"March Goes In Like A Lion..."
...And out like...well, if not like a lamb, at least a bit more like spring. I spent most of the morning and early afternoon at work. Today was a rare early day, 8:30AM-2:30PM. Thankfully, it was steady enough for most of that time that it didn't drag. Most people were either stocking up for the week or preparing for tonight's Phillies home opener against the Washington Nationals. (Who creamed them, BTW, 11-6.)
It began to sprinkle slightly while I rode to work, and it sprinkled slightly on my way home. It apparently showered on-and-off in between, though it was dry enough for me to run some errands after I got home and changed my shirt. I dropped Sailor Moon R off at Dad's for Jessa, went to the bank, and headed down to CVS for some OralGel and, since they had them cheap, ended up getting eggs there as well. It started to rain harder on my way back from CVS and has been doing so on-and-off for the rest of the evening.
Yes, my tooth is acting up again. While not sensitive to heat or cold this time (I can drink my morning tea and eat chilled fruit with no problems), I can't bite down on that tooth without pain. I'm scared. The dentist said if the tooth still hurt when I went to my second appointment with her this Saturday, I may have to get a root canal. Painful and expensive (even with insurance). I would prefer to avoid that. I'm just hoping my gums are sore or maybe something's wrong with the filling.
Oh, and I tried something different tonight. I made yeast rolls for the first time, using a Wheat-Molasses-Oat Bread recipe from my Live Longer Cookbook, adding the last of the maraschino cherries leftover from my Pineapple-Upside-Down Cake mess. I'll make a glaze tomorrow and serve them as a mildly sweet roll for breakfast. Unlike the cake, they came out just fine and smelled divine when they were in the oven.
I also finished off More Silly Symphonies while the rolls were in the oven. My favorites will always be the holiday classics The Night Before Christmas and Santa's Workshop. I'd had both uncut on the Walt Disney Christmas video I picked up from the Blockbuster in Wildwood, but the video is so old and in such lousy shape that it's nice to have better copies. Mother Goose Goes Hollywood was another rare stand-out. I've NEVER seen it uncut, certainly not on the Disney Channel, so this was a rare treat. (I kinda liked the Marx Brothers playing piano with Fats Waller.)
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
It's the End Of The World As We Know It, and I Feel Fine
It was mostly a quiet day. I spent the morning watching Sailor Moon R, then online. I won't be able to do a lot online tonight, since I work early tomorrow. I had a pleasant ride to and from work. It was in the lower 50s, sunny, and not too windy. Accordingly, it was steady at work, not quite as busy as it usually is on a Sunday, but still busier than it has been the rest of this slow week.
I finished off Sailor Moon R this evening during a quick Smart Ones Meal dinner. I think I have my new favorite Sailor Moon season, surpassing even the underrated fourth season. I now understand the importance of Wicked/Black Lady to the plot...and why Rini behaved as badly as she did early on. I was actually close to tears when Queen Serenity finally brought her daughter back to their side, and later when Rini returned to the future. That "little spore" does grow on you. ;)
That final battle, while reminiscent of the finale of the Sailor Moon R movie, does pack quite a punch. I love it when the girls pool their powers...and I really loved how Serena/Queen Serenity was able to remind Rini that scolding her and not helping her up when she falls on occasion doesn't mean she and Darien don't love her. She's just doing her job as a parent and teaching her daughter to stand on her own two feet.
This is also one of the few times in Sailor Moon where I ended up feeling genuine sympathy for the villains. In fact, the only member of the Black Moon Family I didn't end up liking a little was Emerald, who learned a lesson the hard way about "jealousy being a terrible monster" (to quote an oft-repeated "Sailor Moon Says" segment). I was kinda hoping Diamond and Sapphire would be able to start over with the Weird Sisters; Prisma really liked Sapphire. Maybe they'll meet them in a happier place someday...
I also began the More Silly Symphonies Walt Disney Treasures set. Most of the cartoons on the first disc are rare black-and-white season-themed shorts. As Leonard Maltin pointed out in his introduction, these cartoons are primitive and repetitive but still quite charming, with their rubbery characters and adorable dances perfectly timed to popular classical pieces.
It was mostly a quiet day. I spent the morning watching Sailor Moon R, then online. I won't be able to do a lot online tonight, since I work early tomorrow. I had a pleasant ride to and from work. It was in the lower 50s, sunny, and not too windy. Accordingly, it was steady at work, not quite as busy as it usually is on a Sunday, but still busier than it has been the rest of this slow week.
I finished off Sailor Moon R this evening during a quick Smart Ones Meal dinner. I think I have my new favorite Sailor Moon season, surpassing even the underrated fourth season. I now understand the importance of Wicked/Black Lady to the plot...and why Rini behaved as badly as she did early on. I was actually close to tears when Queen Serenity finally brought her daughter back to their side, and later when Rini returned to the future. That "little spore" does grow on you. ;)
That final battle, while reminiscent of the finale of the Sailor Moon R movie, does pack quite a punch. I love it when the girls pool their powers...and I really loved how Serena/Queen Serenity was able to remind Rini that scolding her and not helping her up when she falls on occasion doesn't mean she and Darien don't love her. She's just doing her job as a parent and teaching her daughter to stand on her own two feet.
This is also one of the few times in Sailor Moon where I ended up feeling genuine sympathy for the villains. In fact, the only member of the Black Moon Family I didn't end up liking a little was Emerald, who learned a lesson the hard way about "jealousy being a terrible monster" (to quote an oft-repeated "Sailor Moon Says" segment). I was kinda hoping Diamond and Sapphire would be able to start over with the Weird Sisters; Prisma really liked Sapphire. Maybe they'll meet them in a happier place someday...
