Tonight Was Made For the Young

I slept until 10:30 today! Finished out the Once Upon a Time Ever After High short story collection. I really loved the Ever After High books. The anthology features eight tales that were originally published online as e-books and four that were written directly for the book. My favorites were the sweet story of Cedar Wood, the daughter of Pinocchio who feels a little out of place, since she's made of wood (bonus points for it being set in a seaside artist's colony like Cape May), the entwined tales of twins Dexter and Darling Charming at their family's big end-of-summer reunion, and poor lonely Lizzie Hearts, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts who can't go back to Wonderland, figuring out how to bring a little piece of home to Ever After High. Tricky Kitty Cheshire's story ties the others together.

When I finally did get up, I listened to Dorothy Provine's Oh, You Kid! while making gingerbread pancakes for breakfast. I loved her Roaring 20s soundtrack so much, when I saw this at a thrift shop last month, I grabbed it. It's a collection of medleys of popular songs from the late 1800s and early 1900s. I especially like the dance-y ones - "I Don't Care," "Rings On My Fingers," "Ta-Ra-Boom-De-Yay."

It was sunny and warmer than it has been when I got home, in the mid-30s. The warmer day and threat of rain or ice tomorrow must have brought people out of the woodwork. It was crazy for almost the entire afternoon. It was so busy, I was late with my break again. By the time my relief appeared at 5, it had slowed down to a trickle.

When I got home, I changed into regular clothes, then started dinner. I made chicken meatloaf with one of the three packs of ground chicken I had in the refrigerator. Tossed the last remaining sweet potato that's been around since the Collingswood Farm Market closed in the oven as well.

I did the dusting while dinner was in the oven. It was pretty bad, possibly from a combination of the Christmas decorations adding more dust and all the work downstairs. I didn't do a lot of heavy dusting, though. I only go under the heavier stuff when I do major spring and fall cleaning. It's just too much of a pain to do it every time.

Ran 80s soundtracks while I cleaned, and later while I had chicken meatloaf, sauteed spinach and mushrooms, baked sweet potato, and Cranberry Flummery for dinner. Footloose and Dirty Dancing were two of the most popular musicals in the decade that redefined the form. They were both so popular, they would be adapted for the stage in the late 90s and early 2000s. (To my knowledge, Dirty Dancing has yet to show up on Broadway, though I think it was seen in England). Streets of Fire is far less well-known. This "Rock & Roll Fable" is apparently a musical comic book about a mechanic rescuing his guitarist girlfriend from a nasty biker group. I haven't seen it, but it's considered something of a cult favorite. The soundtrack is a lot of fun. The hit was "I Can Dream About You," but my favorite number is the epic dance song "Tonight Is Made For the Young."

Oh, and despite a controversial call, the Packers finally got past the Cowboys, 26-21. Much to the shock of probably everyone except midwesterners, the Colts handed the Broncos their rears, 26-13. I hope they kick the Patriots just as hard. I do like the Packers and the Seahawks - they're both good teams that deserve their success, and I'd be happy if either made the Super Bowl.

Queen of Winter

I really slept in today! I didn't get up until around 9:30, and it was past 10:30 before I got dressed and started breakfast. I did another hour-long Red Skelton Show while I ate. This one seemed to be from the mid-60s, from the cracks about Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration and the Republicans losing the White House. The main skits had George Appleby buying a bear trained to box and setting him up in the ring at a fair. When the bear is paired off against then-heavyweight champ Archie Moore, he takes off, leaving George to fight Moore himself! A couple of musical segments put British singer Shani Wallis (who later played Nancy in the film version of Oliver!) into the lovely "I'm Old Fashioned" and a British musical hall dance routine with the boys' chorus. (And disappointingly, no commercials this time.)

Finally headed out around 12:30. I was going to stop at the Oaklyn Library first, but for some reason, they were closed today. Moved on to the Westmont Plaza instead. I took a brief look at Tuesday Morning first. No WebKinz today, but much to my surprise, they did have a couple of Ever After High dolls - Briar, C.A Cupid (the very romantic adopted daughter of Eros), and Raven Queen (the kind daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White). I went with Raven. I've had a harder time finding Raven for a good price than Cupid or Briar, and they did have two of Cupid left. She was $14.99, cheaper than her original $21.99 or I've seen her Amazon lately, though not as cheap as Briar, Blondie, and Cerise were on Amazon when I bought them.

The Haddon Township Library was incredibly busy, even for a weekend. There was something going on in their meeting room. I couldn't tell what. I'm glad I came today. The DVD return racks were overflowing, for adult and kids' titles. I couldn't close to get everything on the shelves, even with tons of rearranging. Helped quite a few people, including a mother who was looking for non-fiction books for her daughter's schoolwork and a little boy who wanted to find a book on Minecraft. I did end up taking out that cookbook with the vintage cake recipes, along with Happier at Home, Planes: Fire & Rescue, and the newest releases for Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

(And I noticed a sign at the library's front entrance as I was leaving that announced an art show this afternoon. So that's what was going on in the meeting room and why there were so many kids at the library today!)

