I slept late today. I've been up a little too late more than I should have been recently. When I did get going, I started the day with breakfast and the next episode of Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo. Horror movies come into play in "The Ghoul, the Bat, and the Ugly." The gang is going to attend the Batty Awards, which honor the best performers in horror films. This year, it looks like there may not be a show, thanks to the Shadow Creature roaming around. He's chased away the guests and slashed the film that was supposed to be previewed to ribbons. Shaggy and Scooby would rather hide in the maze, but Velma suspects that the answer to the Creature's appearance may be in the movie itself...
Hit the laundromat as soon as I finished breakfast. It was quarter of 12 by then. I put off doing the laundry for a few days so I could get it done on my day off instead of rushing after work. They were fairly busy, but I did get a washer and a dryer with no problems. Good thing, too. I had a big load this week, thanks to waiting two extra days. I spent the whole time working on notes. By the time I was finished, most people had left.
Went home, folded and put away the clothes, then went right back out. It rained the night before, but hadn't done anything since then. The clouds had been in and out all day. It wasn't really hot, but it was cut-the-air-with-a-knife humid. I needed ice cream. I ended up having lunch at Friendly's. They were surprisingly busy for 1:30, with several mothers and grandmothers and their children and at least two pairs of older women enjoying a late lunch. I had a tasty Patty Melt, a burger topped with fried onions and Swiss cheese on rye bread and fries. Decided to try something different and very summery for ice cream - Rockin' Poppin' Cotton Candy with marshmallow topping. It was raspberry-blue and pale pink with some kind of bits (crispy pieces? candy bits?) mixed in. Ahh. Very sweet and yummy.
There wasn't much going on at the Haddon Township Library. The threat of bad weather must have scared everyone off. Once again, I was able to shelve all the children's DVDs with no problems, but couldn't begin to fit the adult titles. Otherwise, there was nothing going on, no new releases or audio media to put away. I was in and out in a half-hour.
Made a fast stop at Family Dollar on my way home. I wanted to buy trash bags there because Family Dollar sent me a coupon for Glad. I forgot that coupon, but I did have another dollar one I got out of the circulars on Friday. I got my Glad Febreze/Gain bags and a Dasani Strawberry Water. (I haven't seen the Dasani flavored waters in years.)
The sun was out for most of the afternoon. It had gotten hot, and the mugginess was stifling. I spent the rest of the day at home, working on The Little Mer-Betty. Betty is the little mermaid, who lives under the waters of the Atlantic with her father the king Mackie, her siblings Jeff, Enid, Doug, and C.J, and her grandparents Gertie and Mr. Eldridge. She's fascinated by her grandmother's stories of the world above the waves. Mackie's birthday present for her is her first time going to the surface.
When she arrives, she sees a ship and climbs the anchor, taking in the dancing crew. Among the men are handsome captain Scott, celebrating his return from Asia with expensive cargo. She's starting to fall for him...but a storm may bring him closer to her than she could have ever imagined...
Oh, and we did finally get rain later in the day. It had showered briefly, for about two seconds, when I was on my way to Friendly's. The real rain finally started around 5. It poured for about 20 minutes, then stopped. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since. Hopefully, it at least got rid of the humidity.
The rain was long gone by the time I was eating dinner around 6. I continued Scooby and Scrappy while I cleared out leftovers. Shaggy's screaming "Rocky Mountain Yiiiiii" when the ghost of an old miner comes back to haunt a Denver ski resort, looking for his lost pot of gold. While Scrappy attempts to get his uncle and his uncle's best friend to learn skiing, the rest of the gang find out what was really in that pot of gold.
"The Sorcerer's a Menace" in an Atlantic City on the verge of major changes. A magician opening a big act at one of the fancy new hotels is haunted by the ghost of his former mentor, who makes the valuable Black Pearl do more than disappear. Shaggy and Scooby would rather be eating salt water taffy at Steel Pier. Velma has her own ideas about what the ghostly magician is doing on the boardwalk.
Ended my night in a quiet, blissful bath. Ahhh. I haven't had one of these in a while. I needed it rather badly, especially after sweating in a muggy day. I listened to my By George jazz CD of Gershwin music (including at least three versions of "Summertime") and looked over my Christmas cake decorating book and two of the Christmas With Southern Living books, working on ideas for holiday gifts.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Cookies and Stories and Meddling Kids
I spent most of the morning starting my next WENN fanfiction. This one is set towards the end of the second-season episode "Behind Every Great Woman." Betty is frustrated over Hilary claiming her voice on the air, Scott's behavior, and Ruth Getty's snobbishness. She's supposed to be adapting The Little Mermaid to the air...but as usual with Betty, her own problems intrude....
Did a few episodes of Scooby Doo before and after writing. "Shiver and Shake, That Demon's a Snake" is unusual in that it's one of the few Scooby stories I've seen to be set in more than one location. The gang's cruise from Haiti to Miami to New Orleans is disrupted by a nasty snake demon. He keeps following the kids...but why? And what's hiding in the boat?
"The Scary Sky Skeleton" is attacking an air circus, where Daphne's friend Windy is the star performer. If the gang doesn't figure out what the skeleton is after, the show will be shut down for good.
"The Demon In the Dugout" presents a similar mystery across the sea in Japan. This time, it's a Dragon Demon attacking a stadium and trying to force it to close in the middle of a game between a Japanese and American team. While Scooby and Shaggy taste-test the local sushi, the other three try to figure out who wants to get rid of the stadium.
Work was on-and-off steady, not much different than it has been all summer. It gave me the chance to work on yet another fanfiction idea. Babes In Toyland is one of my favorite Christmas fantasy stories. I actually had it in mind for WENN as far back as the late 90's, but I could never figure out how to work it and went with The Nutcracker instead. Shirley Temple's version gave me a little bit of an answer - go back to the source.
The prologue opens during "Christmas In the Airwaves." Two kids are left waiting for their parents in the studio after the disastrous "Tell It to Santa" broadcast. The little boy is a typical rambunctious kid. The little girl, however, is quite grown up and sophisticated. She insists that there's no Santa, regardless of whether Mackie or Pruitt plays him. Mr. Eldridge reads them a story to convince them otherwise.
The two kids fall asleep and dream they walk through a door and find themselves in a magical world. Pretty secretary Betty Blue is engaged to half-gypsy former thief Scott Piper. They both work for nasty Barnaby (Pruitt), who holds the mortage on Betty's mother's (Gertie) shoe. Barnaby is determined to take Betty as his bride and force Scott to give up his inheritance and his claim on her. The kids and the other citizens of Toyland help to keep the two together and defeat Barnaby.
My relief was one of the new college kids and was actually early. I got out with plenty of time. The day remained cloudy, cool, and humid - just right for baking. I had leftover chicken with a tomato-cucumber-cheese salad for dinner, then made Coconut-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies while running more Scooby and Scrappy.
"The Hairy Scare of the Devil Bear" takes us to the Grand Canyon. The ghost of an Indian bear demon has been scaring off members of an archaeological dig. The bear is said to be guarding the treasure hidden within the caves. Could it be the grouchy old hermit who is upset that the dig pushed him out of his home....or is someone else after the treasure?
The gang goes "Twenty Thousand Screams Under the Sea" when they check out a cliff diving competition in Acapulco. A sea beast is scaring off divers and fishermen. Velma convinces a fisherman to help them locate the beast and find out what it's really after.
"I Left My Neck In San Francisco" takes us and the group on a whirlwind tour of the City By the Bay. A famous thief left jewels at Alcatraz Island, jewels that are now scattered in hiding places around the city. A Lady Vampire seems to be after the jewels. Thanks to her flaming red hair, Shaggy and Scooby think she's Daphne. Velma, Scrappy, and Fred have different ideas.
Shaggy and Scooby aren't singing "When You Wish Upon a Star Creature" when an alien from a newly discovered star comes to Earth and immediately frightens everyone away from the local observatory. Scrappy just wants to trap it, but Velma suspects this star-struck monster has more Earth-bound reasons for keeping everyone away from the huge new telescope.
