albums for the 50s/early 60s shows Plain and Fancy and The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Four books: Another Sarah Ban Breathnach self-help book Something More: Excavating the Authentic Self, the Peanuts comics collection Thank Goodness for People, a Reader's Digest collection of fairy tales, and Christmas With Southern Living 1990
All of this cost me 8 dollars all together - they threw in the records for free. : D
I headed back over to the Voorhees Town Center after I finished at the library. It was hard to choose where to eat at their Food Court. There still wasn't a whole lot there, though there was more than there had been the last time I was there in 2008. I ultimately went with Qdoba Mexican Grill, a slightly more upscale eatery that specialized in fast and tasty southwestern fare. While I did enjoy the chicken quesadila, the tortilla soup proved to be too spicy for more than a few quick slurps.
I strolled around the mall for the next hour or so. The actual mall section of the Voorhees Town Center isn't nearly as big or as populated as some of the other local malls, but it does still have that huge Hallmark where I found the WebKinz Bat in October 2008 when Amanda was visiting. And yes, the Hallmark remains one of the few stores in the Camden County area with a huge selection of WebKinz. I chose a handsome WebKinz Rockerz Horse, a blue paisley fellow with a country-western theme. His name is Hank - he comes with a nifty "Grand Ol' Opry" barn and stage.
I next spent some time wandering around Boscov's. (There's also a Macy's, but I figured I could see that anywhere.) Boscov's is one of the few locally-owned department store chains left in the US. I absolutely adored this one. It seemed to have been spared the remodeling that updated the rest of the mall, and I loved it. All the neon signs and mirrored walls reminded me of the (now defunct) Rio Mall of my childhood in Rio Grande. And unlike Macy's or JCPenney's, who mostly just sell clothes, makeup, and linens, Boscov's sells EVERYTHING - clothes, linens, furniture, makeup, accessories, shoes, kids' stuff, toys, seasonal items, pet items. They even had a candy counter! Despite some decent sales, I didn't see anything I couldn't live without and left with nothing.
I headed home around quarter of 3. It took me a while to find the entrance where the bus picked up passengers. I forgot it's upstairs, which is mostly Voorhees Township offices and offices for other "services" like Liberty Travel. I hiked all around the mall, down the "Boulevard" where the restaurants are, and back over a hill. I made it with ten minutes to spare.
Other than some traffic on the White Horse Pike, the bus trips to and from the Town Center were quick and uneventful. When I got in, I put everything away and prepared my grocery list while running the other Peanuts special on the disc, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Linus is in the running for class president, but he may blow his chances when he brings up his Great Pumpkin obsession in his final speech.
I only needed a few things at the Acme, mainly stock-up items like cream of mushroom soup and flour. The real reason I was there was to get my schedule, since I'm off tomorrow, too. It's pretty par for the course for this time of year - one 9PM night, two early days. I'm a little disappointed that one of those early days is Saturday - I could probably squeeze a farm market run in, but I won't be able to hit up any yard sales.
When I got home, I enjoyed the Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes that I started before I left for the Voorhees Library, along with steamed broccoli, for dinner while watching a spooky episode of Wonder Woman from the second season. Diana Prince is in hot water when three ambassadors from an importance peace conference disappears under her watch in "Seance of Terror." The three were lured by a little boy who can take photos of them with departed loved ones. His aunt and uncle hold a false "seance" to make them believe that their loved ones want them to call off the peace talks...but why? And is that little boy really psychic?
I went straight in the bath after dinner. That felt nice. It was just me, the warm water, and Something More. I've wanted so much more for years. I know I can be more than just a cashier. I just wish I could find authenticity and still earn the money to live on my own.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Whip-Crack Away!
I had no real plans for this morning, so I slept in and spent most of it finishing Anne of the Island. This is the third Anne of Green Gables book. Anne's off to college in big-city Kingsport with her friend Priscilla and her long-time guy pal Gilbert Blythe. The book switches back and forth between Anne's world of friendship and lovely little cottages in Kingsport and the quieter world of Avonlea. Anne's not happy with many of the changes in her beloved home town, from the death of a childhood schoolmate to several marriages. Then Gilbert declares his feelings for her, and she has to decide if she's ready for love.
A charming entry into the series...but by all means, if you've never entered Anne's world before, please begin with the classic first book Anne of Green Gables.
Switched to the tale of another energetic and unusual young woman during brunch. We move out west to the Dakotas for one of Doris Day's best musicals, Calamity Jane. Day's the title character, a buckskin-clad, strong-willed sharpshooter and stagecoach driver who spins tall tales for the boys at the Golden Garter Saloon in Deadwood about her many adventures. When the cowboys, including Jane's buddy Wild Bill Hickcock (Howard Keel), get a crush on a tights-clad actress, Calamity heads to Chicago to hire her for the saloon. What she finds is Katie Brown (Allyn Ann McLearie), the actress' stage-struck maid. Calamity can't tell one bustle-wearing female from another and brings Katie back by mistake. Katie stays even after the mistake is found out, and she and Calamity become good friends...until they both start competing for the love of a handsome officer. Calamity's jealous at first, until she realizes her "secret love" is right under her nose.