I'd never seen Friendly's so busy, either. Lots of families seemed to have ignored the freezing temperatures to take their kids out to a late lunch. (It was past 2:30 by the time I made it there.) I had the Turkey Club Melt special with fries and a hot chocolate. No ice cream in 20 degree weather! Besides, I still have a lot of junk at home.

Though it was sunny and windless, it was also still bitterly cold. I just went straight home. This was no day to be lingering outside. When I got in, I went right into de-boxing Raven Queen. Raven's slightly goth-y, purple-and-black looks match what her role is supposed to be...but the ruffled skirt and the iPod-style purse she carries betrays a sensitive, kind-hearted lass with no desire to poison anyone. Her slightly wavy hair was, like Ashlynn's, easy to brush straight out of the box. She probably won't even need a wash. Her "ring" is attached to a chunky bracelet, which thankfully means there's no fear of it getting lost.

Started Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I pulled Raven out. Minnie's nieces Millie and Melody make their first appearances on the regular Clubhouse show in "Minnie's Winter Bow-Show." Minnie and the gang will be having a bow fashion show to show off her wares. Minnie had said she'd play with the girls, but now she's too busy. They try to help, but they just make a mess. They accidentally take off in the Clubhouse hot air balloon. Minnie joins them. They get stranded up at the North Pole, but with a little help from Snow Fairy Clarabelle, they manage to find their way back in time for the show.

I would have watched more episodes, but the disc was skipping badly...and this DVD is brand new! I finally pulled it out. I can't believe what a mess it was! It was heavily scratched and dirty, and it probably hasn't been around for more than a week or two. I checked the Doc McStuffins disc, and it was in the same rough shape. I'll have to show these to the librarians next week. I don't think they'll be very happy.

Switched to Hercules as I made scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese for dinner. Disney's hilarious version of Greek mythology came out in 1997. The title character is an awkward young man who feels he doesn't belong in the little town where he was raised. A trip to Zeus' temple reveals that he's the son of Zeus and Hera and was stolen from Mount Olympus as an infant. In order to regain his immortality, he has to train with gruff satyr Philoceltes (Danny DeVito) to become a true hero. Hades, King of the Underworld (a wonderful James Woods) doesn't like this one bit. He's hoping to take over Mount Olympus with the help of the Titans, but Hercules keeps barging into his plans. He finally sends Megara (Susan Egan), whom he controls, to find out what Hercules' weakness is, but she can't bring herself to hurt him. Hercules finally discovers that it takes more than strength to make a real hero - it takes a lot of heart, too.

Most of Disney's pure comedies (like Robin Hood and The Emperor's New Groove) tend to be underrated, and this one is no exception. If you don't go in expecting it to follow the original Greek and Roman stories to the letter, this is one of the funniest movies Disney ever made. James Woods loved doing Hades so much, he's played the character in most of his incarnations ever since, and it shows. He gets most of the best lines as the fast-talking god who wants to rule a lot more than dead souls. If you want to check out the lighter or lesser-known side of Disney and don't mind the loose myth adaptation, this is recommended and is a lot of fun.

Hollywood Hoopla

Started out a cold, cloudy morning with another vintage episode of The Red Skelton Show. This one went all the way back to the 50s - it was only a half-hour and was sponsored by Pet Milk. (According to Wikipedia, they were then a national brand and are now only found in the southeastern US.) George Appleby and his wife are running a garage. George thinks a serial killer has left his car at the garage for repairs. He and his wife hatch a plot to catch the guy in the act, but he figures it out and almost makes them his next victims!

Today was my early, 10 AM work shift. Work was mildly steady for most of the afternoon, nothing overwhelming. It started picking up at rush hour. By that time, the sun was out, and it had gotten a little warmer, more than it has been. It was still quiet enough that I was able to shut down without a relief and get out on time.

I went in the back and got my schedule after I finished. My hours have been cut this week, which I was expecting. It's mid-January. Most people are hiding from cold weather or recovering from the holidays. Things won't pick up again until Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend. I have one late day, otherwise nothing that'll be a problem. Monday, Tuesday, and next Saturday off, Tuesday for counseling.

I did have a lot of grocery shopping to do. Needed to restock fruit (grapefruit, bananas, and apples) and some basic pantry staples like brown sugar, oats, eggs, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and canola oil. The sink in my bathroom has been running really, really slow. I needed Drano rather badly. Picked up two more packages of the limited edition Betty Crocker Gingerbread cookie mix I love so much, green candied cherries, and the Bigalow "Egg'noggin'" tea from the Christmas food clearance shelves near the bathroom. I had a coupon for Blue Diamond Touch of Honey Almond Milk; thought I'd give almond milk a second shot.