Did a few episodes of Scooby Doo before and after writing. "Shiver and Shake, That Demon's a Snake" is unusual in that it's one of the few Scooby stories I've seen to be set in more than one location. The gang's cruise from Haiti to Miami to New Orleans is disrupted by a nasty snake demon. He keeps following the kids...but why? And what's hiding in the boat?
"The Scary Sky Skeleton" is attacking an air circus, where Daphne's friend Windy is the star performer. If the gang doesn't figure out what the skeleton is after, the show will be shut down for good.
"The Demon In the Dugout" presents a similar mystery across the sea in Japan. This time, it's a Dragon Demon attacking a stadium and trying to force it to close in the middle of a game between a Japanese and American team. While Scooby and Shaggy taste-test the local sushi, the other three try to figure out who wants to get rid of the stadium.
Work was on-and-off steady, not much different than it has been all summer. It gave me the chance to work on yet another fanfiction idea. Babes In Toyland is one of my favorite Christmas fantasy stories. I actually had it in mind for WENN as far back as the late 90's, but I could never figure out how to work it and went with The Nutcracker instead. Shirley Temple's version gave me a little bit of an answer - go back to the source.
The prologue opens during "Christmas In the Airwaves." Two kids are left waiting for their parents in the studio after the disastrous "Tell It to Santa" broadcast. The little boy is a typical rambunctious kid. The little girl, however, is quite grown up and sophisticated. She insists that there's no Santa, regardless of whether Mackie or Pruitt plays him. Mr. Eldridge reads them a story to convince them otherwise.
The two kids fall asleep and dream they walk through a door and find themselves in a magical world. Pretty secretary Betty Blue is engaged to half-gypsy former thief Scott Piper. They both work for nasty Barnaby (Pruitt), who holds the mortage on Betty's mother's (Gertie) shoe. Barnaby is determined to take Betty as his bride and force Scott to give up his inheritance and his claim on her. The kids and the other citizens of Toyland help to keep the two together and defeat Barnaby.
My relief was one of the new college kids and was actually early. I got out with plenty of time. The day remained cloudy, cool, and humid - just right for baking. I had leftover chicken with a tomato-cucumber-cheese salad for dinner, then made Coconut-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies while running more Scooby and Scrappy.
"The Hairy Scare of the Devil Bear" takes us to the Grand Canyon. The ghost of an Indian bear demon has been scaring off members of an archaeological dig. The bear is said to be guarding the treasure hidden within the caves. Could it be the grouchy old hermit who is upset that the dig pushed him out of his home....or is someone else after the treasure?
The gang goes "Twenty Thousand Screams Under the Sea" when they check out a cliff diving competition in Acapulco. A sea beast is scaring off divers and fishermen. Velma convinces a fisherman to help them locate the beast and find out what it's really after.
"I Left My Neck In San Francisco" takes us and the group on a whirlwind tour of the City By the Bay. A famous thief left jewels at Alcatraz Island, jewels that are now scattered in hiding places around the city. A Lady Vampire seems to be after the jewels. Thanks to her flaming red hair, Shaggy and Scooby think she's Daphne. Velma, Scrappy, and Fred have different ideas.
Shaggy and Scooby aren't singing "When You Wish Upon a Star Creature" when an alien from a newly discovered star comes to Earth and immediately frightens everyone away from the local observatory. Scrappy just wants to trap it, but Velma suspects this star-struck monster has more Earth-bound reasons for keeping everyone away from the huge new telescope.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Fairy Tale Dolls
I slept in today after spending last night posting my story. Had just enough time to make Coconut-Lime Pancakes. Or tried to. I burned one. At least it still tasted pretty good. I listened to ABBA while eating. I was in a bouncy mood this morning.
Work was on-and-off busy, much busier than it has been. It is Sunday, which is usually our busiest day of the week regardless of the time of year. The down times were pretty quiet, though. Most people are probably either still at the Shore or on their way there. My relief was actually early, and I was in and out with no trouble.
When I got home, I changed my own clothes, then finally got around to changing the dolls. It took me a lot less time than usual. Dolls don't need to be stuck in hot outfits at this time of the year, either. Jessa wears the 2004 modern AG Island Luau suit and holds the pineapple-shapped ukulele. Whitney wears the Springfield Collection polka-dot navy bathing suit with the cute skirt and Springfield's white Swiss lace espadrilles. Molly's in her own peach Bathing Suit and heavier green towel. Samantha's 1904 Bathing Suit (the second version with the cap) is layered over the black stockings from Rebecca's School Outfit.
Felicity and Josefina are from time periods when bathing wasn't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender "Traveling Gown" (and later meet outfit). Josefina is very pretty in her empire waist Party Dress and rebozo, with a flower clip in her long, silky black tresses.
Since I still had time after I dressed the girls and I wasn't that hungry, I worked on notes while listening to fairy-tale-themed musicals and children's records in my collection. Disney's stage version of The Little Mermaid wasn't as well-received as some of their other shows. It was nearly impossible to put the water effects onstage - the mermaids were on rollerblades. There's also the simple fact that a lot of Disney's Mermaid (including it's clueless title heroine) hasn't dated that well. Changes to the story (including a "princess contest" that sounds like it was swiped from The Swan Princess) don't really help.
Two kids' records were more fun. Disney did a lovely Hansel and Gretel, based on the Englebert Humperdink opera, with Ann Jillian as Jill and Marni Nixon singing the lion's share of the songs, including "Brother Come and Dance With Me." One of my favorite record finds is the Peter Pan version of Alice In Wonderland. There's some nice songs - my favorites are "The Queen Has Commanded" for the ensemble and the dreamy title song.
I discovered something I wish I'd known about years ago on YouTube. Apparently, Shirley Temple did a short-lived show that was a series of fairy tale and book adaptations. I watched three tonight, including a Christmas special. My favorite of the three was the charming fantasy "The Princess and the Goblins," but they were all fun. (The Little Mermaid was uniquely set in ancient Greece.) And someone did some nice remastering here - the early 60's color is vibrant and exquisite.
The Princess and the Goblins
The Little Mermaid
Babes In Toyland.
Work was on-and-off busy, much busier than it has been. It is Sunday, which is usually our busiest day of the week regardless of the time of year. The down times were pretty quiet, though. Most people are probably either still at the Shore or on their way there. My relief was actually early, and I was in and out with no trouble.
When I got home, I changed my own clothes, then finally got around to changing the dolls. It took me a lot less time than usual. Dolls don't need to be stuck in hot outfits at this time of the year, either. Jessa wears the 2004 modern AG Island Luau suit and holds the pineapple-shapped ukulele. Whitney wears the Springfield Collection polka-dot navy bathing suit with the cute skirt and Springfield's white Swiss lace espadrilles. Molly's in her own peach Bathing Suit and heavier green towel. Samantha's 1904 Bathing Suit (the second version with the cap) is layered over the black stockings from Rebecca's School Outfit.
Felicity and Josefina are from time periods when bathing wasn't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender "Traveling Gown" (and later meet outfit). Josefina is very pretty in her empire waist Party Dress and rebozo, with a flower clip in her long, silky black tresses.
Since I still had time after I dressed the girls and I wasn't that hungry, I worked on notes while listening to fairy-tale-themed musicals and children's records in my collection. Disney's stage version of The Little Mermaid wasn't as well-received as some of their other shows. It was nearly impossible to put the water effects onstage - the mermaids were on rollerblades. There's also the simple fact that a lot of Disney's Mermaid (including it's clueless title heroine) hasn't dated that well. Changes to the story (including a "princess contest" that sounds like it was swiped from The Swan Princess) don't really help.
Two kids' records were more fun. Disney did a lovely Hansel and Gretel, based on the Englebert Humperdink opera, with Ann Jillian as Jill and Marni Nixon singing the lion's share of the songs, including "Brother Come and Dance With Me." One of my favorite record finds is the Peter Pan version of Alice In Wonderland. There's some nice songs - my favorites are "The Queen Has Commanded" for the ensemble and the dreamy title song.