I also began the More Silly Symphonies Walt Disney Treasures set. Most of the cartoons on the first disc are rare black-and-white season-themed shorts. As Leonard Maltin pointed out in his introduction, these cartoons are primitive and repetitive but still quite charming, with their rubbery characters and adorable dances perfectly timed to popular classical pieces.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
How To Nurse A Sick Raccoon
Spent most of today at work. It was on-and-off busy, but there were a lot of big, 200 and 300 dollar orders. I'm assuming many people are stocking up after vacation and Easter week. I also had a rather nice surprise in the break room early this afternoon. Three of our managers are being transferred to other stores, and the other managers wished them "Good Luck" with a sheet cake the approximate size of Texas. I was lucky enough to have my break right when they were beginning to slice it. (I did miss the pizza, though.)
After dinner and a shower, I went online and tended to my WebKinz. I play my WebKinz in turns, since I have 20 of them. Tonight was my raccoon Sundance's turn at bat. I left him in the garden after we watered and weeded it and played two games of DiceKinz. When I came back, I discovered, to my dismay, a green raccoon. WebKinz can't die, but they CAN get sick, and my poor boy was definitely sick. Dr. Quack claimed it was "the sniffles" and gave him medicine, but I'll bet he nosed around in the trash when my back was turned and ate something that didn't agree with him. I bought him some oranges, apples, and grapefruit and played some puzzles with him, and that seemed to make him better.
Spent most of today at work. It was on-and-off busy, but there were a lot of big, 200 and 300 dollar orders. I'm assuming many people are stocking up after vacation and Easter week. I also had a rather nice surprise in the break room early this afternoon. Three of our managers are being transferred to other stores, and the other managers wished them "Good Luck" with a sheet cake the approximate size of Texas. I was lucky enough to have my break right when they were beginning to slice it. (I did miss the pizza, though.)
After dinner and a shower, I went online and tended to my WebKinz. I play my WebKinz in turns, since I have 20 of them. Tonight was my raccoon Sundance's turn at bat. I left him in the garden after we watered and weeded it and played two games of DiceKinz. When I came back, I discovered, to my dismay, a green raccoon. WebKinz can't die, but they CAN get sick, and my poor boy was definitely sick. Dr. Quack claimed it was "the sniffles" and gave him medicine, but I'll bet he nosed around in the trash when my back was turned and ate something that didn't agree with him. I bought him some oranges, apples, and grapefruit and played some puzzles with him, and that seemed to make him better.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Little Girl Lost
I spent the morning watching Sailor Moon R, taking down Easter decorations, putting away the small Easter basket Dad made for me, and finally adding all those new records I've bought in the past few months to my inventory. The second half of the R season involves the Sailor Soliders trying to fight off a menace from the future, while Darien (Serena's boyfriend/partner in crime-fighting) thinks she's in danger and pushes her away to save her. (Typical macho guy won't talk about the problem and waits until the last minute to tell Serena he's been having nightmares about losing her.) Around the same time, a little girl almost literally falls out of the sky. Rini is obstinate, spoiled, and obnoxious around Serena but generally lovable around everyone else. She's after Serena's crystal that gives her powers in order to save her mother in the future.
I'm beginning to understand why a lot of Sailor Moon fans don't like Rini. Lord, she is a brat in these episodes! If you've never seen her in the third and fourth seasons (where she's a bit older and mellowed out), you'd think she's like this all the time. I understand the kid is lost, scared, alone, and in foreign time period, but there's no need for her to take it out on Serena. I know what it's like to be alone a lot, even as a kid Rini's age. Actually, Rini reminds me a bit of my sister Anny. Anny used to drive me just as crazy when she was little, but if it's any consolation to Serena and Rini, we get along just fine now. Maybe that's why Rini doesn't bother me as much as she does other people. I went through a lot of this in real life (without the monsters). ;)
Work was busier than the past few days up through the 4PM rush hour, after which it was dead. Just as well; I had shopping to do and a paycheck to pick up. Business should improve this weekend and next week as we hit the beginning of the month and people need to stock up after Easter and vacations.
I spent the morning watching Sailor Moon R, taking down Easter decorations, putting away the small Easter basket Dad made for me, and finally adding all those new records I've bought in the past few months to my inventory. The second half of the R season involves the Sailor Soliders trying to fight off a menace from the future, while Darien (Serena's boyfriend/partner in crime-fighting) thinks she's in danger and pushes her away to save her. (Typical macho guy won't talk about the problem and waits until the last minute to tell Serena he's been having nightmares about losing her.) Around the same time, a little girl almost literally falls out of the sky. Rini is obstinate, spoiled, and obnoxious around Serena but generally lovable around everyone else. She's after Serena's crystal that gives her powers in order to save her mother in the future.