When I got home, I made tilapia with the last of the stir fry vegetables while watching Merton of the Movies. Red Skelton is the title character, a small-town usher in 1915 who dreams of making it big as a dramatic actor in Hollywood. When he accidentally stops a robbery, he claims he did it using the methods of his favorite detective actor Roland (Leon Ames). Roland invites Merton to Hollywood. Merton thinks he has it made...but Roland has no interest in him and avoids him as soon as he arrives. He does make friends with Phyllis, a smart stunt girl (Virginia O'Brian), but can't seem to get anywhere. When rushes make the studio heads realize that Merton's better at comedy than drama, Phyllis suggests that he takes over Roland's current production and make it into a comedy. Now Roland's not happy about being spoofed, and Merton's not being told that he's about to make his name in Hollywood as its foremost comedian!

While most people regard the 1932 original Make Me a Star to be better, this version from 1947 has its virtues. O'Brian and Skelton are really sweet together. Some of the sequences are hilarious, especially the Civil War epic Merton makes a mess of. This is double-billed with its original at the Warner Archives if you're a fan of Red or movie-making spoofs. 

Finished out the night with an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures that also spoofed Tinseltown. "Hollywood Plucky" from the first season takes the egotistical mallard and his porcine sidekick to California to sell Plucky's life story to Cooper DeVille. Plucky's attempts to get to DeVille, from working as a waiter to sneaking into the studio (watch for an early appearance by Ralph the Guard from Animaniacs), get him no further to DeVille. When Plucky does finally makes it to the master director, it seems two certain bunnies may have already gotten there first...

In My Own Little Apartment

Started off the day with this month's cleaning as soon as I finished breakfast. The bathroom was disgusting. I haven't had the chance to clean in over a month, since the week of Thanksgiving. I scrubbed and dusted the bathroom as much as I could.

Did the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella while I ate and worked. It's pretty much the same deal as the 1959 version, with even more of an all-star cast. The Prince is Stuart Damon, who went on to a career in soap operas. Celeste Holm is an older, more maternal fairy godmother. Ginger Rogers and Walter Pidgeon are the queen and king. The stepsisters are character actresses Barbara Ruick (best known as Carrie Snow from the film version of Carousel) and Pat Carroll (who did the voice of Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid). One song is added for the Prince in the opening, the lovely "Loneliness of Evening," which was apparently cut from South Pacific and pulled out of the trunk for this broadcast. Warren is a different, somewhat sweeter Cinderella.

While I grew up with constant re-runs of this one on cable in the 80s and early 90s, I like all three versions (yes, the Brandy one from the 90s, too). Not one is the same, and they all have something to recommend them. Which Cinderella you end up with depends on which cast you prefer and if pictoral quality is a factor. (The 50s Cinderella was shot live - the copy available is a little fuzzy but decent.)

Switched to Duchess of Idaho as I moved into the kitchen to dust and scrub the counters. Though the film opens and closes with water ballets, this really has more in common with the land-locked Texas Carnival. Williams follows a spoiled playboy (John Lund) to Sun Valley, Idaho, in the hopes of getting him to fall in love with her girlfriend, his adoring secretary. While on the train, she meets a handsome bandleader (Van Johnson) who falls for her. Soon, she finds herself trying to make the playboy see the virtues of her friend and fend off the bandleader. What she didn't plan on was both men falling for her...or her enjoying being with the bandleader so much.

This is one of the last of the semi-revue romantic comedies MGM tossed Williams into during the 40s and early 50s. As such, it's not bad. Even with only two water ballets, it's still an improvement over something like This Time For Keeps. Johnson and Lund are obviously enjoying themselves as the two very different suitors. Johnson and his band introduce this movie's best number, the jivin' "You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right." This would be the last MGM movie for Eleanor Powell and one of the last for Red Skelton and Lena Horne, all of whom had brief cameos. For fans of Williams or MGM musical lovers.

Cleaning took me so long, I rushed through lunch and just barely made it to work on time. Despite it being less windy and slightly warmer than yesterday, we were quiet through most of the afternoon. It did pick up a little by rush hour, but it was never overwhelming. The managers sent one of the college girls in so I could get out on time.

Needless to say, though it was a little warmer than yesterday, that still barely took us into the teens after dark. I went straight home. Had the last of the New Year's crock pot ham while watching one of the episodes of The Red Skelton Show Lauren sent me. In addition to the New Year's "Silent Spot" drunk spoof, this early 60s show gave us a couple of hilarious skits that had Martha Raye as the world's least-likely Cleopatra. Red was the Roman slave Nauseous, who is the only man on Earth who can resist her charms. Raye also gets a couple of nice numbers to herself, including a touching "Little Girl Blue."

As with the Beatles Ed Sullivan shows, one of the most fascinating things about this was it was intact, including all its commercials and a CBS station identification. The packaging for Mazola Corn Oil and Margarine has barely changed in 50 years! They apparently used to make salad dressing, too.

Baby, It's Really Cold Outside!

It was windy and bitterly cold, though sunny, when I got up this morning. I ran a couple of episodes of The Muppet Show to warm things up a little as I got ready for work. Bernadette Peters appeared in a second season episode, where she danced with the Muppet Monsters in "Take a Little One Step" from No No Nanette and reassured Kermit's nephew Robin that he was appreciated. Edgar Bergen and his dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd fit right in as Fozzie tries his own ventriloquism act and Charlie wonders what to make of a theater that's more like a zoo.