I had this a couple of years ago, but I got rid of the video and never got around to picking up the DVD until I found it at a yard sale. This adorable western tale is something of a cross between Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun, with songs that sound like they were cribbed from both. While Keel is fine as Hickcock and Dick Wesson is particularly funny as a tenderfoot actor who gets stuck in drag at one point, this is really the ladies' show. Day throws herself wholeheartedly in the role of Jane and has tons of fun doing so. McLearie is equally enjoyable as the dainty dancer who has more steel under that bustle than one might suspect. There's a nice score, too, including the Oscar-winning "Secret Love."
Necessary for fans of Day, Keel, or musical westerns, a fun show for everyone else.
Ran some quick Backyardigans after the movie ended. Spunky pink bug-girl Uniqua delivers a message to King Austin in order to become a knight in "Knights are Brave and Strong" and fights with Tasha over what the markings in the snow really are in "The Yeti."
Work was mildly steady through rush hour, after which it died so quickly, I spent the last hour and a half doing returns. Needless to say, there were no major problems whatsoever, and I was in and out after I picked up milk.
A charming entry into the series...but by all means, if you've never entered Anne's world before, please begin with the classic first book Anne of Green Gables.
Switched to the tale of another energetic and unusual young woman during brunch. We move out west to the Dakotas for one of Doris Day's best musicals, Calamity Jane. Day's the title character, a buckskin-clad, strong-willed sharpshooter and stagecoach driver who spins tall tales for the boys at the Golden Garter Saloon in Deadwood about her many adventures. When the cowboys, including Jane's buddy Wild Bill Hickcock (Howard Keel), get a crush on a tights-clad actress, Calamity heads to Chicago to hire her for the saloon. What she finds is Katie Brown (Allyn Ann McLearie), the actress' stage-struck maid. Calamity can't tell one bustle-wearing female from another and brings Katie back by mistake. Katie stays even after the mistake is found out, and she and Calamity become good friends...until they both start competing for the love of a handsome officer. Calamity's jealous at first, until she realizes her "secret love" is right under her nose.
I had this a couple of years ago, but I got rid of the video and never got around to picking up the DVD until I found it at a yard sale. This adorable western tale is something of a cross between Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun, with songs that sound like they were cribbed from both. While Keel is fine as Hickcock and Dick Wesson is particularly funny as a tenderfoot actor who gets stuck in drag at one point, this is really the ladies' show. Day throws herself wholeheartedly in the role of Jane and has tons of fun doing so. McLearie is equally enjoyable as the dainty dancer who has more steel under that bustle than one might suspect. There's a nice score, too, including the Oscar-winning "Secret Love."
Necessary for fans of Day, Keel, or musical westerns, a fun show for everyone else.
Ran some quick Backyardigans after the movie ended. Spunky pink bug-girl Uniqua delivers a message to King Austin in order to become a knight in "Knights are Brave and Strong" and fights with Tasha over what the markings in the snow really are in "The Yeti."
Work was mildly steady through rush hour, after which it died so quickly, I spent the last hour and a half doing returns. Needless to say, there were no major problems whatsoever, and I was in and out after I picked up milk.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Fast Laundry
I didn't mean to sleep so late! I set the alarm for 7:30, but I closed my eyes...and when I opened them again, it was 9:30. I didn't get to the laundromat until quarter after 11! Good thing it was almost totally dead. It was mostly just me and the end of The View. I had a very small pile of laundry to do, anyway. I rushed home and wasn't even able to finish putting away all my clothes before I hurried off to work.
I just barely made it on time...and good thing. Though it wasn't bad when I came in, it was overwhelmingly busy for most of the day...and I was overwhelmed with cranky or just plain annoying people. It got really frustrating after a while. I worked right up until I left at 7 with no relief. Once again, I just barely got out on time.
I cheered myself up with a couple of episodes of Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater when I got home. Japan's favorite cute kitten made a few rare dips into the darker side of moviedom in two spoofs of some of the most famous monster stories of all time. In "Frankencat," Catnip is the title mad scientist who creates a living creature out of mechanical parts. Trouble is, those "mechanical parts" were stolen from the local village. Kitty and Police Chief Sam are determined to find out what Dr. Frankencat is up to...and what that big, ugly dog monster wants with sweet My Melody! Catnip's happier with the more glamorous villain in "Catula." The title character is a vampire who steals milk from the local town. Kitty and the others come to Catsylvania to get the real low-down on this shady countess and what she really is.
I just barely made it on time...and good thing. Though it wasn't bad when I came in, it was overwhelmingly busy for most of the day...and I was overwhelmed with cranky or just plain annoying people. It got really frustrating after a while. I worked right up until I left at 7 with no relief. Once again, I just barely got out on time.