I discovered something I wish I'd known about years ago on YouTube. Apparently, Shirley Temple did a short-lived show that was a series of fairy tale and book adaptations. I watched three tonight, including a Christmas special. My favorite of the three was the charming fantasy "The Princess and the Goblins," but they were all fun. (The Little Mermaid was uniquely set in ancient Greece.) And someone did some nice remastering here - the early 60's color is vibrant and exquisite.
The Princess and the Goblins
The Little Mermaid
Babes In Toyland.
Saturday, August 08, 2015
Dogs, Cats, and Mysteries, Oh My!
Started off the morning with more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Pluto's Puppy-Sitting Adventure" has Mickey and Pluto taking care of Bella, Clarabelle Cow's adorable puppy. (Somebody did their homework. For an orange-and-white polka-dot puppy, Bella acted pretty realistic. She even played with Mickey's ears when he was holding her. Too cute.) Pluto doesn't like all the attention Bella's getting, especially when his attempts to help are rebuffed. The others have to remind him that they love him, no matter what size he is.
I didn't get to the farm market until nearly 11. Even that late, it was still crazy, with the stalls packed elbow-to-elbow with people buying food for barbecues and birthday parties. Blueberries are just about done, but I saw the first acorn squash and leeks of the season. I ended up with blackberries, small golden apples, small peaches, two cucumbers, two ears of corn, three leeks, Chinese long beans, an heirloom tomato, and a lavender eggplant.
When I got home, I put some things away and others aside. My fruit salad and chicken veggie salad came out so well, I decided to try something similar. This time, I just made a chicken vegetable salad with half the heirloom tomato, a leek, the last old cucumber, mayo, seasoning, and canned chicken. Pretty much just added coconut to the fruit salad I made last time.
Had the chicken salad for lunch while finishing Mickey and the gang. "Donald's Ducks" is one of the show's stranger episodes. Donald and Mickey have to help a group of (normal) ducks prepare to fly south for the winter. "Pluto Lends a Paw" has Mickey's rescue pup helping to find Figaro when he flees the Clubhouse, looking for someone to play with.
Switched to Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo while vacuuming the apartment and washing the windows. There's quite a few things that have changed in the decade since the original Scooby Doo, Where Are You? debuted. In addition to the arrival of Scooby's pugnacious (and controversial) puppy nephew Scrappy, the mysteries now had more of a topical bent. "The Scarab Lives!" has a popular comic book super hero coming to life and turning on his creator.
"The Night Ghoul of Wonderworld" plays like a cross between the wish-fulfillment TV show Fantasy Island and the movie Westworld. "Wonderworld" is a fabulous new theme park where guests are taken to the world most representing their true desires. Velma gets a chance to match wits with a robotic Sherlock Holmes, looking for the Crown Jewels...until Shaggy and Scooby discover that the thieving Night Ghoul is no robot.
"Strange Encounter of the Scooby Kind" has fun with the reemergence of science fiction after the huge successes of Star Wars and Close Encounters. An alien seemingly terrifies people out camping. As usual, Velma thinks the mystery is quite a bit closer to home.
You can't get much more late 70's than "The Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco!" The title character is a spectre that absorbs electric energy, especially the energy from a popular local roller disco club. The owners will have to close down if the kids don't figure out who this "phantom" is and what he has against the night club.
(Incidentally, I don't have anything against Scrappy. He can be annoying at times, but you've gotta admire the kid's spirit. I suspect people had more problems with the changes the character brought than the character. If you really don't like Scrappy, you'll probably want to steer clear of this set. It's not as Scrappy-centric as the early 80's episodes with him, Scooby, Shaggy, and later Daphne, but he is in there a lot.)
Work was steady when I came in, dead by the time I finished. Once again, I stood around and worked on story ideas a lot. It was so quiet by 7:30, I was able to leave with no relief and no need for one.
Oh, and my newest Remember WENN fanfiction, Scott White and the Seven Actors, is now online! For now, it can be found at my writing-oriented blog, Writer's Desk at the Riverside, and at my WENN fanfiction website. I'm hoping to get it on Fanfiction.net tomorrow.
WENN Fanfiction Library
Writer's Desk at the Riverside
I didn't get to the farm market until nearly 11. Even that late, it was still crazy, with the stalls packed elbow-to-elbow with people buying food for barbecues and birthday parties. Blueberries are just about done, but I saw the first acorn squash and leeks of the season. I ended up with blackberries, small golden apples, small peaches, two cucumbers, two ears of corn, three leeks, Chinese long beans, an heirloom tomato, and a lavender eggplant.
When I got home, I put some things away and others aside. My fruit salad and chicken veggie salad came out so well, I decided to try something similar. This time, I just made a chicken vegetable salad with half the heirloom tomato, a leek, the last old cucumber, mayo, seasoning, and canned chicken. Pretty much just added coconut to the fruit salad I made last time.
Had the chicken salad for lunch while finishing Mickey and the gang. "Donald's Ducks" is one of the show's stranger episodes. Donald and Mickey have to help a group of (normal) ducks prepare to fly south for the winter. "Pluto Lends a Paw" has Mickey's rescue pup helping to find Figaro when he flees the Clubhouse, looking for someone to play with.
Switched to Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo while vacuuming the apartment and washing the windows. There's quite a few things that have changed in the decade since the original Scooby Doo, Where Are You? debuted. In addition to the arrival of Scooby's pugnacious (and controversial) puppy nephew Scrappy, the mysteries now had more of a topical bent. "The Scarab Lives!" has a popular comic book super hero coming to life and turning on his creator.
"The Night Ghoul of Wonderworld" plays like a cross between the wish-fulfillment TV show Fantasy Island and the movie Westworld. "Wonderworld" is a fabulous new theme park where guests are taken to the world most representing their true desires. Velma gets a chance to match wits with a robotic Sherlock Holmes, looking for the Crown Jewels...until Shaggy and Scooby discover that the thieving Night Ghoul is no robot.
"Strange Encounter of the Scooby Kind" has fun with the reemergence of science fiction after the huge successes of Star Wars and Close Encounters. An alien seemingly terrifies people out camping. As usual, Velma thinks the mystery is quite a bit closer to home.
You can't get much more late 70's than "The Neon Phantom of the Roller Disco!" The title character is a spectre that absorbs electric energy, especially the energy from a popular local roller disco club. The owners will have to close down if the kids don't figure out who this "phantom" is and what he has against the night club.
(Incidentally, I don't have anything against Scrappy. He can be annoying at times, but you've gotta admire the kid's spirit. I suspect people had more problems with the changes the character brought than the character. If you really don't like Scrappy, you'll probably want to steer clear of this set. It's not as Scrappy-centric as the early 80's episodes with him, Scooby, Shaggy, and later Daphne, but he is in there a lot.)
Work was steady when I came in, dead by the time I finished. Once again, I stood around and worked on story ideas a lot. It was so quiet by 7:30, I was able to leave with no relief and no need for one.
Oh, and my newest Remember WENN fanfiction, Scott White and the Seven Actors, is now online! For now, it can be found at my writing-oriented blog, Writer's Desk at the Riverside, and at my WENN fanfiction website. I'm hoping to get it on Fanfiction.net tomorrow.
WENN Fanfiction Library
Writer's Desk at the Riverside
Friday, August 07, 2015
Furry Friends and Backyard Capers
I slept in a bit today. When I finally got out bed, I put on some Backyardigans while I ate breakfast, looked over my paycheck on PNC Bank's website, and read some fanfiction and old blog entries. "The Tale of the Mighty Knights" is a rock opera that reveals how Knights Tyrone and Uniqua try to catch a very "runny" egg, with the help of Grabbin' Goblin Austin and Flighty Fairy Tasha.