The extreme chill coupled with the return to a normal schedule for the first time in two weeks must have scared a lot of people off. It was on and off steady, but not really that horrible. We were quiet for a lot of the afternoon. I was only late getting off because my last customers had WIC Checks. They were really nice about it, but WIC Checks - checks for low-income families with babies and small children to get basics like milk, formula, fruit and vegetables, and baby food - can take a while to do, especially when they have three or more.

Went straight home when I finally got out. I noticed as I came upstairs that the contractors who have been working on the downstairs apartment had replaced the yellow tape that cut off the sagging half of the porch with a more solid wooden barrier. (Part of the barrier, in fact, was made from the wood that had covered the sagging parts in the middle of the porch.)

Spent the rest of the night making Chocolate-Banana Muffins. Threw in chocolate chips and the last of the coconut, too. I've been taking muffins to work instead of sandwiches. They take less time to make and fit easier in my lunch bags. The muffins came out nice, and oh boy, were they chocolate-y! I used that Hershey's Special Dark cocoa I love.

Ran Broadway's Lost Treasures I as I finished the muffins, and later as I ate leftovers for dinner. I dubbed this collection of performances from the Tony Awards about two years ago from a tape I found at the Haddon Heights Library. It's fun to see the wonderful performances, some with their original casts. My favorites include Zero Mostel really getting into "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler On the Roof, the dynamic wedding finale of My One and Only, Bonnie Franklin and the cast of the 1970 show Applause spoofing popular late 60s musicals, Patti LuPone and the cast of Evita promising "A New Argentina," the cast of the original 1977 Annie performing a medley of songs from that show, and chimney sweep Barbara Harris suddenly becoming "Movie Star Gorgeous" in a touching number from the musical anthology The Apple Tree.

Snowfall

It was snowing lightly when I finally got up this morning around 10. I didn't expect to sleep that long! When I did get up, I ate breakfast while watching Jack Frost. This 1979 Rankin-Bass special has the title sprite falling in love with a human girl. He insists on being transformed into a human, but regrets the wish when the evil Cossack King kidnaps the girl, and then wants to lay waste to her home. He does change back, in time to get help from Father Winter and Pardon-Me-Pete the Groundhog (Buddy Hackett), who predicts the weather.

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon taking down the Christmas decorations. I started with the tree. It takes a while to put up and take down the tree on my own. Even just taking down the tree alone took almost an hour and a half. The flat, soft paper or fabric ornaments come down first. The beaded and plastic character ornaments go in the large green container. Icicles, clothespin soldiers, and the Disney character ornaments have their own small boxes. The glass and heavier resin and wooden ornaments are wrapped up in tissue paper in larger boxes. The glass balls have their own box; the old-fashioned acorn and accordion-shaped glass ornaments go in an old egg carton. The tinsel garlands were wound on cardboard. The lights, star, and tree skirt just went in the container.

I checked the Camden County Library's website after I put the ornaments in the back. Despite the snow continuing to fall, the libraries seemed to be open. There was snow on the street. I didn't want to chance the bike on the roads. I put the tree away, then had the last of the leftover quiche instead of going out for lunch. Vacuumed really quick where the tree was - it sheds almost as much as real trees do.

Went right into taking down the items in the Santa Bag. These are the things that go up first and get taken down last - the garlands, the nativity, the wreath, linens, small things like the mistletoe, or things that won't fit anywhere else, like the box of New Year's party hats. The garlands are lot easier to take down than they are to hang! I'll have to watch out for tacks for a while, though. I think I lost a few off the thick garland around the big windows in the living room.

It was still snowing after I stowed the Santa Bag in the back, on top of the tree's box. I went right into changing the dolls. The AG dolls are now dressed in heavier, less fancy outfits for winter school and play. Samantha wears her gray "Buster Brown" School Dress with the black boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Whitney wears Rebecca's School Outfit with the tights and shoes from Samantha's new meet dress. Josefina's in a hand-made blue floral dress with an empire waist from eBay and her rebozo. Felicity's bundled up in her emerald-green Riding Habit and tri-corn hat. Jessa's wearing cargo pants, a navy turtleneck I got off eBay, the vest from the 1995 Mix and Match modern meet outfit turned to the magenta print side, striped socks, and dark blue-violent clogs. Molly went with her After School Outfit paired with her red hula sweater and the brown oxfords from Kit's School Outfit.

The snow finally ended by about 4:30. After I finished the dolls at 5, I went for a walk. It was too late for the library, and I didn't want to chance the bike on the roads. As it turned out, the roads weren't that bad. The end of Manor where I am was bad, probably because it's a dead end street. The rest of Manor and the main roads were mostly fine. I enjoyed my walk. It was chilly, but there was no wind. I loved seeing how the remaining Christmas lights made the snow sparkle, like vast fields of diamonds.

I was going to eat dinner at Aunt Berta's, but they didn't look like they were open. I ended up at Jalapeno's Grill instead, which I figured was appropriate for Three King's Day. It was past 5:30, and they were actually a little busy for a change, with families and couples coming off the road, looking for a hot meal. I ordered the Chicken Burrito. It was hot and tasty, filled with Spanish rice, cheese, and shredded chicken. I was too full for the small cup of black beans, but I did eat the "salad" (shredded lettuce with carrots, radishes, sliced cucumbers, and chopped tomatoes).