I'm beginning to understand why a lot of Sailor Moon fans don't like Rini. Lord, she is a brat in these episodes! If you've never seen her in the third and fourth seasons (where she's a bit older and mellowed out), you'd think she's like this all the time. I understand the kid is lost, scared, alone, and in foreign time period, but there's no need for her to take it out on Serena. I know what it's like to be alone a lot, even as a kid Rini's age. Actually, Rini reminds me a bit of my sister Anny. Anny used to drive me just as crazy when she was little, but if it's any consolation to Serena and Rini, we get along just fine now. Maybe that's why Rini doesn't bother me as much as she does other people. I went through a lot of this in real life (without the monsters). ;)
Work was busier than the past few days up through the 4PM rush hour, after which it was dead. Just as well; I had shopping to do and a paycheck to pick up. Business should improve this weekend and next week as we hit the beginning of the month and people need to stock up after Easter and vacations.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sudden Spring Showers
It rained on and off all morning, including while I did the laundry. Poor Dad is back to feeling lousy again. (Jodie says she thinks the long drive to Karen and Jim's on Easter Day took a lot out of him.) I left him to Showtime and TCM and read Zorro and did pilates instead. It was still raining when I went home, but thankfully, by the time I headed out to work, the rain had stopped and it was sunny.
Work was on-and-off busy, more than yesterday if still not quite as much as normal. (Most people seem to either have gone on vacation or are broke after the holiday.) We really only had long lines because we're low on help, thanks to myriad vacations this week and a simple lack of people scheduled.
It was cloudy but still not raining when I headed home. There were police cars on the Black Horse Pike when I got to the Kendall Boulevard ramp. I made my way carefully around them. I wonder why they were there? They didn't look like they were chasing anyone, and if there was an accident, they cleaned up after it awfully well, because there was no traffic.
It rained on and off all morning, including while I did the laundry. Poor Dad is back to feeling lousy again. (Jodie says she thinks the long drive to Karen and Jim's on Easter Day took a lot out of him.) I left him to Showtime and TCM and read Zorro and did pilates instead. It was still raining when I went home, but thankfully, by the time I headed out to work, the rain had stopped and it was sunny.
Work was on-and-off busy, more than yesterday if still not quite as much as normal. (Most people seem to either have gone on vacation or are broke after the holiday.) We really only had long lines because we're low on help, thanks to myriad vacations this week and a simple lack of people scheduled.
It was cloudy but still not raining when I headed home. There were police cars on the Black Horse Pike when I got to the Kendall Boulevard ramp. I made my way carefully around them. I wonder why they were there? They didn't look like they were chasing anyone, and if there was an accident, they cleaned up after it awfully well, because there was no traffic.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Afternoon Delight
I spent most of the morning and early afternoon at work, which was soooooo sloooooowwww. Except for the noon rush hour, work was dead as a doornail and not getting any busier when I left around 3:30. It was boring, which was kind of nice, in a way - there were no problems and no unusually annoying customers. (And a sign on the time clock at work says the store is going to be clamping down on the people who repeatedly show up late or constantly switch their schedule. About time! That's why I only have one job. If one job constantly makes you late for the other job, it's time to give up one job or the other.)
I worked early today and was able to spend my afternoon doing things I'd much rather do. After I got home, I changed my shirt and went right back out again to run some errands and enjoy the beautiful 60-degree weather. I headed to Family Dollar for mouthwash and Fig Newtons, then went to WaWa to treat myself to a Cherry-Chocolate Coke Zero from the soda fountain with those great flavored syrups. I wasn't the only person out and about. Mothers pushed their toddlers in strollers. Teenagers and pre-teens strolled in groups or chatted over picnic tables. Their younger siblings ran around front yards and rode Power Wheels or Little Tyke foot-powered cars.
There are signs of spring all over Oaklyn. The trees now have the first buds of spring; even the smallest tree has buds. Daffodils and tiny purple crocuses have popped up everywhere. New green grass can be seen under dry, dormant shoots. I saw a gorgeous cardinal and a few robins on my porch this morning. I tried to get a picture of Mr. Cardinal, but he chickened out and flew away before I could snap it.
After I got home, I did yoga before my dinner of Easter leftovers. I wish I was doing better with Yoga. I can't seem to focus. I still can't sit on my knees for more than a few seconds without some pain. I have absolutely no sense of balance. I keep falling over when I do the standing poses. I've never been very good at relaxing. I just can't let go of everything in my mind.
I spent most of the morning and early afternoon at work, which was soooooo sloooooowwww. Except for the noon rush hour, work was dead as a doornail and not getting any busier when I left around 3:30. It was boring, which was kind of nice, in a way - there were no problems and no unusually annoying customers. (And a sign on the time clock at work says the store is going to be clamping down on the people who repeatedly show up late or constantly switch their schedule. About time! That's why I only have one job. If one job constantly makes you late for the other job, it's time to give up one job or the other.)
I worked early today and was able to spend my afternoon doing things I'd much rather do. After I got home, I changed my shirt and went right back out again to run some errands and enjoy the beautiful 60-degree weather. I headed to Family Dollar for mouthwash and Fig Newtons, then went to WaWa to treat myself to a Cherry-Chocolate Coke Zero from the soda fountain with those great flavored syrups. I wasn't the only person out and about. Mothers pushed their toddlers in strollers. Teenagers and pre-teens strolled in groups or chatted over picnic tables. Their younger siblings ran around front yards and rode Power Wheels or Little Tyke foot-powered cars.
There are signs of spring all over Oaklyn. The trees now have the first buds of spring; even the smallest tree has buds. Daffodils and tiny purple crocuses have popped up everywhere. New green grass can be seen under dry, dormant shoots. I saw a gorgeous cardinal and a few robins on my porch this morning. I tried to get a picture of Mr. Cardinal, but he chickened out and flew away before I could snap it.
