Rainy Days and Disappointments

Started the morning off with a couple of Tiny Toon Adventures episodes that spoof superheroes and 80s/early 90s blockbusters. "A Quack In the Quarks" was one of the first episodes; I guess Steven Spielburg decided to get out all his cracks at his buddy George Lucas early on. Plucky brags to two "exchange students" about his athletic prowess...but gets the shock of his life when the students turn out to be aliens who want him to go up against the evil Duck Vader!

"Cinemaniacs" pokes fun at three seminal film franchises of the 80s. Babs and Montana Max send up the Christopher Reeve "Superman" films. Plucky leads Hampton and a rare vocal Furball on a really strange "Star Trek." Max returns as the villain in Buster's Indiana Jones adventure, "Nebraska Smith and the Meaning of Life."

"Inside Plucky Duck" takes us into the mind of my favorite Tiny Toon to see what makes him tick...and what was making many boys tick in the early 90s was the hugely popular Tim Burton Batman. Plucky makes fun of not only the 60s and Burton's take on the role, but the merchandising that exploded in the wake of the film's runaway success. The second story is even funnier, especially if you know anything about Looney Tunes history. After an botched attempt to imitate his idol Daffy, Plucky gets stuck in a "wild take" that leaves him a walking eyeball! Buster does everything he can to bring his avian pal back to as normal as he'll ever get.

The weather was not pleasant. It wasn't raining hard, but the winds were crazy. I was going to run to the Oaklyn Library, then to CVS, before lunch. I did end up going to the Library. Needless to say, it was just me, the librarian, and one or two other people on the computers. I organized DVDs and kids' books for an hour.

The rain was starting to pick up when I left. I decided to just get milk at WaWa and get throat drops another time. And of course, by the time I was heading home from WaWa, the rain was down to sprinkles again. Thankfully, even with the wind, it wasn't really cold.

I was about to settle in to an afternoon of lunch and cleaning and avoiding the weather when the phone rang. Yes, it was the Acme. Could I come in by 2:30? No. It was 1:40. I hadn't had lunch yet or made dinner. Not to mention, I really hate it when they call at the last moment. I arrived by 3PM.

I have no idea why I was called in. No one called out. The crowds were only heavy during rush hour. It was steady but not bad the rest of the night. I took the hours because I do need to save for a laptop...but I really wish they'd give me more notice. I'm not a nurse or a doctor.

The expected snow hasn't arrived yet. Even Action News' AccuWeather on Channel 6 said we were now supposed to get rain and a ton of wind, nothing more. It seems that the snow arched around us, across central Pennsylvania to New York. It was raining fairly hard when I went to work. By the time I finished at 9, it not only wasn't raining, but looked like it hadn't in a while. It was just windy.

Sunshine Before the Storm

I slept in this morning. It was past 11:30 when I finally took off for the Haddon Township Library. It was a glorious day for a ride in Newton River Park. The sun was shining warmly, and there was none of the wind that made yesterday so chilly. It was probably in the mid-upper 40s, perfectly normal for this time of the year. The fine weather was reflected in the busy park. I dodged dog-walkers, people out for a stroll, and a flock of Canadian geese poking around for an early lunch.

The library was surprisingly busy for a nice day. I guess a lot of people wanted to take out materials before the weather turns on us tomorrow. The children's DVDs were particularly messy. I had to do a lot of rearranging to get everything on the shelves. The side of the adult DVD bin that houses titles under the letters M through Z and foreign titles are starting to overflow, too. Clearing out a big pile of titles shelved in the wrong side of the bin or under the wrong letter or that were really kids' titles helped a little.

Didn't take out any books this week, but I did find some DVDs of interest. The library had a new CGI Angelina Ballerina disc themed around world dance. They'd just gotten last summer's remake of Sparkle in. Thought I'd try the Robert Alton British mystery Gosford Park. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief has a sequel coming later this year. I've enjoyed the last three sci-fi movies I've seen and thought I'd give this one a chance.

It was getting a bit late by the time I finished checking out. I decided on a simple lunch down the hill at Wendy's. I opted for just my favorite Apple Pecan Chicken Salad in a half-size and a soda. The cheap salad meal that included extras like potatoes is no longer available; I just had a diet soda on the side.

Went straight into Haddonfield for my counseling appointment after lunch. I arrived in plenty of time, over 20 minutes early. I took a look at a Time-Life book on the 20th century sitting in a pile on the front window with the book on classic toys and the big teddy bear before Mrs. Stahl said she was ready for me.