I needed milk anyway, so I went across the street to WaWa for a treat. I went with a made-to-order White Chocolate Mint Hot Chocolate. Oh, yum yum! It was sweet, but very minty! It made my hands and my throat feel so nice as I hiked home in the snow. It started flurrying a little as I left the restaurant, but was clear when I got out of WaWa.

When I got in, I put on the first Bowery Boys movie of the year as I got organized, The Boys are Spy Chasers when the king and princess of Louie's homeland ask him to keep a certain coin at his Sweet Shop. It'll be picked up by a courier, who'll tell the king when it's time to return home and start the revolution. Sach nearly derails their plans when the king's scheming adviser and the princess' lady-in-waiting use him to make sure the revolution will fail.

Finished the night by changing the Sailor Soldiers back into their regular uniforms. I found a blue cape with glittery trim for Blondie and a pink skirt that could work as a cape for Queen Serenity, both of whom wear short-sleeved dresses. I put the Cabbage Patch dolls back in their everyday dresses as well. This totally finishes my holidays. I'll start cleaning after work tomorrow.

Cut Print Move On

I slept in this morning and didn't get out to the laundromat until almost noon. It was sunny, but windy and very chilly. The cold wind must have scared everyone off. There were only a few other people in the laundromat when I arrived. I read a book on reinventing your career and ignored the local news and The Young and the Restless on CBS.

When I got home, I put the laundry away quickly, then went into putting more Christmas decorations away. I got the stuffed animals out from under the tree. The small stuffed animals went in one bag. Big Chester (the 1987 K-Mart holiday bear) and Clarice went in their own bags. Clothing went in another bag (it's so old, it held stuffing for Mom's craft projects in the mid-80s!), ribbons and bows in another. Soft decorations and clothing items, like my stockings and Santa hat, had their own bag. It took me less than a half-hour to get it all sorted out and hurry the box in the back.

Ran Watch the Birdie while I worked and had leftover quiche for lunch. Another Red Skelton vehicle from the late 40s, this one has him playing a young man who works in his family's camera store. He's hoping to become a newsreel photographer to save the store from being shut down. He falls for a wealthy land developer (Arlene Dahl), but gets mixed up with her crooked managers and a beauty pageant winner who likes him too (Ann Miller).

Despite the popularity of Red's many different personalities on his radio and TV shows, this is Red's only MGM vehicle that saw him essaying different characters. Here, he plays not only the cameraman, but his dad and grandfather, as well. Dashing Grandpa's visit is one of the funniest gags of the film. Other than that, this is a pretty average Skelton vehicle and mainly of interest to fans of him or the ladies, or people looking for rainy afternoon fare on TCM.

Work was a madhouse for most of the night. First of all, it's still the beginning of the month. Second, that promotion we've run for the last few months, where people collected stickers to get Cuisinart pots, ends tomorrow...and we're just about out of all but the most expensive pieces. Third, we're supposed to get light snow tomorrow. I'm less worried about the snow (it's only supposed to be a dusting to an inch or two) than the 20 degree temperatures that are supposed to follow it. We were so crazy tonight, I didn't get my break until quarter of 7...and I was done at 8! Thankfully, it slowed down enough by 8 that I was able to leave quickly without a relief.

As We Stumble Along

Started off a gray morning with Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes and the first Disney CD in the Classic Disney set I bought a few years ago. What I like on this set is, in addition to songs from movies like Mary Poppins and the animated classics that have soundtracks, you can also find songs from live-action movies or movies whose soundtracks have been out of print for decades. Among the unusual tunes on Volume 1 are "The Spectrum Song," Professor Ludvig Von Drake's big number from the Wonderful World of Color 60s TV show, "A Whale of a Tale" from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (sung surprisingly well by star Kirk Douglas), "Let's Get Together" from the original The Parent Trap, "The Ugly Bug Ball" from Summer Magic, and the title song from The Monkey's Uncle (performed by Annette Funicello and The Beach Boys - how early 60s can you get?).

Thankfully, it was still just damp and blah when I rode to work. It was also fairly warm, something I hadn't been expecting after the relative chill of the last week or so. Between the warm weather, the football games, the beginning of the month, and people restocking from the holidays, we were a madhouse all day. My relief was late, and I just barely got out on time.

When I finally made it out, it was damp, but not raining. If it rained, it did it well before I went out there. I made it home dry. I wasn't expecting the large package to be sitting on (what's left) of the front apartment porch. I was so depressed Christmas Eve after the party didn't go that well, I did a little online retail therapy. Amazon.com had the Hunter Huntsman/Ashlyn Ella 2-pack for under $15, a steal when I've seen them go for 30 or more, and Blondie Lockes for $10. Tossed in the recently re-released Leslie Ann Warren Rodgers and Hammestein's Cinderella to get free shipping.