After I got home, I did yoga before my dinner of Easter leftovers. I wish I was doing better with Yoga. I can't seem to focus. I still can't sit on my knees for more than a few seconds without some pain. I have absolutely no sense of balance. I keep falling over when I do the standing poses. I've never been very good at relaxing. I just can't let go of everything in my mind.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Girls On The Town
I spent most of the morning running errands. I went to the post office to buy stamps (some really pretty flower ones) and send a homecoming present for Lauren and Mom's birthday gift. Made a quick stop to the bank after that, then went to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session (after skipping last week due to being busy). I did the children's DVDs, which needed it, especially since there were more coming in as I arrived. It was such a gorgeous spring day (50 degrees, sunny, and a bit windy), I went for a long ride in Cooper River Park afterwards.
On the way back from Karen and Jim's on Easter Day, I suggested to Jessa, Dad, and Jodie that Jessa and I go into Philadelphia together for a little shopping trip, since neither of us had any plans in the afternoon and it was supposed to be a nice day. I decided to follow up on that plan. It turned out to be a great idea. Apparently, Jess (who is 17 and a junior in a local Catholic high school) is looking into art schools in Philadelphia and wants to get to know the town better, and I've gotten to know at least parts of downtown pretty well, not to mention riding the PATCO train no longer fazes me at all. I was able to show her downtown and how to use the new ticket system for the train, and I had an amiable shopping companion.
Our first stop was one of my favorite little stores, Ralstoff's Used Books and Records on 10th and Spruce Street. I bought three Broadway original cast albums for My One and Only, Dreamgirls, and The Fantastics, and the American Girls book Kirsten Learns a Lesson. Jessa got a really cute Beatles poster (the picture with the four of them carrying the "All You Need Is Love" signs in many languages).
After getting a little bit turned around, we ended up at the Gallery Mall. We made a brief stop at Starbucks near the 10th Street entrance for drinks and nibbles. I had a hot chocolate and a low-fat Blueberry Coffee Cake slice. Jessa had an iced tea and half of a lemon pound cake slice.
The 10th street entrance ended up being right near the Gallery's massive FYE, so we went there after we finished our snack, then browsed around. Jessa was just about out of money by then and only bought an alternative music magazine from FYE. The Goonies, one of my favorite childhood movies, was on sale at FYE, so I picked that up. I also took advantage of a 20% off all children's DVDs sale and my member's card to get the More Silly Symphonies Walt Disney Treasures set for about $23.75, more than $10 off the original $32.99 price.
We headed briefly for Suncoast Video before checking a Hallmark for good after-Easter stuffed animals. Didn't find any, but I did get the new talking Wacky Zingoz stuffed toy for $9.95. He's too cute! He says 6 phrases and, instead of opening a virtual pet, opens a new game, Wacky Zingoz Extreme. Unlike the original Wacky Zingoz game, it allows you to use three different types of bats (normal, the Gravity Bat that makes Wacky go slower before you hit him, and the Hyper Bat that makes him go farther) and gives you two shots instead of one. It's adorable and even more addictive than the original game.
Jessa and I headed back to Dad's house after leaving Borders Express. We watched some Sailor Moon R (the beginning of the second season) while waiting for the Italian dinner Jodie ordered. Jessa had a hamburger. I had a Chicken Filet Club Sandwich (half of which I'll eat at work tomorrow). Dad and Jodie shared a pasta dish. Poor Dad is back to not feeling well; he thinks the long ride to Karen and Jim's on Easter did it. I ended borrowing Sailor Moon R from Jess to see the rest of it. (The second season is the only Sailor Moon season I've never seen in full besides the rare-in-North-America final season; I want to make sure it's worth buying.)
I spent most of the morning running errands. I went to the post office to buy stamps (some really pretty flower ones) and send a homecoming present for Lauren and Mom's birthday gift. Made a quick stop to the bank after that, then went to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session (after skipping last week due to being busy). I did the children's DVDs, which needed it, especially since there were more coming in as I arrived. It was such a gorgeous spring day (50 degrees, sunny, and a bit windy), I went for a long ride in Cooper River Park afterwards.
On the way back from Karen and Jim's on Easter Day, I suggested to Jessa, Dad, and Jodie that Jessa and I go into Philadelphia together for a little shopping trip, since neither of us had any plans in the afternoon and it was supposed to be a nice day. I decided to follow up on that plan. It turned out to be a great idea. Apparently, Jess (who is 17 and a junior in a local Catholic high school) is looking into art schools in Philadelphia and wants to get to know the town better, and I've gotten to know at least parts of downtown pretty well, not to mention riding the PATCO train no longer fazes me at all. I was able to show her downtown and how to use the new ticket system for the train, and I had an amiable shopping companion.
Our first stop was one of my favorite little stores, Ralstoff's Used Books and Records on 10th and Spruce Street. I bought three Broadway original cast albums for My One and Only, Dreamgirls, and The Fantastics, and the American Girls book Kirsten Learns a Lesson. Jessa got a really cute Beatles poster (the picture with the four of them carrying the "All You Need Is Love" signs in many languages).
After getting a little bit turned around, we ended up at the Gallery Mall. We made a brief stop at Starbucks near the 10th Street entrance for drinks and nibbles. I had a hot chocolate and a low-fat Blueberry Coffee Cake slice. Jessa had an iced tea and half of a lemon pound cake slice.
The 10th street entrance ended up being right near the Gallery's massive FYE, so we went there after we finished our snack, then browsed around. Jessa was just about out of money by then and only bought an alternative music magazine from FYE. The Goonies, one of my favorite childhood movies, was on sale at FYE, so I picked that up. I also took advantage of a 20% off all children's DVDs sale and my member's card to get the More Silly Symphonies Walt Disney Treasures set for about $23.75, more than $10 off the original $32.99 price.