I cheered myself up with a couple of episodes of Hello Kitty Furry Tale Theater when I got home. Japan's favorite cute kitten made a few rare dips into the darker side of moviedom in two spoofs of some of the most famous monster stories of all time. In "Frankencat," Catnip is the title mad scientist who creates a living creature out of mechanical parts. Trouble is, those "mechanical parts" were stolen from the local village. Kitty and Police Chief Sam are determined to find out what Dr. Frankencat is up to...and what that big, ugly dog monster wants with sweet My Melody! Catnip's happier with the more glamorous villain in "Catula." The title character is a vampire who steals milk from the local town. Kitty and the others come to Catsylvania to get the real low-down on this shady countess and what she really is.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Tales From the Library
Started a sunny, warm day with Good Eats episodes. Two of my favorite episodes deal with one favorite fruit of mine that's in season, and another that will be in a few months. "Cran Opening" gives recipes for one of New Jersey's biggest fruit crops (and one of my favorite fall fruits); "Orange Aid" provides tasty desserts for one of the most beloved of all citrus fruit.
I made a quick run to Westmont after Alton ended. I would have waited until my first day off on Friday, but I had DVDs that were overdue and needed to stop at Rite Aid. They have better prices on contact lens solution than the Acme, and I'm almost out. I also picked up Ricola cough drops on a really good sale.
The Haddon Township Library was very busy when I arrived, despite the nice day. There were piles of DVDs to shelve, probably thanks to the holiday weekend. For once, while I had no problems getting all of the kids' titles onto the shelves, the adult shelves were overflowing! I finally gave up after an hour and just went home. Didn't take anything out. I won't have a day off until Friday, and I have DVDs and videos I've bought from yard sales that I haven't watched yet.
When I got home, I made spinach pancakes, then tried a low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (with agave nectar instead of granulated sugar, whole wheat flour, and a little less butter than called for) and ran a spooky episode of the 30s-set Tales of the Gold Monkey. Sarah White has to face a few ghosts of her own when a trunk from her dead archeologist father arrives on Borogora Island in "Trunk From the Past." Also arriving on the island is her former fiancee, who firmly believes there's a curse on the trunk and the information about a lost Egyptian cult that her father uncovered. Jake Cutter thinks it's balderdash....until Sarah starts seeing strange visitors, including one with the head of an Egyptian dog god.
The cookies took longer than I planned. I barely made it to work on-time. I probably could have taken all night. We were fairly quiet for most of the evening, and never more than mildly steady, even during rush hour. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.
I made a quick run to Westmont after Alton ended. I would have waited until my first day off on Friday, but I had DVDs that were overdue and needed to stop at Rite Aid. They have better prices on contact lens solution than the Acme, and I'm almost out. I also picked up Ricola cough drops on a really good sale.
The Haddon Township Library was very busy when I arrived, despite the nice day. There were piles of DVDs to shelve, probably thanks to the holiday weekend. For once, while I had no problems getting all of the kids' titles onto the shelves, the adult shelves were overflowing! I finally gave up after an hour and just went home. Didn't take anything out. I won't have a day off until Friday, and I have DVDs and videos I've bought from yard sales that I haven't watched yet.
When I got home, I made spinach pancakes, then tried a low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (with agave nectar instead of granulated sugar, whole wheat flour, and a little less butter than called for) and ran a spooky episode of the 30s-set Tales of the Gold Monkey. Sarah White has to face a few ghosts of her own when a trunk from her dead archeologist father arrives on Borogora Island in "Trunk From the Past." Also arriving on the island is her former fiancee, who firmly believes there's a curse on the trunk and the information about a lost Egyptian cult that her father uncovered. Jake Cutter thinks it's balderdash....until Sarah starts seeing strange visitors, including one with the head of an Egyptian dog god.
The cookies took longer than I planned. I barely made it to work on-time. I probably could have taken all night. We were fairly quiet for most of the evening, and never more than mildly steady, even during rush hour. There were no major problems, and I was in and out.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Discovering the Bath
I actually spent most of my Columbus Day at work. I started work at 11, which is much earlier than I have been lately. I think a lot of employees may have gone away for the weekend. I don't think most of our customers followed them. It was steady for most of the afternoon. Parents who would normally have been working and had kids at school were taking advantage of the day off to get their shopping done and amuse the kids at the same time. There were a lot of big orders and a lot of noisy folks. Thankfully, the day went very fast. My relief was on time, and I was in and out with no problems.
Went right in the bath when I got home. I couldn't decide if I wanted to or not, since I got off at 5. I finally decided it would be worth it. I was right. Even though I was only in for about 40 minutes, it still felt great. I listened to the Reader's Digest Operetta set and read through The Christmas Almanac for holiday gift and decorating ideas.
After I got out, I made tilapia with Farm Market mushrooms and steamed broccoli for dinner while watching one of the Bowery Boys movies. Sach dreams that he and the Boys head west in "Bowery Buckaroos" to clear Louie's name and find a lost gold mine. Their pal Gabe goes on ahead and discovers that the bandit who framed Louie is still operating a saloon in town...and still looking for that mine. While Gabe romances a pretty and smart cowgirl, the others look for the mine and a way to get the bandit to confess.