We had a lively, very interesting chat. She said that yes, she and her husband enjoyed my writing, and yes, it was good...but the freelance writing market is saturated and very, very hard to get into. I'd be better off trying to find something else I can do with my writing skills besides freelancing. I would like to take some online computer courses and upgrade my skills...but not right now. I want to find out what my real interests and skills are before I attempt more expensive college courses that might not help me anyway.

The most important thing I need to do is build up my self-esteem, which has been battered for decades by school troubles and feelings of inadequacy and not fitting in. Her suggestions were pretty much "lose weight and look for new hobbies." I've tried on and off since the late 80s to lose weight. It'll work for a while, like with Weight Watchers...but then I'll lose interest or it'll get too hard, and I'll just want cookies again.

Simply getting out of winter will be a help. Though we're supposed to get snow tomorrow, by next week, I'm hearing 50s. I'll be able to get out more and go on more walks and longer bike rides. I'm going to return to my Saturday farm market/yard sale errands, too, when the Collingswood Farm Market starts in May. I know Rose complained about the farm market being expensive...but she's buying food for three people (one a toddler), two dogs, and a cat. I'm buying food for one person. I'd rather give money back to the community, too, and have it as fresh as possible.

She said my assignment this time is to brainstorm ideas for new hobbies that won't break the bank. I'm still trying not to buy a lot of junk. Disney's putting out several movies this month that are on my birthday list,  notably the Oscar-nominated Wreck It Ralph, and I want to add the Animator's Collection Toddler Belle to my girls and the WebKinz Rockerz Fox (a female fox with a mohawk - love it), but that's it. I don't want to go as overboard as I did last year.

It was too nice of a day to go right home. I took a leisurely ride back down Haddon Avenue to Westmont. I saw a new thrift shop, Salvation Thrift, on my way to Mrs. Stahl's office. It turned out to be a tiny, elegant storefront next-door to the party store. It had some of the same things as the thrift shop in Collingswood used to, like clothes, purses, shoes, books, frames, and toys, but it was less junky and overstuffed and more elegant. I ended up with a lovely little journal with a paste-jewel lock.

Salvation Thrift is across the street from Primo Water Ice, so I went there next for a treat. This time, I tried Chocolate Peanut Butter. The chocolate wasn't all that chocolaty, but they made up for it for small but plentiful peanut butter chunks. I heard noises in the back of the building. Turned out to be "the Ice Box," a large room with games, lots of chairs, and a huge TV. A bunch of boys were playing what looked like Wii NBA Basketball.

It was too beautiful to be hanging around playing video games. I took the long way through Collingswood and back into Newton River Park, this time passing The Heights apartment complex and CVS to take the back way into Oaklyn.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped at Dad's house on my way home. I haven't said "hi" to them in a while. Dad and Jodie are busy moving Dad into Uncle Ken's old master bedroom and setting up Dad's old bedroom for guests. They're also clearing out the basement and various closets in the house. Dad gave me a lovely Anne of Green Gables doll made of what felt like paper mache and cloth he bought at the real Anne of Green Gables store on Prince Edward Island.

I even got to see my sister and her boys. Rose and Craig are looking for a house. They currently live in an apartment in Audubon, but it's too small for a toddler, two frisky dogs, and a cat. Khai was going to spend some time with his grandparents while they looked at another house. I got to watch a little Team Umizoomi with him before I realized it was getting late and I really wanted to head home.

My original plan for tonight's dinner was Merlin's Magic Chicken...but I forgot to take out the chicken before I left for the library. Oh well. I substituted home-made Italian Bean Soup with Winter Vegetables while watching the Angelina Ballerina disc. Angelina and her friends celebrated dances and music from other cultures, from Irish jigs to a French "round" performance of "Frere Jacques."

My two favorite stories celebrated Asian traditions. Angelina and her friends are excited over the Japanese holiday Children's Day, but nothing seems to go right. When Angelina finds a leaf in the shape of a carp, she's reminded of the resilience of kids...and how to find strength even when things are at their worst. Vicki's upset when Angelina and Alice won't listen to her suggestion that they do a Chinese dragon dance for their project on creating a dance around mythical creatures. When they have trouble trying to create an elegant, flowing dance around unicorns, they decide to give her ideas a chance...and end up having a lot of fun making their own version of the famous Chinese New Year Dragon float.