We headed briefly for Suncoast Video before checking a Hallmark for good after-Easter stuffed animals. Didn't find any, but I did get the new talking Wacky Zingoz stuffed toy for $9.95. He's too cute! He says 6 phrases and, instead of opening a virtual pet, opens a new game, Wacky Zingoz Extreme. Unlike the original Wacky Zingoz game, it allows you to use three different types of bats (normal, the Gravity Bat that makes Wacky go slower before you hit him, and the Hyper Bat that makes him go farther) and gives you two shots instead of one. It's adorable and even more addictive than the original game.
Jessa and I headed back to Dad's house after leaving Borders Express. We watched some Sailor Moon R (the beginning of the second season) while waiting for the Italian dinner Jodie ordered. Jessa had a hamburger. I had a Chicken Filet Club Sandwich (half of which I'll eat at work tomorrow). Dad and Jodie shared a pasta dish. Poor Dad is back to not feeling well; he thinks the long ride to Karen and Jim's on Easter did it. I ended borrowing Sailor Moon R from Jess to see the rest of it. (The second season is the only Sailor Moon season I've never seen in full besides the rare-in-North-America final season; I want to make sure it's worth buying.)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Gardener's Delight, Worker's Pain
Not surprisingly for the day after a major holiday, work was steady-to-dead. The worst that happened was I smacked my wrist really hard against the divider between the bag loading area and the shelf for the paper bags. I was annoyed with an obnoxious older man who wanted me to re-bag his entire order in paper and then gave me five hundred different commands on how to do it and not paying attention to where my hands were. It hurt like hell, but I couldn't get ice on it until I got home. (And that jerk didn't even say "thank you" after I went through all that. Being older doesn't excuse you from good manners!)
My WebKinz site had a lovely surprise waiting for me this morning, though. I don't know if it's another glitch or Ganz's way of making up for two days of the gardens acting weird, but I read about several people at the AdultKinz fan forum who went online this morning and found every single plant in their garden ready for harvesting! I immediately went to WebKinz and had Rosie the Pink Pony check my garden. Sure enough, all of the plants, even Linda the Collie's Dog Bone Plant, were ripe and ready for picking. (And don't ask me how a dog bone can be ripe.) I amassed quite a tidy sum from selling most of that back to the W Shop!
Not surprisingly for the day after a major holiday, work was steady-to-dead. The worst that happened was I smacked my wrist really hard against the divider between the bag loading area and the shelf for the paper bags. I was annoyed with an obnoxious older man who wanted me to re-bag his entire order in paper and then gave me five hundred different commands on how to do it and not paying attention to where my hands were. It hurt like hell, but I couldn't get ice on it until I got home. (And that jerk didn't even say "thank you" after I went through all that. Being older doesn't excuse you from good manners!)
My WebKinz site had a lovely surprise waiting for me this morning, though. I don't know if it's another glitch or Ganz's way of making up for two days of the gardens acting weird, but I read about several people at the AdultKinz fan forum who went online this morning and found every single plant in their garden ready for harvesting! I immediately went to WebKinz and had Rosie the Pink Pony check my garden. Sure enough, all of the plants, even Linda the Collie's Dog Bone Plant, were ripe and ready for picking. (And don't ask me how a dog bone can be ripe.) I amassed quite a tidy sum from selling most of that back to the W Shop!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Easter Bunny Came To Town
First of all, Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!
I began a bright, gorgeous Easter morning with two Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation Easter specials as I frosted Rainbow Party Chip cupcakes. Here Comes Peter Cottontail is from 1971. The lie-prone title character travels through a year's worth of holidays (including Easter) to deliver Easter eggs and save April Valley from the vengeance-obsessed Irontail. Some nice, bright animation and the excellent cast - including Casey Kasem as Peter Cottontail, Vincent Price as Irontail, and Danny Kaye as the narrator, the caterpillar captain Antoine, and Colonel G. Bunny - are the saving graces here.
Rankin-Bass got to their second, and far more Easter-y, springtime extravaganza in 1975. While Peter Cottontail has some echoes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town is something of a blatant rehash of 1970's Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Not only is it narrated by Fred Astaire in a repeat of his mailman character, he even briefly refers to the earlier special in the beginning and in the title song.
Getting away from it's origins, it's a fun look at secular Easter customs that aren't as often explored as similar traditions for Christmas. I especially loved the hilarious Hendrews Sisters, a singing chicken trio who provide Sunny the Easter Bunny with his eggs. Though their numbers are largely extraneous, they're some of the best in the show.
The 1975 Peanuts special It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown also refers to an earlier special, in this case It's the Great Pumpkin. Indeed, Sally provides a rare bit of continuity when Linus starts babbling about a magical "Easter Beagle" who brings candy and eggs to all the good little children and she reminds him of how much this resembles his pet Halloween myths.
While not really one of the best Peanuts specials, Easter Beagle is probably my personal favorite, just because I love the running gag with Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and 500 different ways of cooking eggs. ;)
I listened to the Beatles show for about 20 minutes after Easter Beagle, then headed over to Dad and Uncle Ken's, stopping first to deliver three cupcakes to my landlady. There was a large Easter basket for my sister Jessa and a small one for me when I arrived. I chatted with Jessa for a while over a third season episode of Sailor Moon before she, Dad, Jodie, and I drove out to our cousins' house.