It took me the better part of an hour to get the dolls out of their boxes. I did Blondie first. The gossipy daughter of Goldilocks, Blondie is in charge of Ever After High's gossip show and newspaper. She's a "Royal," which means she believes characters should stick to their destinies as written...though she keeps insisting she's royalty. I love her adorable blue bear-print dress and ribbon headband, even if the combination of the blue and white dress and her butter-yellow hair makes her look more like the daughter of Alice In Wonderland than Goldilocks! (Incidentally, an offspring of Alice has been announced...an explorer-themed son, Alistair.) Her hair was a disaster when I got it out of the box. She had the same shedding problem as Briar, too. It looked better after a quick brushing, but I'll probably end up washing it.

The next one out was Ashlynn Ella. Boy, was she stuck in there! She was really pretty when I finally pulled her out, though. Her strawberry-blond hair was far easier to brush and less prone to shedding than curl-girls Briar and Blondie, too. Ashlynn has really pretty translucent blue "glass" shoes that wind up her feet. I'd like her mint-and-pink floral dress better if it wasn't so darn tight. She literally can't sit down. Ashlynn is technically a Royal. She doesn't have any problems with being Cinderella...until she meets Hunter.

Hunter gave me a lot less trouble than the girls, maybe because he doesn't have nearly as much hair as they do. He's such a handsome fellow, I can understand why Ashlynn adores him. Unlike his girlfriend, he's a "Rebel." He's supposed to be the Huntsman for Cerise Hood or Apple White. What he really wants is to become a veterinarian and take care of animals, not trap them. He and Ashlyn are both vegan and share the same concern for the Earth and its creatures. My favorite thing of his is his awesome satchel. Unlike Blondie and Ashlyn's purses, it actually opens. I wish it came in human sizes. I was able to put Ashlyn's tiny bird ring in it. (I accidentally pulled the rubber band off the ring. The rings are so small, I've been leaving the rubber bands on the girls' hands so they don't disappear.)

Since Ashlynn can't sit down, I set her and Hunter up in their stands, arm in arm. This isn't how they'd appear in the real storyline! Their dating is very frowned-upon, especially since Hunter is neither a prince, nor a character from Ashlynn's story. Ashlynn finally decided in one of the web cartoon specials that, if she couldn't be with Hunter, she didn't want to be a Royal. She disappointed Apple White, but she and Hunter have been joined at the hip ever since. They're almost always seen together in the cartoons. No wonder. They look so cute cuddled together on my shelf.

I finished the night by taking down my Christmas decorations. Tonight, I did everything but the tree, the stuffed animals under the tree, and the Nativity, garlands, and linens that go in the Santa Bag. The poinsettia placemats went in the laundry basket. Tomorrow, I'll at least try to get to the bears and other soft items before work.

Had CDs on while I worked and de-boxed the dolls. After I did the collection of songs from various musical versions of Cinderella (I thought that was appropriate, with the Ever After High dolls), I moved on to The Drowsy Chaperone. This 2004 spoof of musical theater conventions starts with a Man In the Chair, sitting simply onstage. He's a huge musical fan and plays cast albums "whenever he feels blue." His favorite is the 20s show of the title. It's a piece of delightful fluff about a stage star (Sutton Foster) who is almost abandoned by her beloved on their wedding day. The Man In the Chair frequently comments on the action or explains the characters and how they relate to him. When we hit the heroine's lament of how she was abandoned, he breaks down with her...and we see just how much this show means to him.

As cute as this was, this very theatrical piece of entertainment probably works better onstage, where you can see the Man In the Chair interact with the characters in his mind. There's some nice music, though, including Sutton Foster's tour-de-force "Show Off" and the lovely "As We Stumble Along."

Oh, and it did rain heavily a few hours ago. I don't think it's doing anything  now. Right now, it looks like we may get a dusting of snow later this week along with those freezing temperatures. As long as it's not 8 inches and doesn't drop under the 20s, I think we'll be fine.

Winter Rain

I started a gray morning with a couple of cartoons. Frosty Returns isn't technically a follow-up to the Rankin-Bass Frosty tales; it's a stand-alone special from 1992. Jonathan Winters narrates the story of how Frosty, with the help of a little girl named Holly and her friend Charles, stops a nasty corporate executive from eliminating all the snow in town before their winter carnival.

Moved onto Max & Ruby winter tales as I got ready for work. "Ruby's Snowbunny" is a masterpiece to its creator, but her brother would rather be sledding. "Ruby's Snowflakes" are cookies that she's trying to make exactly alike. As usual, her hungry brother doesn't make that easy! Max wants to play "Duck Duck Goose," but Ruby, Louise, and Valerie have to look for winter birds for their Bird Finding Badge. Max helps them find the last two birds they need.

Work was crazy-busy for most of the day. It's the beginning of the month, and people are getting their money. Other people may still be having New Year's parties, or are restocking after the holidays. People weren't in the best of moods, either. Thank heavens my relief was right on time. I was tired of all the fussing. It didn't help that it was showering lightly when I came to work and apparently poured on and off all day.