Went right in the bath when I got home. I couldn't decide if I wanted to or not, since I got off at 5. I finally decided it would be worth it. I was right. Even though I was only in for about 40 minutes, it still felt great. I listened to the Reader's Digest Operetta set and read through The Christmas Almanac for holiday gift and decorating ideas.
After I got out, I made tilapia with Farm Market mushrooms and steamed broccoli for dinner while watching one of the Bowery Boys movies. Sach dreams that he and the Boys head west in "Bowery Buckaroos" to clear Louie's name and find a lost gold mine. Their pal Gabe goes on ahead and discovers that the bandit who framed Louie is still operating a saloon in town...and still looking for that mine. While Gabe romances a pretty and smart cowgirl, the others look for the mine and a way to get the bandit to confess.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
The Eagles Swash the Buccaneers
I wasn't feeling great when I went to bed last night. My temperature had risen, my head was hot but my legs were cold, and I kept drinking and drinking water. I awoke late this morning sweaty but with less of a fever. My head was still congested and I was still a bit tired, but my throat wasn't as sore, and I wasn't hot.
Pre-empted the Beatles show in favor of the remaining two Backyardigans episodes as I made Pear-Spice Pancakes for breakfast. Uniqua is a librarian in Veja, California who becomes "The Masked Returner" when a book is overdue in a Zorro spoof. When Don Austin, the most important guy in Veja, won't return a book he's borrowed, it's the Masked Returner who makes sure he renews that library book! Tyrone, Uniqua, and Pablo go "To the Center of the Earth" when Tyrone loses his lucky penny and the other two take him into the Earth's core to track it down.
I had work a little earlier than usual for a Sunday, at noon. Given the Eagles played at 1 today, you probably won't be surprised to hear that it was busy when I came in and steady for the rest of the afternoon. I took cold medicine to keep my stuffed-up nose at bay, but otherwise, there were no problems, and I was in and out.
When I got home, I had leftover chicken and tomatoes and Brussels sprouts with spinach, then called Mom...who was eating dinner and said she'd call back. When she did, we had a nice little chat. My sister Rose and her son Khai came down to Cape May County to visit yesterday. Rose wanted to take Khai to the popular (and free) Cape May County Zoo and thought he'd like to see his nana.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Sunny Day Surprise
It was still cloudy out when I awoke this morning. However, the porch was mostly dry. It looked like it hadn't rained in a long time, probably since I got home last night. It was still very windy, though. I read Anne of the Island (the fourth Anne of Green Gables book) while listening to this week's American Top 40 re-run.
We danced back five years to mid-October 1977, as R&B, country, and pop sneaked in amid the disco. Hits from that fall included "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb, "That's Rock n' Roll" by Sean Cassidy, "It Was Almost Like a Song" by Ronnie Milsap, "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer, "Break Out!" by The Commodores, "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon, "Slow Dancin' (Swayin' to the Music)" by Johnny Rivers, and a disco rendition of "The Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco, from that year's biggest blockbuster movie.
Though Star Wars ruled the movie theaters that year, one of the year's biggest songs, from a much quieter film, began it's very long stay at #1 that week. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone was such a sensational smash, it would remain in the top spot through the rest of the year and the first few weeks of 1978 and ultimately win the Oscar for Best Song.
It was still a bit cloudy and very windy as I headed out for this week's farm market/yard sale run. The clouds started to break up as I crossed the White Horse Pike in Oaklyn. By the time I was checking out a yard sale in Collingswood, the clouds were slowly disappearing. They never quite left entirely, but they weren't anywhere near as threatening as they have been for the past few days.
The surprisingly nice weather was reflected in a very busy Farm Market. The fall harvest continues to make its debut, as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Bartlett pears, and all kinds of greens replace corn and cucumbers. I also got my first indications that the Farm Market only has about a month and a half left before it ends for the year. One booth was missing entirely (though that one may have been scared off by the weather), and the farm that specializes in corn mentioned that this was their final day. I ended up with tiny Gala apples, carrots, a tomato, cranberries, and the aforementioned Brussels sprouts and Bartlett pears.
My next stop was an estate sale in Haddon Township, in the neighborhood behind the woods on Cuthbert Boulevard. The gray 60s-era split-level house looked small from the outside, but the inside was lovely, with some beautiful wood walls and lots of levels. Alas, I saw nothing interesting. Most of it was glassware and appliances I couldn't carry on a bike, jewelry I couldn't afford, or Jewish music and memorabilia.
It took me a bit longer to get to Haddon Heights. They're the next town after Audubon, and they require crossing often traffic-laden King's Highway. I was hoping they were still having their fall Town-Wide Yard Sale. They're the only other town in the area besides Audubon that holds a town-wide yard sale in the spring and the fall.