Karen and Jim and their 18-year-old daughter Taylere, toddler son C.J, and dog Hobbes live in a development in Washington Township in the middle of what mostly appears to be a farming community. They apparently moved into the huge, brand-new house last year and don't have much there yet besides a big backyard with a lovely view of a lake and some peach trees. (Sadly, the trees will supposedly fall victim to a road and redevelopment plan next year.)
I nibbled on some cheese and cracker trays and chatted with the adults before opting to go with Taylere and Jessa to Taylere's boyfriend's house for an "adult Easter egg hunt." Like Taylere's family, her boyfriend and his family live in a large house with a huge yard in a largely rural town. He and his siblings are all older, in their late teens and early 20s, but their sweet parents still hide eggs for them every year. I listened to the kids goof off in their basement band rehearsal area (Tay's boyfriend is apparently the drummer for a local Christian rock band) while the parents hid the eggs. We then spent the next hour searching all over the yard for plastic eggs filled with coins and Reeces' Peanut Butter Cups. Taylere got the most money ($1.05); her boyfriend got the most eggs overall. I regretted wearing dressy clothes and heels during this; I ultimately looked for eggs in my stocking feet.
After the Egg Hunt, we headed home for dinner. Taylere had to work at her local Applebee's, but the rest of us (including Uncle Ken and Dolores, who arrived while we were at Taylere's boyfriend's house) sat down to a big meal of ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, potato salad, stuffing, and corn, with cupcakes and two egg-shaped cakes for dessert. We also got to observe C.J's reason for living - golf. His father is crazy about golf, and so's he. His mother even found him a golf-ball-shaped Easter basket. Hitting balls is the kid's life. Balls and the new Little Tykes Car he got for his birthday. You should have seen Jodie and Dad pushing him around in that thing. It was hysterical.
I watched Easter Parade after I got home. Easter Parade is one of the most famous of the classic MGM Technicolor musicals of the 40s and 50s. A vaudeville dancer (Fred Astaire) loses his partner (Ann Miller) right before New York's Easter Parade in 1912. When his best friend (Peter Lawford) claims there will never be a partner as wonderful as Miller, Astaire claims he can pick any woman out of a chorus line and make her just as wonderful, actually taking a girl out of a bar show (Judy Garland) and asking her to come for rehearsal. What follows is a relatively simple show business story that mostly makes use of Irving Berlin's back song catalog from the time period ("I Love A Piano," "When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam'," the title song) along with six new songs (among them "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "It Only Happens When I Dance With You," the adorable "A Couple Of Swells," and "Better Luck Next Time" for Garland). With Astaire and Ann Miller involved, there's some spectacular dancing, some of the best of any MGM musical - Miller stands out in "Shakin' the Blues Away," and Lawford does well by the sweet "A Fella With An Umbrella."
Oh, and WebKinz fans have probably already noticed this (for once, they admit it on the front page), but the gardens are acting screwy. Yesterday, they'd disappeared all together; today, they're nothing but weeds. Interestingly, other than the garden, I haven't had any problems at all with WebKinz this weekend. I adopted Cadbury the Brown Dog just fine on Wednesday and got everything she was supposed to come with, I got my Easter gifts and card with no problems, the site was only running slightly slow, and all my exclusives are where they should be. I even had some great luck with the Curio Shop, picking up the Hockey Flooring for Quinn the Polar Bear's Hockey Rink Room and Country Cabinets for Duke the Lil'Kinz Pig's Farm Room. (I also decided I liked the mellow tan wood in the Candy Room Bed and Breakfast better than the Purple Pop Star Wardrobe.)
First of all, Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!
I began a bright, gorgeous Easter morning with two Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation Easter specials as I frosted Rainbow Party Chip cupcakes. Here Comes Peter Cottontail is from 1971. The lie-prone title character travels through a year's worth of holidays (including Easter) to deliver Easter eggs and save April Valley from the vengeance-obsessed Irontail. Some nice, bright animation and the excellent cast - including Casey Kasem as Peter Cottontail, Vincent Price as Irontail, and Danny Kaye as the narrator, the caterpillar captain Antoine, and Colonel G. Bunny - are the saving graces here.
Rankin-Bass got to their second, and far more Easter-y, springtime extravaganza in 1975. While Peter Cottontail has some echoes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town is something of a blatant rehash of 1970's Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Not only is it narrated by Fred Astaire in a repeat of his mailman character, he even briefly refers to the earlier special in the beginning and in the title song.
Getting away from it's origins, it's a fun look at secular Easter customs that aren't as often explored as similar traditions for Christmas. I especially loved the hilarious Hendrews Sisters, a singing chicken trio who provide Sunny the Easter Bunny with his eggs. Though their numbers are largely extraneous, they're some of the best in the show.
The 1975 Peanuts special It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown also refers to an earlier special, in this case It's the Great Pumpkin. Indeed, Sally provides a rare bit of continuity when Linus starts babbling about a magical "Easter Beagle" who brings candy and eggs to all the good little children and she reminds him of how much this resembles his pet Halloween myths.
While not really one of the best Peanuts specials, Easter Beagle is probably my personal favorite, just because I love the running gag with Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and 500 different ways of cooking eggs. ;)
I listened to the Beatles show for about 20 minutes after Easter Beagle, then headed over to Dad and Uncle Ken's, stopping first to deliver three cupcakes to my landlady. There was a large Easter basket for my sister Jessa and a small one for me when I arrived. I chatted with Jessa for a while over a third season episode of Sailor Moon before she, Dad, Jodie, and I drove out to our cousins' house.