When I got off, I made my grocery list, then headed to the Acme. Once again, I didn't really need a whole lot. I mostly took advantage of meat sales - got buy one-get-one-free seasoned chicken fillets and breaded chicken fillets and another sale on those tasty turkey tenderloins. Restocked skim milk and brown sugar. Thought I'd try making ambrosia (or at least another fruit salad) later this weekend and picked up coconut to go in it.
I got there just in time to see one of the baggers putting up the schedule. Other than slightly fewer hours (and slightly later hours on Sunday), I'm more or less working at the same times I did this week, with the same days off, Tuesday and Friday.
After I made it home, I finished another Backyardigans episode while I put everything away. Uniqua, Tasha, and Austin go on a soul music-fuled "Garbage Trek" to boldly go where no trash-collectors have gone before. Aliens Tyrone and Pablo keep tricking them in order to steal their garbage. When the boys are stuck in a black hole, Tasha and her crew have to figure out how to rescue them, without ending up stuck themselves.
Had a very quick lunch at Phillies Phatties. Though it was past 1:30, the place was filled with kids looking for a snack or a late lunch. The sidewalk was a sea of bikes! I ordered my usual slice of cheese pizza, slice of mushroom pizza, and can of soda. I ate on the picnic benches on the sidewalk to avoid the noisy rugrats. Tried Mountain Dew's "Baja Blast" soda. It's a very sweet lime, kind of like original Mountain Dew. Not bad, though I think I liked the other one, "Sangrita Blast," better.
Made a quick stop at Dollar Tree for sponges and a get-well-soon card for my stepfather Bill after lunch. They were surprisingly quiet for the afternoon. I got my things and got out in 20 minutes.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't busy, either. I mainly shelved DVD's. Once again, I was able to get everything from the kids' rack on with room to spare, but the adult shelves were overloaded. Maybe a lot of adults are on vacation? This time, I mostly took out animation. The library just got the newest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set in, Minnie's Pet Salon, along with the latest titles from Disney (the Marvel superhero tale Big Hero 6) and Veggitales (a disco spoof, "Celery Night Fever"). Warners just put out the first season of the 70's Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo show. I've been dying to see the fairy tale musical Into the Woods for months now.
It was such a beautiful, sunny day, warm and breezy but not humid, I decided a treat was in order. I stopped at Phillies Yummies on the way home and bought a very icy lime vanilla Yum Yum (a kind of grittier water ice). I sat at the benches, sucked at my cool citrus ice, and watched little girls and their mothers decide what ice cream they wanted.
When I got home, I worked on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Finally finished it out tonight. Scott and the others dress as ghosts to trick Pruitt into confessing. It does, to a degree. He finally admits that yes, he wanted to destroy the town for the minerals under it, and yes, he killed several people to get it. He takes Betty and the imprisoned Maple as hostages and rushes off in a carriage. Scott follows to rescue them. He confronts Pruitt in the desert. He does get him down, but is surrounded by his men...when Doug shows up with the Indians and the others handle the remaining goons.
Scott only wishes he and Betty could fade into the sunset that easily. The prologue is set after "And How." Scott tells Betty he really is ready to bury the hatchet, so to speak. Betty says she was hurt deeply by his lying about Victor and the "Memorial" and is no longer sure she can trust him. Scott swears he'll find a way to make it up to her, by hook or crook or tomahawk...
This will be going up tomorrow night on my blog, my WENN fanfiction website, and Fanfiction.net. I had a hard time figuring out the ending, which is why it took me so long, but I think what I did worked.
The next story on the docket is another fairy tale. Set during the second season episode "Behind Every Great Woman," Betty is upset that she's stuck being Hilary's voice and can't seem to get Scott's attention. She doesn't like how Ruth Getty is acting to her or the others, either. Her frustrations turn into the tale of a beautiful mermaid who gives up her sweet voice for the love of a handsome sailor...who is then lured into the clutches of an evil witch with designs on his immortal soul.
Ran the first two episodes on Minnie's Pet Salon as I made a delicious, savory summer meal of seasoned chicken cutlets in lime sauce with summer vegetables and sweet local corn on the cob. The title episode has Minnie helping the others prepare their beloved animal companions for a big pet show. Minnie helps them wash, groom, and train their friends...and they in turn aid her when the kittens she was cat-sitting go missing.
Daisy Duck reveals she's the only character without a pet in "Daisy's Pet Project." The others try to help her choose between a sweet baby elephant, a very tall baby giraffe, and a mischievous and hungry rabbit.
When I got off, I made my grocery list, then headed to the Acme. Once again, I didn't really need a whole lot. I mostly took advantage of meat sales - got buy one-get-one-free seasoned chicken fillets and breaded chicken fillets and another sale on those tasty turkey tenderloins. Restocked skim milk and brown sugar. Thought I'd try making ambrosia (or at least another fruit salad) later this weekend and picked up coconut to go in it.
I got there just in time to see one of the baggers putting up the schedule. Other than slightly fewer hours (and slightly later hours on Sunday), I'm more or less working at the same times I did this week, with the same days off, Tuesday and Friday.
After I made it home, I finished another Backyardigans episode while I put everything away. Uniqua, Tasha, and Austin go on a soul music-fuled "Garbage Trek" to boldly go where no trash-collectors have gone before. Aliens Tyrone and Pablo keep tricking them in order to steal their garbage. When the boys are stuck in a black hole, Tasha and her crew have to figure out how to rescue them, without ending up stuck themselves.
Had a very quick lunch at Phillies Phatties. Though it was past 1:30, the place was filled with kids looking for a snack or a late lunch. The sidewalk was a sea of bikes! I ordered my usual slice of cheese pizza, slice of mushroom pizza, and can of soda. I ate on the picnic benches on the sidewalk to avoid the noisy rugrats. Tried Mountain Dew's "Baja Blast" soda. It's a very sweet lime, kind of like original Mountain Dew. Not bad, though I think I liked the other one, "Sangrita Blast," better.
Made a quick stop at Dollar Tree for sponges and a get-well-soon card for my stepfather Bill after lunch. They were surprisingly quiet for the afternoon. I got my things and got out in 20 minutes.
The Haddon Township Library wasn't busy, either. I mainly shelved DVD's. Once again, I was able to get everything from the kids' rack on with room to spare, but the adult shelves were overloaded. Maybe a lot of adults are on vacation? This time, I mostly took out animation. The library just got the newest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set in, Minnie's Pet Salon, along with the latest titles from Disney (the Marvel superhero tale Big Hero 6) and Veggitales (a disco spoof, "Celery Night Fever"). Warners just put out the first season of the 70's Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo show. I've been dying to see the fairy tale musical Into the Woods for months now.
It was such a beautiful, sunny day, warm and breezy but not humid, I decided a treat was in order. I stopped at Phillies Yummies on the way home and bought a very icy lime vanilla Yum Yum (a kind of grittier water ice). I sat at the benches, sucked at my cool citrus ice, and watched little girls and their mothers decide what ice cream they wanted.
When I got home, I worked on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Finally finished it out tonight. Scott and the others dress as ghosts to trick Pruitt into confessing. It does, to a degree. He finally admits that yes, he wanted to destroy the town for the minerals under it, and yes, he killed several people to get it. He takes Betty and the imprisoned Maple as hostages and rushes off in a carriage. Scott follows to rescue them. He confronts Pruitt in the desert. He does get him down, but is surrounded by his men...when Doug shows up with the Indians and the others handle the remaining goons.
Scott only wishes he and Betty could fade into the sunset that easily. The prologue is set after "And How." Scott tells Betty he really is ready to bury the hatchet, so to speak. Betty says she was hurt deeply by his lying about Victor and the "Memorial" and is no longer sure she can trust him. Scott swears he'll find a way to make it up to her, by hook or crook or tomahawk...
This will be going up tomorrow night on my blog, my WENN fanfiction website, and Fanfiction.net. I had a hard time figuring out the ending, which is why it took me so long, but I think what I did worked.