As soon as I arrived, I saw a street filled with yard sales. Yes, it was on. And it was even busier than the farm market! I lost count of how many cars I dodged. Ironically, it wasn't quite as big as in the spring, once again likely due to the weather. Still, enough people put out tables that I was able to make a nice little haul:
Three more Backyardigans DVDs: Robin Hood the Clean, Escape From Fairy Tale Village, and The Tale of the Mighty Knights
One record, a Disney Christmas album - it comes with a book that has the lyrics and some really cute illustrations
Two books: a cookbook based around chocolate baked goods appropriately called Hershey's Best Loved Recipes, and The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green
Oh, the reason they were so busy only partially had to do with the yard sales. I discovered while buying a Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper at a local convenience-style store on Station Avenue that there was a Revolutionary War re-enactment going on in Haddon Lake Park. I saw the re-enactors as I was roaming around, looking for yard sales. They were just chatting with each other in the park at that point. At least now I know what those huge, noisy booms were around 11:30 - it was cannon fire! I thought King Kong was attacking the park or something.
I considered eating out, but I finally decided that I'd done enough riding over hills for one day and just went home. I put everything away after I got in. Had the last of the chicken casserole instead while watching Backyardigans episodes.
I managed to get some chores in between shows. I originally wanted to wash the trash and recycling canisters on Wednesday. Being called in derailed that...and then it rained for the next two days. I took advantage of Mother Nature's continuing and unexpected good mood to finally get it all done. Gave the bike a quick scrub and hose-down, too.
After I finished the scrubbing and the cans were drying on the porch, I decided to try a simple low-fat chocolate cupcake recipe from the Hershey's cookbook. I lowered the fat content even more by replacing some of the sugar with the agave nectar, the water with applesauce, and part of the white flour with whole wheat flour. Also added some of those huge Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips. They're so big, you get lots of chocolate flavor without having to dump in the whole bag. Yuuuumm. They came out perfectly, moist and very chocolate-y!
My head had been stuffed-up all day, and by that point, I had a headache and a sore throat, too. I thought a bath might help. I slipped into a warm tub with soothing English Garden bath salts while reading Women Who Run With the Wolves. I was in for a little under an hour, and while it did seem to loosen my nose and certainly helped my sore joints and feet, it didn't do much for my headache. I discovered when I got out and stuck the thermometer in my mouth that I had a slight temperature, nothing outrageous but still slightly above normal.
I did make a simple but decent dinner. Had chicken breasts with diced tomatoes marinated in the last of the raspberry vinaigrette, whole-wheat elbow macaroni, and roasted Brussels sprouts. That was delicious, too. The chicken recipe is from Eat Up and Slim Down, a hard-back Prevention cookbook that's one of the best things Mom ever gave me.
I had continued running The Backyardigans all day. Some of my favorite episodes can be found on these three sets. By the time these discs came out in Season 3, the show was mainly doing some hilarious and frequently bizarre pop culture spoofs. Uniqua has fun with western/Lone Ranger cliches when she teaches Bandit Pablo that ping pong is no fun to play alone in "Blazing Paddles." "The Tale of the Mighty Knights" takes on rock opera and fantasy as Knights Uniqua and Tyrone, Grabbin' Goblin Austin, and Flighty Fairy Tasha chase after a very "runny" egg. Austin, Uniqua, and Tasha take on the final frontier and dodge Klingon trash thieves Tyrone and Pablo in "Garbage Trek." Tasha is a super-fast superhero with a secret identity as a photographer in "Front Page News." Pablo White wants her to get a story big enough to be on the front page, but she's too busy rescuing fellow heroes Uniqua and Tyrone to snap the shot. Austin plays Inspector Poirot in "Le Master of Disguise" as he follows mysterious criminal Pablo onto the Orient Express. With suspects like Circus Woman Tasha and Cowboy Tyrone around, it won't be easy for Austin to catch the quick-thinking penguin!
We danced back five years to mid-October 1977, as R&B, country, and pop sneaked in amid the disco. Hits from that fall included "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb, "That's Rock n' Roll" by Sean Cassidy, "It Was Almost Like a Song" by Ronnie Milsap, "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer, "Break Out!" by The Commodores, "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon, "Slow Dancin' (Swayin' to the Music)" by Johnny Rivers, and a disco rendition of "The Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco, from that year's biggest blockbuster movie.
Though Star Wars ruled the movie theaters that year, one of the year's biggest songs, from a much quieter film, began it's very long stay at #1 that week. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone was such a sensational smash, it would remain in the top spot through the rest of the year and the first few weeks of 1978 and ultimately win the Oscar for Best Song.
It was still a bit cloudy and very windy as I headed out for this week's farm market/yard sale run. The clouds started to break up as I crossed the White Horse Pike in Oaklyn. By the time I was checking out a yard sale in Collingswood, the clouds were slowly disappearing. They never quite left entirely, but they weren't anywhere near as threatening as they have been for the past few days.
The surprisingly nice weather was reflected in a very busy Farm Market. The fall harvest continues to make its debut, as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Bartlett pears, and all kinds of greens replace corn and cucumbers. I also got my first indications that the Farm Market only has about a month and a half left before it ends for the year. One booth was missing entirely (though that one may have been scared off by the weather), and the farm that specializes in corn mentioned that this was their final day. I ended up with tiny Gala apples, carrots, a tomato, cranberries, and the aforementioned Brussels sprouts and Bartlett pears.