Karen and Jim and their 18-year-old daughter Taylere, toddler son C.J, and dog Hobbes live in a development in Washington Township in the middle of what mostly appears to be a farming community. They apparently moved into the huge, brand-new house last year and don't have much there yet besides a big backyard with a lovely view of a lake and some peach trees. (Sadly, the trees will supposedly fall victim to a road and redevelopment plan next year.)
I nibbled on some cheese and cracker trays and chatted with the adults before opting to go with Taylere and Jessa to Taylere's boyfriend's house for an "adult Easter egg hunt." Like Taylere's family, her boyfriend and his family live in a large house with a huge yard in a largely rural town. He and his siblings are all older, in their late teens and early 20s, but their sweet parents still hide eggs for them every year. I listened to the kids goof off in their basement band rehearsal area (Tay's boyfriend is apparently the drummer for a local Christian rock band) while the parents hid the eggs. We then spent the next hour searching all over the yard for plastic eggs filled with coins and Reeces' Peanut Butter Cups. Taylere got the most money ($1.05); her boyfriend got the most eggs overall. I regretted wearing dressy clothes and heels during this; I ultimately looked for eggs in my stocking feet.
After the Egg Hunt, we headed home for dinner. Taylere had to work at her local Applebee's, but the rest of us (including Uncle Ken and Dolores, who arrived while we were at Taylere's boyfriend's house) sat down to a big meal of ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, potato salad, stuffing, and corn, with cupcakes and two egg-shaped cakes for dessert. We also got to observe C.J's reason for living - golf. His father is crazy about golf, and so's he. His mother even found him a golf-ball-shaped Easter basket. Hitting balls is the kid's life. Balls and the new Little Tykes Car he got for his birthday. You should have seen Jodie and Dad pushing him around in that thing. It was hysterical.
I watched Easter Parade after I got home. Easter Parade is one of the most famous of the classic MGM Technicolor musicals of the 40s and 50s. A vaudeville dancer (Fred Astaire) loses his partner (Ann Miller) right before New York's Easter Parade in 1912. When his best friend (Peter Lawford) claims there will never be a partner as wonderful as Miller, Astaire claims he can pick any woman out of a chorus line and make her just as wonderful, actually taking a girl out of a bar show (Judy Garland) and asking her to come for rehearsal. What follows is a relatively simple show business story that mostly makes use of Irving Berlin's back song catalog from the time period ("I Love A Piano," "When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam'," the title song) along with six new songs (among them "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "It Only Happens When I Dance With You," the adorable "A Couple Of Swells," and "Better Luck Next Time" for Garland). With Astaire and Ann Miller involved, there's some spectacular dancing, some of the best of any MGM musical - Miller stands out in "Shakin' the Blues Away," and Lawford does well by the sweet "A Fella With An Umbrella."
Oh, and WebKinz fans have probably already noticed this (for once, they admit it on the front page), but the gardens are acting screwy. Yesterday, they'd disappeared all together; today, they're nothing but weeds. Interestingly, other than the garden, I haven't had any problems at all with WebKinz this weekend. I adopted Cadbury the Brown Dog just fine on Wednesday and got everything she was supposed to come with, I got my Easter gifts and card with no problems, the site was only running slightly slow, and all my exclusives are where they should be. I even had some great luck with the Curio Shop, picking up the Hockey Flooring for Quinn the Polar Bear's Hockey Rink Room and Country Cabinets for Duke the Lil'Kinz Pig's Farm Room. (I also decided I liked the mellow tan wood in the Candy Room Bed and Breakfast better than the Purple Pop Star Wardrobe.)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Loony, Loony Easter Eve
Thankfully, work WAS busy today - not quite as busy as I thought it would be (the lines weren't halfway across the store), but busy enough that my 7 and 1/2-hour day flew by. One register went down, otherwise there were no major problems.
It was cloudy in the morning, then off-and-on cloudy for the rest of the afternoon, with mild wind. I was able to ride to and from work with no problems, and in fact had a rather pleasant spring day ride. I'm so happy it didn't snow last night, like Yahoo!Weather said it was supposed to.
I figured out what went wrong with my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake at work when I was trying to work out what I would need for it's replacement. I forgot to add eggs. Ooops. No wonder it fell apart! Needless to say, I added everything the recipe said for the cupcakes I baked this afternoon. Most will go to the family. I'll give two to my landlady and save two for me.
I watched two Loony Tunes Easter specials while working on the cupcakes and eating leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs and asparagus for dinner. Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies is the older of the two, from 1977. The Easter Bunny is sick, so for some reason, he calls Granny for help. She suggests Bugs Bunny takes his place. The busy Bugs, however, isn't so keen on the idea and asks most of his Loony Tunes pals to "audition" for the part.
On the upside, there's some classic material here, including bits and pieces of three Oscar-winning shorts - the Tweety/Sylvester vehicle Birds Anonymous, Pepe Le Pew's debut For Scent-Timental Reasons, and Bugs' only Oscar-winner, Knighty -Knight Bugs. Some of the other bits we get are fun, too, including the square dance finale from Hillbilly Rabbit and most of Robin Hood Daffy and the first half of Bully For Bugs.
On the other hand, if you already own most of these cartoons in full on video or DVD, this is cute but fairly pointless. The Easter theme is tenuous at best, and none of the cartoons have much to do with spring, much less Easter. (And since when were any of the regular Loony Tunes besides maybe Tweety and Sniffles the Mouse considered "cute and cuddly?")