The next story on the docket is another fairy tale. Set during the second season episode "Behind Every Great Woman," Betty is upset that she's stuck being Hilary's voice and can't seem to get Scott's attention. She doesn't like how Ruth Getty is acting to her or the others, either. Her frustrations turn into the tale of a beautiful mermaid who gives up her sweet voice for the love of a handsome sailor...who is then lured into the clutches of an evil witch with designs on his immortal soul.
Ran the first two episodes on Minnie's Pet Salon as I made a delicious, savory summer meal of seasoned chicken cutlets in lime sauce with summer vegetables and sweet local corn on the cob. The title episode has Minnie helping the others prepare their beloved animal companions for a big pet show. Minnie helps them wash, groom, and train their friends...and they in turn aid her when the kittens she was cat-sitting go missing.
Daisy Duck reveals she's the only character without a pet in "Daisy's Pet Project." The others try to help her choose between a sweet baby elephant, a very tall baby giraffe, and a mischievous and hungry rabbit.
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Folk Songs for the Revolution
Spent the morning working on my WENN fanfiction. Pruitt and Cosgrave are preparing to leave town, thinking their ruse has worked. Cosgrave, alone in the house, hears strange noises. She thinks it's her imagination...until she sees what appears to be ghosts....
Work was the same as it has been for the past months - on and off steady, but mostly quiet. There were some cranky beginning of the month people. (One older woman sniffed that she wouldn't come into my line because I didn't help her bag. I did - she wouldn't help me out. Things move quicker when everyone does what then can.) It did start to pick up a bit at rush hour. I ended up with no relief and a long line. I just got out under the wire.
When I got home, I watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I while having leftovers for dinner and using the last of the blackberries for Blackberry-Peach Muffins. Having survived her second go-round with the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is now a part of a rebel faction fighting against the excesses of the Capitol. All Katniss wants is to rescue Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) and the other Hunger Games victors who remain in the Capitol. Katniss is horrified when Peeta appears on television subdued and under mind control, spouting propaganda about not fighting the Capitol. The rebel president (Julianne Moore) wants her to be a figurehead for the revolution. Katniss' agent Effie (Elizabeth Banks) figures out that the young woman archer does better when she's herself. When Katniss sees the destruction wrought on her home, she knows she has to take a stand. Even when she and Peeta are reunited, it's hardly the happy reunion she'd hoped for.
Though this was a hit last fall, it didn't do quite as well as previous installments, with audiences or critics. I think we'll understand this one a bit more once the second half comes out this November. I'm beginning to see why a lot of people are becoming very annoyed with all the movies about dreary futures that have turned up in this series' wake. This movie is very dark and rather depressing. My favorite sequence was Katniss in District 13, where she starts singing a folk song...and thanks to the director and camera men following her, almost the entire land ends up singing along.
Same deal as the other installments. Teens on up will have plenty to discuss, especially if they do like their action dark and dreary.
Work was the same as it has been for the past months - on and off steady, but mostly quiet. There were some cranky beginning of the month people. (One older woman sniffed that she wouldn't come into my line because I didn't help her bag. I did - she wouldn't help me out. Things move quicker when everyone does what then can.) It did start to pick up a bit at rush hour. I ended up with no relief and a long line. I just got out under the wire.
When I got home, I watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I while having leftovers for dinner and using the last of the blackberries for Blackberry-Peach Muffins. Having survived her second go-round with the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is now a part of a rebel faction fighting against the excesses of the Capitol. All Katniss wants is to rescue Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) and the other Hunger Games victors who remain in the Capitol. Katniss is horrified when Peeta appears on television subdued and under mind control, spouting propaganda about not fighting the Capitol. The rebel president (Julianne Moore) wants her to be a figurehead for the revolution. Katniss' agent Effie (Elizabeth Banks) figures out that the young woman archer does better when she's herself. When Katniss sees the destruction wrought on her home, she knows she has to take a stand. Even when she and Peeta are reunited, it's hardly the happy reunion she'd hoped for.
Though this was a hit last fall, it didn't do quite as well as previous installments, with audiences or critics. I think we'll understand this one a bit more once the second half comes out this November. I'm beginning to see why a lot of people are becoming very annoyed with all the movies about dreary futures that have turned up in this series' wake. This movie is very dark and rather depressing. My favorite sequence was Katniss in District 13, where she starts singing a folk song...and thanks to the director and camera men following her, almost the entire land ends up singing along.
Same deal as the other installments. Teens on up will have plenty to discuss, especially if they do like their action dark and dreary.
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
A Million Ways to Spoof the West
Had a fairly early work session this morning. It was pretty much the same as it has been since before the 4th of July - on and off quiet for most of the day. It did pick up a little bit around 2:30-3 PM, but by that time, I was almost done. My relief was actually a little bit early. I got out with time to spare.
When I got home, I spent the next hour and a half working on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Hilary, Jeff, and Mackie find Scott passed out on the floor of Wennton's Town Hall. Hilary sends Jeff for a doctor as Betty, Doug, and the others arrive. Betty is able to give Scott mouth-to-mouth and revive him. Scott was able to overhear Pruitt's plans for the town and his ranch before he lost consciousness. Now he and the others have to come up with a way to thwart Pruitt, before he destroys the whole town!
I got hungry around 6. Had leftovers (including the last of the fruit salad) for dinner while watching A Million Ways to Die In the West. Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is no one's Clint Eastwood. He's a sheep rancher in a tough, dirty Arizona town where people die every day, from ways ranging from gun shots to blocks of ice falling on their heads. He's been feeling even worse ever since his gold-digging girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) left him for Foy, the owner of the local mustache care shop (Neil Patrick Harris). Foy wants a duel with him, but Albert's better at shooting off his mouth. He gets help from beautiful blond homesteader Anne (Charlize Theron) who's an expert markswoman. Though the fight with Foy winds up being a win (with some help from Anne), Albert discovers he has worse problems. Anne's husband (Liam Neeson) is a genuine evil gunslinger who wants gold. Can Albert find a way to beat him and win back Anne, without becoming his next victim?
First of all, I'm not a fan of Family Guy (and I haven't seen Ted), so I will say I'm probably not the appropriate audience for this. Second, I can understand why this was one of the bigger flops from last summer. While not as flat-out horrible as my last excursion into modern Westerns (The Lone Ranger), MacFarlane's gross-out style is more annoying than funny. His loser character is a colorless wimp and not really that interesting. The supporting cast is far more fun, especially Theron as Anne, Neeson as her husband, and Giovanni Risbi as Albert's shy best friend, who insists on saving himself for his girlfriend (Sarah Silverman)...despite his girlfriend working in a brothel.
Some of the references to recent westerns are pretty funny, and there are some gags that really work, like Albert's encounter with the Indians towards the end and him and Anne at the dance. Others either go on too long or are just disgusting. (The fight between Albert and Foy is a good example of both.)
This is mainly for fans of the cast, MacFarlane's brand of humor, or those who like their west more dusty and less glamorous. All others would be advised to save this for a rainy-day rental at best.
When I got home, I spent the next hour and a half working on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Hilary, Jeff, and Mackie find Scott passed out on the floor of Wennton's Town Hall. Hilary sends Jeff for a doctor as Betty, Doug, and the others arrive. Betty is able to give Scott mouth-to-mouth and revive him. Scott was able to overhear Pruitt's plans for the town and his ranch before he lost consciousness. Now he and the others have to come up with a way to thwart Pruitt, before he destroys the whole town!
I got hungry around 6. Had leftovers (including the last of the fruit salad) for dinner while watching A Million Ways to Die In the West. Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is no one's Clint Eastwood. He's a sheep rancher in a tough, dirty Arizona town where people die every day, from ways ranging from gun shots to blocks of ice falling on their heads. He's been feeling even worse ever since his gold-digging girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) left him for Foy, the owner of the local mustache care shop (Neil Patrick Harris). Foy wants a duel with him, but Albert's better at shooting off his mouth. He gets help from beautiful blond homesteader Anne (Charlize Theron) who's an expert markswoman. Though the fight with Foy winds up being a win (with some help from Anne), Albert discovers he has worse problems. Anne's husband (Liam Neeson) is a genuine evil gunslinger who wants gold. Can Albert find a way to beat him and win back Anne, without becoming his next victim?