My next stop was an estate sale in Haddon Township, in the neighborhood behind the woods on Cuthbert Boulevard. The gray 60s-era split-level house looked small from the outside, but the inside was lovely, with some beautiful wood walls and lots of levels. Alas, I saw nothing interesting. Most of it was glassware and appliances I couldn't carry on a bike, jewelry I couldn't afford, or Jewish music and memorabilia.
It took me a bit longer to get to Haddon Heights. They're the next town after Audubon, and they require crossing often traffic-laden King's Highway. I was hoping they were still having their fall Town-Wide Yard Sale. They're the only other town in the area besides Audubon that holds a town-wide yard sale in the spring and the fall.
As soon as I arrived, I saw a street filled with yard sales. Yes, it was on. And it was even busier than the farm market! I lost count of how many cars I dodged. Ironically, it wasn't quite as big as in the spring, once again likely due to the weather. Still, enough people put out tables that I was able to make a nice little haul:
Three more Backyardigans DVDs: Robin Hood the Clean, Escape From Fairy Tale Village, and The Tale of the Mighty Knights
One record, a Disney Christmas album - it comes with a book that has the lyrics and some really cute illustrations
Two books: a cookbook based around chocolate baked goods appropriately called Hershey's Best Loved Recipes, and The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green
Oh, the reason they were so busy only partially had to do with the yard sales. I discovered while buying a Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper at a local convenience-style store on Station Avenue that there was a Revolutionary War re-enactment going on in Haddon Lake Park. I saw the re-enactors as I was roaming around, looking for yard sales. They were just chatting with each other in the park at that point. At least now I know what those huge, noisy booms were around 11:30 - it was cannon fire! I thought King Kong was attacking the park or something.
I considered eating out, but I finally decided that I'd done enough riding over hills for one day and just went home. I put everything away after I got in. Had the last of the chicken casserole instead while watching Backyardigans episodes.
I managed to get some chores in between shows. I originally wanted to wash the trash and recycling canisters on Wednesday. Being called in derailed that...and then it rained for the next two days. I took advantage of Mother Nature's continuing and unexpected good mood to finally get it all done. Gave the bike a quick scrub and hose-down, too.
After I finished the scrubbing and the cans were drying on the porch, I decided to try a simple low-fat chocolate cupcake recipe from the Hershey's cookbook. I lowered the fat content even more by replacing some of the sugar with the agave nectar, the water with applesauce, and part of the white flour with whole wheat flour. Also added some of those huge Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips. They're so big, you get lots of chocolate flavor without having to dump in the whole bag. Yuuuumm. They came out perfectly, moist and very chocolate-y!
My head had been stuffed-up all day, and by that point, I had a headache and a sore throat, too. I thought a bath might help. I slipped into a warm tub with soothing English Garden bath salts while reading Women Who Run With the Wolves. I was in for a little under an hour, and while it did seem to loosen my nose and certainly helped my sore joints and feet, it didn't do much for my headache. I discovered when I got out and stuck the thermometer in my mouth that I had a slight temperature, nothing outrageous but still slightly above normal.
I did make a simple but decent dinner. Had chicken breasts with diced tomatoes marinated in the last of the raspberry vinaigrette, whole-wheat elbow macaroni, and roasted Brussels sprouts. That was delicious, too. The chicken recipe is from Eat Up and Slim Down, a hard-back Prevention cookbook that's one of the best things Mom ever gave me.
I had continued running The Backyardigans all day. Some of my favorite episodes can be found on these three sets. By the time these discs came out in Season 3, the show was mainly doing some hilarious and frequently bizarre pop culture spoofs. Uniqua has fun with western/Lone Ranger cliches when she teaches Bandit Pablo that ping pong is no fun to play alone in "Blazing Paddles." "The Tale of the Mighty Knights" takes on rock opera and fantasy as Knights Uniqua and Tyrone, Grabbin' Goblin Austin, and Flighty Fairy Tasha chase after a very "runny" egg. Austin, Uniqua, and Tasha take on the final frontier and dodge Klingon trash thieves Tyrone and Pablo in "Garbage Trek." Tasha is a super-fast superhero with a secret identity as a photographer in "Front Page News." Pablo White wants her to get a story big enough to be on the front page, but she's too busy rescuing fellow heroes Uniqua and Tyrone to snap the shot. Austin plays Inspector Poirot in "Le Master of Disguise" as he follows mysterious criminal Pablo onto the Orient Express. With suspects like Circus Woman Tasha and Cowboy Tyrone around, it won't be easy for Austin to catch the quick-thinking penguin!
Friday, October 11, 2013
A Dark and Stormy Morning
Began the day with a grocery store trip. It was just sprinkling when I headed for Audubon. I mainly needed to restock all the canned goods I've used in the past few weeks - pumpkin, navy beans, tomato sauce, chicken. They were having good sales on Cheerios and Acme's generic honey. I've never tried that Agave nectar that I've seen popping up in baking and cereal/syrup aisles as a replacement for corn syrup or sugar, and with good reason - it's normally very expensive. A coupon for Domino's version coupled with a decent sale brought it down to a far more manageable $1.99. I also used a sale and a coupon to get Smart Balance's 50/50 stick spread for $2.00.