Easter is far better represented on the second Loony Tunes Easter special. Daffy Duck finally got his own spring showcase in 1980, titled Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement on video. Unlike the previous special, all three of the cartoons here are entirely new...well, almost. Many of the gags on the final short appear to have been lifted from a 1967 Pink Panther cartoon, Pinto Pink. (I have the cartoon on the second Pink Panther Collection DVD.) Otherwise, the cartoons are originals and in full. The wrap-around sequences have Daffy being bedeviled by an animator with an odd sense of humor in what's basically a spring-themed retread of Duck Amuck.
Actually, the three cartoons themselves aren't any great shakes. The first, with Daffy and Sylvester chasing after a golden egg, is the best. Daffy's solo short at the end with the horse also has it's moments. The Speedy Gonzoles/Daffy short in the middle is a bit dull. The animation is at best colorful, but is hampered by the limits of TV and budgets.
Thankfully, work WAS busy today - not quite as busy as I thought it would be (the lines weren't halfway across the store), but busy enough that my 7 and 1/2-hour day flew by. One register went down, otherwise there were no major problems.
It was cloudy in the morning, then off-and-on cloudy for the rest of the afternoon, with mild wind. I was able to ride to and from work with no problems, and in fact had a rather pleasant spring day ride. I'm so happy it didn't snow last night, like Yahoo!Weather said it was supposed to.
I figured out what went wrong with my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake at work when I was trying to work out what I would need for it's replacement. I forgot to add eggs. Ooops. No wonder it fell apart! Needless to say, I added everything the recipe said for the cupcakes I baked this afternoon. Most will go to the family. I'll give two to my landlady and save two for me.
I watched two Loony Tunes Easter specials while working on the cupcakes and eating leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs and asparagus for dinner. Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies is the older of the two, from 1977. The Easter Bunny is sick, so for some reason, he calls Granny for help. She suggests Bugs Bunny takes his place. The busy Bugs, however, isn't so keen on the idea and asks most of his Loony Tunes pals to "audition" for the part.
On the upside, there's some classic material here, including bits and pieces of three Oscar-winning shorts - the Tweety/Sylvester vehicle Birds Anonymous, Pepe Le Pew's debut For Scent-Timental Reasons, and Bugs' only Oscar-winner, Knighty -Knight Bugs. Some of the other bits we get are fun, too, including the square dance finale from Hillbilly Rabbit and most of Robin Hood Daffy and the first half of Bully For Bugs.
On the other hand, if you already own most of these cartoons in full on video or DVD, this is cute but fairly pointless. The Easter theme is tenuous at best, and none of the cartoons have much to do with spring, much less Easter. (And since when were any of the regular Loony Tunes besides maybe Tweety and Sniffles the Mouse considered "cute and cuddly?")
Easter is far better represented on the second Loony Tunes Easter special. Daffy Duck finally got his own spring showcase in 1980, titled Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement on video. Unlike the previous special, all three of the cartoons here are entirely new...well, almost. Many of the gags on the final short appear to have been lifted from a 1967 Pink Panther cartoon, Pinto Pink. (I have the cartoon on the second Pink Panther Collection DVD.) Otherwise, the cartoons are originals and in full. The wrap-around sequences have Daffy being bedeviled by an animator with an odd sense of humor in what's basically a spring-themed retread of Duck Amuck.
Actually, the three cartoons themselves aren't any great shakes. The first, with Daffy and Sylvester chasing after a golden egg, is the best. Daffy's solo short at the end with the horse also has it's moments. The Speedy Gonzoles/Daffy short in the middle is a bit dull. The animation is at best colorful, but is hampered by the limits of TV and budgets.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Pineapple Upside-Down Girl
Spent most of today at work. It was still very windy despite the sunny skies, so I called Dad for a ride. I worked 9:30 to 3:30 today and then did a big (for me - it was about $30) grocery trip. I waited for about 15 minutes for my ride. When no one came, I decided to just walk home. It wasn't until half-way home that I realized I'd forgotten to call Dad and tell him I walked. I went over to his house after I got in and put everything away to explain. He was just as embarrassed as me. He HAD forgotten and had just sent his girlfriend out to fetch me.
Things didn't go much better at home. I was too tired to make bread, so I tried to make the pineapple upside-down cake I'd planned to give to the family for Easter. Unfortunatly, I couldn't find a big enough plate for the rectangular cake and it fell apart when I turned it over. Oh, well. I'll make another, simpler cake for Easter and keep the pineapple cake as a treat for me.
Work, incidentally, was busy but not too horrible. Everyone must be waiting for tomorrow. I kinda hope so - I have an 8-hour day tomorrow and it'll go by much faster if it's busy.
Spent most of today at work. It was still very windy despite the sunny skies, so I called Dad for a ride. I worked 9:30 to 3:30 today and then did a big (for me - it was about $30) grocery trip. I waited for about 15 minutes for my ride. When no one came, I decided to just walk home. It wasn't until half-way home that I realized I'd forgotten to call Dad and tell him I walked. I went over to his house after I got in and put everything away to explain. He was just as embarrassed as me. He HAD forgotten and had just sent his girlfriend out to fetch me.
Things didn't go much better at home. I was too tired to make bread, so I tried to make the pineapple upside-down cake I'd planned to give to the family for Easter. Unfortunatly, I couldn't find a big enough plate for the rectangular cake and it fell apart when I turned it over. Oh, well. I'll make another, simpler cake for Easter and keep the pineapple cake as a treat for me.
Work, incidentally, was busy but not too horrible. Everyone must be waiting for tomorrow. I kinda hope so - I have an 8-hour day tomorrow and it'll go by much faster if it's busy.
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