I forgot to use that 5 dollar gift card from the Acme yesterday. One of my customers mentioned the joys of frozen quiches. I haven't had one in years, so I thought I'd make my own. I used the gift card on frozen pie crust, large soft bakery shortbread cookies, and a bottle of Acme's generic sparkling fruit water.

When I got home, I changed, then started dinner. Julie's Cooking Studio has a recipe for Bacon and Cheese Quiche. It was easy to exchange the bacon for ham leftover from New Year's and add spinach and mushrooms. Mom used to make us quiche for dinner a lot when we were kids. They were easy to throw together from eggs and whatever leftovers she had around the house. I'm not usually good with pies, but this one didn't turn out too badly, a little watery and soft on the bottom but still tasty.

Ran Texas Carnival as I worked on dinner. Red Skelton is back with Esther Williams, this time in the story of a pair of fair workers who help a drunk, wealthy oil baron (Keenan Wynn). The oil tycoon invites them to his hotel. When they arrive, he's gone for a few days with his sister. They end up posing as the duo when the hotel guests think they're them. Williams falls for the foreman of the oil baron's ranch (Howard Keel); Skelton winds up with the sheriff's brassy dancer daughter (Ann Miller). Skelton, who has lost 17,000 dollars in a poker game, has to win it back in a wild chuck wagon race. He almost loses the race when he gets drunk the night before, but Keel and Williams help him out.

Short but sweet, and slightly more fun than Bathing Beauty. Williams makes up for appearing in a land-locked setting with a nicely done bit of special effects that allows her to be Keel's "underwater dream" in the film's best sequence. Other than her introductory number in the hotel's convention room, Miller is barely used. Like Rhythm Romance, this is cute fluff that's worth a peek if you're a fan of the stars or if you run into it on TCM on a lazy afternoon.

Incidentally, it was raining when I was riding home, but not heavily. I arrived damp but not soaked. It picked up about a half-hour or so after I got in and has been going ever since.

Some Like It Cold

I started a chilly, sunny morning with work. Though it wasn't bad when I got in at 11, most of the day was very busy. Beyond this being the last weekend of the holiday season, it's the beginning of the month. Other than dealing with the usual fun, cranky people who don't bag (and a few annoyed managers who are trying push us saying "give the store 10s on the survey, because they don't count if people don't"), there were no major problems.

My schedule is surprisingly good for early January. I have slightly fewer hours next week than last week, but nothing horrible. Otherwise, one late night on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday off. That'll give me plenty of time to start getting the Christmas decorations down and begin this month's cleaning.

I didn't really need to do much grocery shopping. The only fruit or vegetables on my list was grapefruit. Restocked skim milk, buttermilk, bubble bath, and low salt and fat cream of mushroom soup. Took advantage of the half-off Christmas sales to pick up candied pineapple, curling ribbon, flat sheets of parchment paper, and one last box of Duncan Hines' Holiday Green and Red Velvet Mix.

Had a quick dinner at Tu Se Bella's in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center behind the Acme. It was about 5:30 when I got there, and they were busy, but not overwhelmingly so. I was able to eat my plain cheese and white broccoli pizza slices at the tables by the window and watch shoppers go by and people pick up their dinner.

When I got home, I changed, put everything away, then ran the 1939 Paramount musical Rhythm Romance, another movie from the box Lauren sent me for Christmas. Bob Hope is an opportunistic boardwalk barker and the manager for drummer Gene Krupa and His Orchestra. He convinces an attractive singer (Shirley Ross) to start an act with him, and even write a song. When the snooty manager of the boardwalk's biggest dance club finally hears Krupa's band, he signs them right there. He also convinces Ross to come along after he tells her that Hope gambled away her ring and the rights to their song. Hope finally makes enough money to make things right, just before she's about to marry the manager.

Originally known as Some Like It Hot (the title was changed when the 1959 movie became better-known), this is a charming but otherwise fluffy little B musical. Though Ross and Hope have two nice songs, a seriously hot Krupa and his band are the major attractions. In fact, their success in this movie convinced Hollywood to give that new Big Band sound a chance in bigger films. Ok time-waster if you're a fan of Hope or Big Band music or catch it on TCM.

New Year's On Parade

Happy New Year! I ended 2014 with Whipped Nog Syllabub (which turned out to be delicious - I'll have to use eggnog all the time) and fireworks over the creek. There weren't as many fireworks as usual, though. I guess a lot of people thought it was too cold to be outside, setting things off.

I stayed up with Lauren until past 3:30. When I finally got up, it was nearly 10:30 AM! I read a few New Year's short stories from Collier's Book of Holidays, then wrote my first journal entry of the year. As soon as I got up, I got dressed, put on my coat, and hurried out. I was at The Pop Shop by quarter of noon.

The Pop Shop was bedlam. It was a lot busier than the last few times I went to breakfast on New Year's there. The decorations were glittery magenta-and-lime-green ornaments and vintage-looking hangings, with snowflakes everywhere. Almost every table and counter seat was taken. I was lucky to get a table. Less than 20 minutes after I was sitting down and sipping rich, smooth hot chocolate, the line was almost out the door. The Pop Shop is extremely popular with families and college students, and I don't think there were too many other places in Collingswood open.