I didn't get lucky with the weather riding home. It was still sprinkling when I started, but as I headed down the Black Horse Pike, the drops began to grow fatter. By the time I was on Kendall Boulevard in Oaklyn, I was soaked. I was dripping when I finally made it in the door.
I spent the rest of the afternoon doing things online and running Halloween and spooky episodes of favorite TV shows. The Muppet Show did a horror theme twice. Vincent Price, the classy Master of Horror, delighted the Muppet monsters by appearing in one of the better episodes of the first season. Shock rock star Alice Cooper turned up during the third season in a spooky spoof of Faust-style stories as he tries to get the Muppets to sell their souls...with varying results.
Alton Brown also runs afoul of scary people and wacky spoof as he tries to teach the maker of the "worst meat pies in London" how to bake the perfect mincemeat and Shepard's pies in the Good Eats episode "Oh My, Meat Pie." Edward, Ricky, and Ricky's friends tell a round-robin horror story that turns into a spoof of horror cliches and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde in the third season Silver Spoons story "A Dark and Stormy Night."
The rain was still pretty bad by quarter of 2. I had no choice. I had to call for a ride to work. I really hated to do it, but I'd already gotten drenched going to the Acme once. I really didn't want to get drenched again. Dad drove me to and from work tonight.
And that was the worst thing that happened the entire night. It was fairly busy when I came in at 2:30. I did returns on and off through my second break around 7:30. After that, I spent the last couple of hours of my shift just doing returns. We were that quiet later in the night. They barely needed the two kids they had on the registers. I was able to get out and call Dad with no problems. The weather was down to sprinkling again by then; there were no problems getting home.
Oh, and my schedule this week is much better. More hours, and earlier ones, including a surprising six hours on Sunday (I usually only get four - we get paid extra for Sundays). My only complaint is my next day off after tomorrow isn't until Friday, but then I have Friday and Saturday off in a row.
I didn't get lucky with the weather riding home. It was still sprinkling when I started, but as I headed down the Black Horse Pike, the drops began to grow fatter. By the time I was on Kendall Boulevard in Oaklyn, I was soaked. I was dripping when I finally made it in the door.
I spent the rest of the afternoon doing things online and running Halloween and spooky episodes of favorite TV shows. The Muppet Show did a horror theme twice. Vincent Price, the classy Master of Horror, delighted the Muppet monsters by appearing in one of the better episodes of the first season. Shock rock star Alice Cooper turned up during the third season in a spooky spoof of Faust-style stories as he tries to get the Muppets to sell their souls...with varying results.
Alton Brown also runs afoul of scary people and wacky spoof as he tries to teach the maker of the "worst meat pies in London" how to bake the perfect mincemeat and Shepard's pies in the Good Eats episode "Oh My, Meat Pie." Edward, Ricky, and Ricky's friends tell a round-robin horror story that turns into a spoof of horror cliches and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde in the third season Silver Spoons story "A Dark and Stormy Night."
The rain was still pretty bad by quarter of 2. I had no choice. I had to call for a ride to work. I really hated to do it, but I'd already gotten drenched going to the Acme once. I really didn't want to get drenched again. Dad drove me to and from work tonight.
And that was the worst thing that happened the entire night. It was fairly busy when I came in at 2:30. I did returns on and off through my second break around 7:30. After that, I spent the last couple of hours of my shift just doing returns. We were that quiet later in the night. They barely needed the two kids they had on the registers. I was able to get out and call Dad with no problems. The weather was down to sprinkling again by then; there were no problems getting home.
Oh, and my schedule this week is much better. More hours, and earlier ones, including a surprising six hours on Sunday (I usually only get four - we get paid extra for Sundays). My only complaint is my next day off after tomorrow isn't until Friday, but then I have Friday and Saturday off in a row.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Ain't We Got Fun?
Spent most of a gloomy, rainy morning working on a crocheting project and dubbing By the Light of the Silvery Moon. This sequel to the 1951 hit On Moonlight Bay has tomboyish mechanic Marjorie (Doris Day) awaiting the arrival of her sweetheart Bill (Gordon MacRae) from World War I. She's dismayed to discover that when he does get home, he doesn't want to get married right away. While she not-so-patiently waits for him to earn his fortune, her brother Wesley gets a little too attached to the Thanksgiving turkey, then mistakenly believes their father (Leon Ames) has fallen for a French actress who is trying to open a risque play in their town.
Just as charming the second time around. I'm especially fond of Day and MacRae's cute "Ain't We Got Fun?" right before Thanksgiving dinner and Wesley imagining himself as a detective and the French actress as an evil bank robber. If you're a fan of Day, the first film, or of Meet Me In St. Louis-style nostalgic musicals, this is recommended and quite adorable.
I wish work was that enjoyable. It was busy for a lot of the afternoon, and I got terribly overwhelmed. I forgot to check the bottom of a cart (though no one ever did tell me if they caught the person before he left). I panicked and worried after that. It did slow down enough by 6PM that I was able to hurry out without a relief.