First of all, I'm not a fan of Family Guy (and I haven't seen Ted), so I will say I'm probably not the appropriate audience for this. Second, I can understand why this was one of the bigger flops from last summer. While not as flat-out horrible as my last excursion into modern Westerns (The Lone Ranger), MacFarlane's gross-out style is more annoying than funny. His loser character is a colorless wimp and not really that interesting. The supporting cast is far more fun, especially Theron as Anne, Neeson as her husband, and Giovanni Risbi as Albert's shy best friend, who insists on saving himself for his girlfriend (Sarah Silverman)...despite his girlfriend working in a brothel.
Some of the references to recent westerns are pretty funny, and there are some gags that really work, like Albert's encounter with the Indians towards the end and him and Anne at the dance. Others either go on too long or are just disgusting. (The fight between Albert and Foy is a good example of both.)
This is mainly for fans of the cast, MacFarlane's brand of humor, or those who like their west more dusty and less glamorous. All others would be advised to save this for a rainy-day rental at best.
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
National Day and Evening Out
Started the morning with breakfast and Xanadu. This 1980 musical has "cult" written all over it. A muse named Kira (Olivia Newton-John) comes to Los Angeles to inspire an artist (Michael Beck) find his big break. What he finds is a partner (Gene Kelly), an older man who now owns a construction company, but wants to return to his roots as a musician. He keeps pursuing Kira, but she's a supernatural being, and she can't fall for him...or can she? I like this strange, campy little film, which has an odd style all its own. If you like camp and/or musicals as much as me, you may be willing to give this one a chance.
I finally headed out around 11:30. For once, there was quite a bit to do at the Oaklyn Library. In addition to organizing the DVD's, there was a huge pile of children's books to shelve. The board books were an absolute mess, and the beginning readers were only a little better. It took me nearly an hour to get it all done. It's probably just as well that the place was dead. I barely even saw the librarian.
Made my way down the White Horse Pike to Cuthbert, and then to Crystal Lake Road. I finally ended up at Westmont for lunch at the Westmont Family Diner, the little restaurant in the shopping center across from the Westmont PATCO. The diner had grown quite a bit since I last ate there in November. Their original small lobby was now a back door. The front door had been moved to an expanded entrance area and mini-bakery, which had taken over the storefront next to them.
I enjoyed a simple, yummy "Combo Lunch" - half a chicken salad on whole wheat toast, a scoop of tangy potato salad, a tiny cup of cole slaw, a simple house salad that had probably been taken out of a bag, deliciously sweet lemonade, and a small dish of vanilla ice cream. It was 1:30 by the time I ate, and the place was crowded. A trio of men, an older man and his son and nephew from their talk, sat across from me. They were rather annoying, with all their sports talk and their teasing the waitress, though she took it pretty well.
Next stop was counseling. I just made it in with five minutes to spare. Things have been fairly quiet lately, and I didn't have a lot to report. We discussed my writing, my poor hurt daddies (and the wives and girlfriends taking care of them), my mall trips, the continuing work on the backyard at my apartment, swimming in Dad's pool, Skylar's birthday, and how quiet the Acme's been lately.
I really don't have much else planned for August besides writing and saving enough money for the tickets and new luggage to visit Lauren in October. I'd like to finally take that day trip to Atlantic City either next week or the week after. Otherwise, I'm hoping this summer will remain quiet. Having grown up down at the Shore, where summers are the busy season, it feels great to have an August with little noise and congestion.
Stopped at Primo's on the way home for a water ice. Needless to say, on a day that had to be in the lower 90's, I was hardly the only one there. I came in just ahead of a big group of kids coming with someone's mom. I ordered a medium pineapple turnover. It was basically creamy pineapple, but it was sweet and delicious, with lots of pineapple pieces.
It was too hot to linger outside or go for a long ride. I went straight home across Newton Lake Park. Even they weren't busy. There was no one on the playground or leaning against the fences with a fishing rod or sunning themselves on a bench. I saw a few people who were probably walking home from work. Other than that, there wasn't even a Canadian goose around.
When I got home around quarter after four, I went right on the computer. Spent the next couple of hours working on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Scott has gone to the offices of the Wennton Daily Gazette to meet Betty and ask her a few questions. She tells him what she's found out - the ground under the town and the ranch is filled with valuable minerals. That's what Pruitt's after. Scott has just kissed her when Doug Thompson appears, reminding her that they have a date. Heartbroken, Scott just takes off.
He's hurt enough that he wants to forget his troubles. An apple seller with a barrel of hard cider offers him his wares to take his mind off Betty and his mother's death. But that apple cider may be the last thing Scott ever drinks...
Around 7 PM, I put on my new sandals and headed back out, this time on foot. Oaklyn was taking part in the National Night Out with a block party on West Clinton Avenue where Phillies Phatties, Studio LuLoo, and Common Grounds Coffee House are. It was a merry little carnival when I arrived. There were bounce houses and real fire trucks for the kids to explore. Oaklyn police officers gave out free pens, pencils, frisbees, soft balls, water containers, and key chains. There was free food, too - pizza and hot dogs and cotton candy. Kids had their bike helmets checked and learned about bike safety. A volunteer for a battered women's shelter gave out more freebees.
I had the pizza and cotton candy. Yum! I haven't had cotton candy since I was a kid. It was fluffy and sweet and pink...and the hit of the party. The kids were absolutely thrilled by the fluffy sugar and the big blue machine it was made in. I took home a key chain for a friend who collects them, along with a frisbee, soft mini football, pencil, and pen.
I finally headed out around 11:30. For once, there was quite a bit to do at the Oaklyn Library. In addition to organizing the DVD's, there was a huge pile of children's books to shelve. The board books were an absolute mess, and the beginning readers were only a little better. It took me nearly an hour to get it all done. It's probably just as well that the place was dead. I barely even saw the librarian.
Made my way down the White Horse Pike to Cuthbert, and then to Crystal Lake Road. I finally ended up at Westmont for lunch at the Westmont Family Diner, the little restaurant in the shopping center across from the Westmont PATCO. The diner had grown quite a bit since I last ate there in November. Their original small lobby was now a back door. The front door had been moved to an expanded entrance area and mini-bakery, which had taken over the storefront next to them.
I enjoyed a simple, yummy "Combo Lunch" - half a chicken salad on whole wheat toast, a scoop of tangy potato salad, a tiny cup of cole slaw, a simple house salad that had probably been taken out of a bag, deliciously sweet lemonade, and a small dish of vanilla ice cream. It was 1:30 by the time I ate, and the place was crowded. A trio of men, an older man and his son and nephew from their talk, sat across from me. They were rather annoying, with all their sports talk and their teasing the waitress, though she took it pretty well.
Next stop was counseling. I just made it in with five minutes to spare. Things have been fairly quiet lately, and I didn't have a lot to report. We discussed my writing, my poor hurt daddies (and the wives and girlfriends taking care of them), my mall trips, the continuing work on the backyard at my apartment, swimming in Dad's pool, Skylar's birthday, and how quiet the Acme's been lately.
I really don't have much else planned for August besides writing and saving enough money for the tickets and new luggage to visit Lauren in October. I'd like to finally take that day trip to Atlantic City either next week or the week after. Otherwise, I'm hoping this summer will remain quiet. Having grown up down at the Shore, where summers are the busy season, it feels great to have an August with little noise and congestion.
Stopped at Primo's on the way home for a water ice. Needless to say, on a day that had to be in the lower 90's, I was hardly the only one there. I came in just ahead of a big group of kids coming with someone's mom. I ordered a medium pineapple turnover. It was basically creamy pineapple, but it was sweet and delicious, with lots of pineapple pieces.