I ended up with a Bananas Foster Waffle to go with my hot chocolate. It was just ok. The waffle was a little dry and tough around the edges. The "bananas foster" was supposed to be a caramel banana sauce, but it was more like banana-caramel goop. Still tasted pretty good, though I probably won't order it again.

It was a gorgeous day for a second trip into Philly. The sun was shining, and though it was windy, it wasn't quite as cold as it had been yesterday, probably in the upper 30s-lower 40s. I joined a crowd of families and college kids taking a mostly-full PATCO train into Philadelphia to see the Mummers' Parade.

I got off at 12th Street. After getting a little turned around, I finally made my way to the Avenue of the Arts. I walked up and down the street for about an hour. It was 12:30 by the time I made it into Philly. The Mummers' Parade was winding down. The "Funny Groups" based around current topics were long gone, but I could still see the costumed string bands. I saw a group of huntsmen in checked flannel shirts and beards, a military group in ruffled green camouflage who were honoring veterans, a group of mimes in striped shirts and berets, a huge "Frog University" crowd in red and white, a smaller group in blue and yellow pinafores, and a Notre Dame group in gold, black, and white fleur di lis.

I walked from Locust to Pine and the Kimmel Center. It wasn't nearly so busy down there. I loved seeing the college crowds and hearing their chatter. Most of the people down there seemed to be standing on the balcony of the Kimmel! Most of the groups hadn't made it down there yet, so I braved the heavy crowds around the Doubletree Hotel to make it back down to City Hall. I watched the groups there for a while before heading through City Hall and down Market to the Gallery Mall.

I wanted to give the closing Gallery Mall FYE a second look. It goes without saying that they were really busy, given the sales. I took advantage of the 40 % off all DVDs and CDs to get two recently released items I'd been looking for, the TV musical soundtrack Bombshell (I fell in love with the Haddon Township Library's copy a few months ago) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Also picked up the Disney Hercules (one of the few Disney movies I like that I didn't have) and the Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone (I've been trying to get that one for a good price since it came out) used.

My last stop in Philly was at Books-A-Million. Ironically, not only did they have the third and fourth Ever After High titles, but now they had the first and second, which they hadn't on Monday. I bought the remaining two stories, A Wonderlandiful World and the short story collection, along with a 2015 calender from artist Susan Branch.

The PATCO going home was the same as the one going there, relatively full but not jam-packed. I guess a lot of people opted to stay in Philly and continue their celebration. I decided that, after a long couple of weeks, I wasn't up to it. I rode straight home instead.

After I got home, I set up this year's calenders. The Susan Branch went in the hallway. That's the one I use to keep dates for appointments, like counseling. The smaller Dora the Explorer calender went in my bedroom. I use more cutesy, character-themed calenders in my bedroom to keep track of the date for journal-writing, and just to brighten the wall behind my bed.

Went right in the bath after that. Ahhhh. That felt so nice. I settled back, listened to the Marsalises play music from the Peanuts specials (and their own compositions based after Peanuts music), and read The Storybook of Legends and The Unfairest of All. Ever After High has me thinking a lot about destiny. The story line has it that Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White, is really a sweet kid who has no desire to poison anyone. She refuses to sign the book that would seal her destiny. Some of the kids are thrilled, either ones who don't want to follow their destiny, or those like Raven's friend Madeline Hatter, the nutty daughter of the Mad Hatter, who like their destinies but think people should have a choice. Others, like Apple White, the daughter of Snow White, are devastated. Their destinies are the safe path, the thing they're supposed to follow. If they don't follow their destinies, what will happen to them and their stories?

On one hand, I totally agree with Raven and her decision. Beyond the fact that Snow White was never my favorite fairy tale, I think people should be able to do what they want with their lives. What if the daughter of Little Red Riding Hood wants to run with the wolves, or the daughter of the Candy Witch from Hansel and Gretel would rather bake gingerbread than kids, or if Goldilocks was a princess? Hollywood's been re-writing these stories for years, anyway. Stories evolve by being retold and re-written. That's how life works.

On the other hand, I can also see Apple's point. Some people do train all their lives for certain jobs or paths. What happens when people they counted on don't want to follow with them? What happens when people who only know one way are suddenly told they have to change? Should they change? How?

It's been on my mind a lot lately. There's been a great deal of change, in my world and in the world in general. Change is hard, but sometimes, it needs to happen. On the other hand, it's tough when you're not prepared. I want badly to get out of the Acme and do what I want, but I don't know how to break out of my shell and do it. Working the same job for 14 years is the safe path. It's one that I hate and is making me crazy, but its safe. But what happens when safe doesn't necessarily mean happy? What about all the people around you?

I think that's why Ever After High is the only current doll line besides American Girl's historical characters that's sparked my interest. Unlike Bratz or Monster High, or even Barbie's perpetual princesses and careers, these characters have genuine back stories and a really interesting, well-developed plot behind them. They're not just fancy outfits and goofy puns - the story gives you a lot to think about.