I got incredibly lucky with the weather. It's rained on and off all day, but was only sprinkling lightly on my way to and from work. The rain didn't start coming down harder until I was long at home and online.
I thought I pulled out chicken breasts for dinner, but I couldn't find them. I improvised a pantry chicken casserole with farm market vegetables while running the rest of Broadway's Lost Treasures I. Although many of these performances from various Tony Award shows were lip-synched, they were still wonderful to see. My favorites included the entire cast of Cabaret, including original leading man Joel Gray, the original cast of Annie putting over three of the most popular numbers from the show, the energetic title song from Applause, and Barbara Harris' touching "Movie Star Gorgeous" from the three-for-one show The Apple Tree.
Just as charming the second time around. I'm especially fond of Day and MacRae's cute "Ain't We Got Fun?" right before Thanksgiving dinner and Wesley imagining himself as a detective and the French actress as an evil bank robber. If you're a fan of Day, the first film, or of Meet Me In St. Louis-style nostalgic musicals, this is recommended and quite adorable.
I wish work was that enjoyable. It was busy for a lot of the afternoon, and I got terribly overwhelmed. I forgot to check the bottom of a cart (though no one ever did tell me if they caught the person before he left). I panicked and worried after that. It did slow down enough by 6PM that I was able to hurry out without a relief.
I got incredibly lucky with the weather. It's rained on and off all day, but was only sprinkling lightly on my way to and from work. The rain didn't start coming down harder until I was long at home and online.
I thought I pulled out chicken breasts for dinner, but I couldn't find them. I improvised a pantry chicken casserole with farm market vegetables while running the rest of Broadway's Lost Treasures I. Although many of these performances from various Tony Award shows were lip-synched, they were still wonderful to see. My favorites included the entire cast of Cabaret, including original leading man Joel Gray, the original cast of Annie putting over three of the most popular numbers from the show, the energetic title song from Applause, and Barbara Harris' touching "Movie Star Gorgeous" from the three-for-one show The Apple Tree.
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Dark and Gloomy Fall Skies
I slept a bit later today. I was planning on doing some research online, then running to the laundromat and the libraries, and maybe going for a bike ride. Of course, I never did most of those things. I got called into work. I wasn't happy about it, but I need the money. My original hours for this week weren't great. I did cut it down to four hours, 1 to 5. I wish they'd just schedule me when they need me, instead of all this "cutting hours" business. I'd be more appreciative of the hours if they were less disruptive of my plans.
I did run Disney's Halloween Treat to cheer me up as I got ready for work. This is Disney's version of the Halloween clip show with a mild plot - in this case, a Halloween party theme with a spooky narrator. Disney didn't do as many horror-oriented cartoons as the Tunes, but that meant they could go a little outside of the box. I've always considered the atmospheric Silly Symphony short "The Old Mill" to be spookier than many horror movies, with its calm evening slowly building into a raging storm. A segment from "Mickey's Parrot" and the full "Donald and the Gorilla" show how dealing with the unknown can even more frightening.
Work wasn't busy when I arrived. They called me in because they pulled people from the front to replace stock people who called out. Huh? Couldn't they just, I don't know, called in stock people to do that? It did get busy later on. I even discovered my blog has a fan. One of my regular customers very kindly said her husband once worked in the store and recommended my blog to her. She says I'm an excellent writer and my blog is well-done. I really appreciate her comments. It was very kind of her.
When I finally got home, I put everything away, then changed into a regular shirt, grabbed my laundry, and hurried out. It had been cloudy and windy all day and was just getting worse. The fact that it was nearly 6PM by then and also getting darker didn't help. Thankfully, the laundromat was busy, but I had no problems getting a washer or a drier. I was able to get out in less than an hour. It was dark when I walked home, but there was no rain yet.
I did run Disney's Halloween Treat to cheer me up as I got ready for work. This is Disney's version of the Halloween clip show with a mild plot - in this case, a Halloween party theme with a spooky narrator. Disney didn't do as many horror-oriented cartoons as the Tunes, but that meant they could go a little outside of the box. I've always considered the atmospheric Silly Symphony short "The Old Mill" to be spookier than many horror movies, with its calm evening slowly building into a raging storm. A segment from "Mickey's Parrot" and the full "Donald and the Gorilla" show how dealing with the unknown can even more frightening.
Work wasn't busy when I arrived. They called me in because they pulled people from the front to replace stock people who called out. Huh? Couldn't they just, I don't know, called in stock people to do that? It did get busy later on. I even discovered my blog has a fan. One of my regular customers very kindly said her husband once worked in the store and recommended my blog to her. She says I'm an excellent writer and my blog is well-done. I really appreciate her comments. It was very kind of her.
When I finally got home, I put everything away, then changed into a regular shirt, grabbed my laundry, and hurried out. It had been cloudy and windy all day and was just getting worse. The fact that it was nearly 6PM by then and also getting darker didn't help. Thankfully, the laundromat was busy, but I had no problems getting a washer or a drier. I was able to get out in less than an hour. It was dark when I walked home, but there was no rain yet.
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