It was too hot to linger outside or go for a long ride. I went straight home across Newton Lake Park. Even they weren't busy. There was no one on the playground or leaning against the fences with a fishing rod or sunning themselves on a bench. I saw a few people who were probably walking home from work. Other than that, there wasn't even a Canadian goose around.
When I got home around quarter after four, I went right on the computer. Spent the next couple of hours working on Scott White and the Seven Actors. Scott has gone to the offices of the Wennton Daily Gazette to meet Betty and ask her a few questions. She tells him what she's found out - the ground under the town and the ranch is filled with valuable minerals. That's what Pruitt's after. Scott has just kissed her when Doug Thompson appears, reminding her that they have a date. Heartbroken, Scott just takes off.
He's hurt enough that he wants to forget his troubles. An apple seller with a barrel of hard cider offers him his wares to take his mind off Betty and his mother's death. But that apple cider may be the last thing Scott ever drinks...
Around 7 PM, I put on my new sandals and headed back out, this time on foot. Oaklyn was taking part in the National Night Out with a block party on West Clinton Avenue where Phillies Phatties, Studio LuLoo, and Common Grounds Coffee House are. It was a merry little carnival when I arrived. There were bounce houses and real fire trucks for the kids to explore. Oaklyn police officers gave out free pens, pencils, frisbees, soft balls, water containers, and key chains. There was free food, too - pizza and hot dogs and cotton candy. Kids had their bike helmets checked and learned about bike safety. A volunteer for a battered women's shelter gave out more freebees.
I had the pizza and cotton candy. Yum! I haven't had cotton candy since I was a kid. It was fluffy and sweet and pink...and the hit of the party. The kids were absolutely thrilled by the fluffy sugar and the big blue machine it was made in. I took home a key chain for a friend who collects them, along with a frisbee, soft mini football, pencil, and pen.
Monday, August 03, 2015
In the Swim of Things
I worked relatively early this morning. This time, we were on-and-off busy, more than we have been, but not as bad as yesterday or we often are in the beginning of the month. I imagine it'll stay pretty busy this week, due to the big sales we're having. Thankfully, it slowed down in time for me to leave without a relief.
Hurried out as soon as I was done. When I got home, I changed into my bathing suit, had a snack, grabbed my towel, and finally got several cards together. I feel so embarrassed - I never did give Dad his Father's Day card. His birthday was last week, too. I also have a get-well-soon card I picked up for him a while back. Also sent out my nephew Skylar's birthday card. He turned 11 on Saturday. I stuck 10 dollars in his card. He can save it for a video game or a new LEGO set. (He loves LEGOs. His birthday party was LEGO-themed.)
Jodie met me in the living room when I went inside to tell them I was there. I came at a good time. Dad had just gotten back from more throat surgery. His throat and especially his tongue were in pain - he was sleeping it off.
Spent the next 40 minutes or so in the pool. Ahhhh. That felt wonderful. The pool was still very warm, almost 90 degrees. This time, I had it entirely to myself. I was a bit surprised. Jodie said Rose and Khai had been around earlier in the day. but by 5 PM, the area was empty. I swam back and forth, tried to stand on my hands in the shallow area, and fished leaves and bugs out. (I even saw a bee in the pool - yikes! I swam away fast.) It felt absolutely wonderful. I can write or clean my apartment any time of the year.
Dad was awake when I got out. I gave him a kiss on his forehead and asked him how he was. He said he was in pain, then asked (or wrote) me how my day had gone. We watched a little of Pawn Stars together.
Since I was already wet, I went right into the shower. When I got out, I ate leftover Turkey Pasta Veggie Salad while watching an episode of Rick Steves' Europe. Given the time of year and the hot weather, I thought it was a great day for watching the episode on the French Riviera. Some parts of the area in southern France long known as the playground for Europe's elite remind me so much of Cape May - sparkling beaches, yachts in the water, beautiful hotels of the 1890's holding tons of history, artists taking advantage of the area's legendary sun, light, and color - that I almost feel homesick watching it. I remember seeing artists sitting on the rocks on the edge of town painting the view when I'd go for walks down the shoreline from West Cape May to the Cape May Point Lighthouse in the summer as a young teenager.
Hurried out as soon as I was done. When I got home, I changed into my bathing suit, had a snack, grabbed my towel, and finally got several cards together. I feel so embarrassed - I never did give Dad his Father's Day card. His birthday was last week, too. I also have a get-well-soon card I picked up for him a while back. Also sent out my nephew Skylar's birthday card. He turned 11 on Saturday. I stuck 10 dollars in his card. He can save it for a video game or a new LEGO set. (He loves LEGOs. His birthday party was LEGO-themed.)
Jodie met me in the living room when I went inside to tell them I was there. I came at a good time. Dad had just gotten back from more throat surgery. His throat and especially his tongue were in pain - he was sleeping it off.
Spent the next 40 minutes or so in the pool. Ahhhh. That felt wonderful. The pool was still very warm, almost 90 degrees. This time, I had it entirely to myself. I was a bit surprised. Jodie said Rose and Khai had been around earlier in the day. but by 5 PM, the area was empty. I swam back and forth, tried to stand on my hands in the shallow area, and fished leaves and bugs out. (I even saw a bee in the pool - yikes! I swam away fast.) It felt absolutely wonderful. I can write or clean my apartment any time of the year.
Dad was awake when I got out. I gave him a kiss on his forehead and asked him how he was. He said he was in pain, then asked (or wrote) me how my day had gone. We watched a little of Pawn Stars together.
Since I was already wet, I went right into the shower. When I got out, I ate leftover Turkey Pasta Veggie Salad while watching an episode of Rick Steves' Europe. Given the time of year and the hot weather, I thought it was a great day for watching the episode on the French Riviera. Some parts of the area in southern France long known as the playground for Europe's elite remind me so much of Cape May - sparkling beaches, yachts in the water, beautiful hotels of the 1890's holding tons of history, artists taking advantage of the area's legendary sun, light, and color - that I almost feel homesick watching it. I remember seeing artists sitting on the rocks on the edge of town painting the view when I'd go for walks down the shoreline from West Cape May to the Cape May Point Lighthouse in the summer as a young teenager.
Sunday, August 02, 2015
For Me and My Laundry
Began another hot, sunny, dry day with Sugar Plum Pancakes and the soundtrack to That's Entertainment, Part II. This is the only That's Entertainment movie I don't have. I'm not in any hurry to grab it. It's my least-favorite of the three MGM musical documentaries. There's too much concentration on non-musical segments and too little on the actual musical footage. The soundtrack LP has problems, too. While a few numbers are heard in full, many are only snippets. (The soundtrack for the first movie mostly has full numbers.)
That said, there are some things I like. Bing Crosby's driving "Temptation," from MGM's 1933 Busby Berkeley imitation Going Hollywood, is a good number from a little-known movie. I've always loved Judy Garland and Gene Kelly's version of the title song from For Me and My Gal. Astaire joins Garland for the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade. My favorite number from Gigi is Hermoine Gingold and Maurice Chevalier reminiscing on how "I Remember It Well."
I got up a bit late and was almost late to work! This time, it did matter. We were on-and-off busy all day. It's the beginning of the month, and that big buy six items, get three dollars off sale will be going on all week. Thankfully, there were no really major problems, and my relief was actually a little bit early. I was in and out with no trouble.
When I got home, I changed, grabbed my laundry, and headed right back out to the laundromat. Doing the laundry worked so well last Sunday, I decided to try it again. It was a little busier there tonight, otherwise pretty much the same, right down to the golf on TV. I read the Vesper Holly story The El Dorado Adventure and watched an adorable little boy toddler run around.
When I got home, I put everything away, then worked a little bit on my current story. Scott's not crazy about Hilary's idea to disguise him. It does get him into town, despite his protests. Now he has to find Betty and see what she knows...and avoid Pruitt and his scheming.
I listened to a couple of CDs of music from the 70's while I ate leftover chicken legs, Chinese beans, and fruit salad for dinner. I love my Have a Nice Day discs. While some of the music on them isn't that forgotten, there's occasionally some genuine rarities, like "Wham Bang," "Billy, Don't Be a Hero," or "Beach Baby."
That said, there are some things I like. Bing Crosby's driving "Temptation," from MGM's 1933 Busby Berkeley imitation Going Hollywood, is a good number from a little-known movie. I've always loved Judy Garland and Gene Kelly's version of the title song from For Me and My Gal. Astaire joins Garland for the hilarious "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade. My favorite number from Gigi is Hermoine Gingold and Maurice Chevalier reminiscing on how "I Remember It Well."
I got up a bit late and was almost late to work! This time, it did matter. We were on-and-off busy all day. It's the beginning of the month, and that big buy six items, get three dollars off sale will be going on all week. Thankfully, there were no really major problems, and my relief was actually a little bit early. I was in and out with no trouble.
When I got home, I changed, grabbed my laundry, and headed right back out to the laundromat. Doing the laundry worked so well last Sunday, I decided to try it again. It was a little busier there tonight, otherwise pretty much the same, right down to the golf on TV. I read the Vesper Holly story The El Dorado Adventure and watched an adorable little boy toddler run around.
When I got home, I put everything away, then worked a little bit on my current story. Scott's not crazy about Hilary's idea to disguise him. It does get him into town, despite his protests. Now he has to find Betty and see what she knows...and avoid Pruitt and his scheming.
I listened to a couple of CDs of music from the 70's while I ate leftover chicken legs, Chinese beans, and fruit salad for dinner. I love my Have a Nice Day discs. While some of the music on them isn't that forgotten, there's occasionally some genuine rarities, like "Wham Bang," "Billy, Don't Be a Hero," or "Beach Baby."
Saturday, August 01, 2015
Farm Market Magic
I slept in and didn't get moving until past 10. It was quarter of 11 before I made it to the Collingswood Farm Market. They were busy as heck today, even that late. Everyone must have been buying produce for barbecues and birthday parties. It's probably just as well that I didn't need much. I just bought blueberries, sugar plums (which got mushed on the way home), a small watermelon, and peaches.
Work was a lot busier than it has been recently. Not only is it the beginning of the month, but we're in the midst of a massive anniversary sale. They're having that "Mega Sale" event - buy any six items from a wide assortment of brands, get $3.00 off. A lot of kids will be going back to school in the next two to three weeks as well. Thankfully, there were no major problems, and the college boy who was my relief arrived right on time.
I got my schedule when I arrived. In good news, I have Tuesday and Friday off again (Tuesday for counseling), slightly more hours, and a late day next Saturday will allow for a less rushed farm market trip. In somewhat annoying news, I have some early days, including tomorrow (though not quite as bad as I did last summer).
Thanks to that big sale, there was a lot I wanted to stock up on this week, though it still wasn't a huge cart full. I needed to restock milk, canned tuna (59 cents!) and chicken, honey, and toilet paper. Jiff Peanut Butter, Quaker cereals (went with Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares this time), Pillsbury Cake Mix (couldn't resist Funfetti), and Crisco Canola Oil were a part of the sale. (I bought two of the peanut butter and canola oil.) Treated myself to the delicious Ivin's Spiced Wafers (ginger snaps, more or less) and Acme's new generic organic "Italian Soda." Thought I'd try blood orange. (It's yummy, but it has quite a bit of real sugar in it. It'll only be an occasional splurge.) Those little turkey tenderloins I loved a while back were on a really good sale - I went with "rotisserie" flavor.
When I got home, I put everything away, then watched Strange Magic while eating leftovers for dinner. Marianne (Evan Rachel Wood) was a fairy who was once in love with the handsome Roland (Sam Palladio). At least, until she caught him kissing another on their wedding day. Broken-hearted, she became a warrior instead, intent on avoiding all love. Meanwhile, her little sister Dawn (Meredith Anne Bull) falls for every good-looking fairy she sees. Her elf guy friend Sunny (Elijah Kelley) wishes she'd just see him. Things get really odd when Sunny gets the Sugar Plum Fairy (Kristin Chenowith), who has been imprisoned by the Bog King (Alan Cummings), to make him a love potion. Sunny tries to use the potion on Dawn, with disastrous results. Marianne tries to rescue her love-struck sister...and learns in the process that love can be a very complex thing indeed, and there's more to love than wanting someone with a pretty face.
Very, very odd movie. George Lucas had a hand in this (he produced and wrote it), so it shouldn't be that surprising. First and foremost, this is a musical, using almost 40 pop songs from the 60's through the early 2000's to tell its tale. That's a few too many musical numbers, even for me. Second, a lot of the story doesn't make sense or moves too fast, even for a fantasy.
As with Maleficent, the thing here is the special effects. The animators did an amazing job of creating a world like you've never seen. The characters are all creative and original-looking, even things like elves and fairies you think you've seen everywhere. The colors and detail are incredible. There's something amazing in every frame.
If you're looking for something different and don't mind the constant barrage of music (or barrage of plot holes), this one is worth at least a look.
Work was a lot busier than it has been recently. Not only is it the beginning of the month, but we're in the midst of a massive anniversary sale. They're having that "Mega Sale" event - buy any six items from a wide assortment of brands, get $3.00 off. A lot of kids will be going back to school in the next two to three weeks as well. Thankfully, there were no major problems, and the college boy who was my relief arrived right on time.
I got my schedule when I arrived. In good news, I have Tuesday and Friday off again (Tuesday for counseling), slightly more hours, and a late day next Saturday will allow for a less rushed farm market trip. In somewhat annoying news, I have some early days, including tomorrow (though not quite as bad as I did last summer).
Thanks to that big sale, there was a lot I wanted to stock up on this week, though it still wasn't a huge cart full. I needed to restock milk, canned tuna (59 cents!) and chicken, honey, and toilet paper. Jiff Peanut Butter, Quaker cereals (went with Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares this time), Pillsbury Cake Mix (couldn't resist Funfetti), and Crisco Canola Oil were a part of the sale. (I bought two of the peanut butter and canola oil.) Treated myself to the delicious Ivin's Spiced Wafers (ginger snaps, more or less) and Acme's new generic organic "Italian Soda." Thought I'd try blood orange. (It's yummy, but it has quite a bit of real sugar in it. It'll only be an occasional splurge.) Those little turkey tenderloins I loved a while back were on a really good sale - I went with "rotisserie" flavor.
When I got home, I put everything away, then watched Strange Magic while eating leftovers for dinner. Marianne (Evan Rachel Wood) was a fairy who was once in love with the handsome Roland (Sam Palladio). At least, until she caught him kissing another on their wedding day. Broken-hearted, she became a warrior instead, intent on avoiding all love. Meanwhile, her little sister Dawn (Meredith Anne Bull) falls for every good-looking fairy she sees. Her elf guy friend Sunny (Elijah Kelley) wishes she'd just see him. Things get really odd when Sunny gets the Sugar Plum Fairy (Kristin Chenowith), who has been imprisoned by the Bog King (Alan Cummings), to make him a love potion. Sunny tries to use the potion on Dawn, with disastrous results. Marianne tries to rescue her love-struck sister...and learns in the process that love can be a very complex thing indeed, and there's more to love than wanting someone with a pretty face.
Very, very odd movie. George Lucas had a hand in this (he produced and wrote it), so it shouldn't be that surprising. First and foremost, this is a musical, using almost 40 pop songs from the 60's through the early 2000's to tell its tale. That's a few too many musical numbers, even for me. Second, a lot of the story doesn't make sense or moves too fast, even for a fantasy.
As with Maleficent, the thing here is the special effects. The animators did an amazing job of creating a world like you've never seen. The characters are all creative and original-looking, even things like elves and fairies you think you've seen everywhere. The colors and detail are incredible. There's something amazing in every frame.
If you're looking for something different and don't mind the constant barrage of music (or barrage of plot holes), this one is worth at least a look.
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