The (Nearsighted) Eyes Have It

Started out this morning with The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town, the third Rankin-Bass Easter special, and really my favorite of the three nowadays. Here, the Easter Bunny is Sunny, who was adopted by the all-youngster residents of Kidville on Easter morning. He wants to bring the kids' chickens the Hendrews Sisters' eggs to the gloomy Town, but grouchy Gadzooks the Bear and nasty Lady Lilly, who is in charge of her gentler nephew King Bruce the Frail, block his path. It'll take all of the kids' and Sunny' ingenuity to cheer up Gadzooks and get around Lady Lilly's laws. In the end, both learn that some new traditions can be fun when we give them a chance.

While Peter Cottontail has the better voice cast and score, I like the story better here. Yes, a lot of it is lifted wholesale from Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, including Fred Astaire as the mailman narrator, but just as much of it is fun on its own. It's also the only Rankin-Bass Easter special to fully revolve Easter, with no references to Santa Claus or other holidays.

Called Mom while the cartoon was on. My sister Anny showed up with her other son Collyn, who usually lives with his father and doesn't visit as often. She got caught up talking to them and forgot to call. That's ok. Our chat was brief anyway. We mainly discussed the recent cold weather, our winter doldrums, and how we're trying to spend less at grocery stores while still eat well. (Buy fewer processed foods; use fewer coupons and look for sales; buy better items on sale or at middle-price emporiums like Dollar General and Family Dollar that last longer; buy as many things possible locally.)

The first errand on the list today was the laundry. It was chilly outside, but sunny and windy, probably in the lower 40s. I had a nice walk to the laundromat. It wasn't that busy, but my load wasn't big anyway. I did get a bit of a shock after The Price Is Right ended (with a rare occasion in which someone won both Showcase Showdowns - I think that might actually be the first time I've ever seen it happen). The lead story on CBS' local newscast was about the mess that I passed on the Black Horse Pike on my way home last night. Turns out what I thought was a "car accident" was a hit-and-run. An older woman had been run over by a truck. They showed the remains of her grocery bag...and the tan bag was familiar. It's spooky to think I may even have had her as a customer; they mentioned it happening around 7PM, when I would have been at work.

When I got home, I put my laundry away, then quickly checked the Internet for a look at the weather. They were announcing possible snow for late tomorrow night. As of right now, um, nope. It's supposed to start raining around 1AM, then maybe snow a little bit, then go right back to rain by the next day. As long as it doesn't do anything tomorrow. I had no really big plans for Wednesday besides a quick Oaklyn Library trip.

Ran Adventures In Babysitting while having leftovers for lunch. Matt's mention of it at Dinosaur Dracula inspired me to watch it for the first time in ages. Chris Parker (Elizabeth Shue) is not having a great day. First, her boyfriend cancels a much-anticipated date. After that, she's talked into babysitting for 10-ish Sara and 14-year-old Brad, despite insisting she's too old for it. Brad has a huge crush on her; Sara doesn't care about much besides Marvel superheroes and teasing her brother. The arrival of Brad's annoying friend Darryl doesn't help matters. Things get really hairy when Chris' friend Brenda calls from Chicago. She's run away from home and wants Chris to pick her up at the bus station. This would be simple, if Chris' car didn't bust a tire on the freeway, or if they weren't picked up by an increasingly bizarre series of characters, from a kindly mechanic to a group of blues singers in a bar to gangsters who are after a Playboy Darryl snuck out of their offices.

Movies about kids and teenagers having wacky (and often dangerous) adventures were common in the 80s and 90s, and few of them were done as well as this one. The sequence in which the kids have to literally sing the blues in a bar is probably the most famous segment; other favorite parts includes Sara meeting her hero, Chris and the boys confronting her errant boyfriend at a restaurant, and the knife fight in a gang war that almost gets ugly...until Brad, and then Chris, intervenes.

Some bad language (including the aforementioned knife fight) make this iffy for most younger kids; for older kids, teens Brad's age, and adults who grew up watching this on cable, this is still a really fun romp, with an awesome R&B, classic rock, and blues soundtrack.

I had my annual eye exam around 3PM. I say "around," because it was really, really busy. America's Best's waiting room was the most full I'd ever seen it. It was probably around 3:15 when I got checked for several eye diseases; I didn't get the actual exam until past 3:30. Everything went fine. My eyes are the same they were last year. I don't need contacts, but when I do order them, there will be no change in the prescription.

For some reason, I thought I was working at 4 today when I made my appointment. Nope; I worked at 5. I just rode home for a little while, finished Adventures In Babysitting, and did things around the apartment. When I did get to work, it was on-and-off busy all night - not as bad as last night, but not dead, either. It did quiet down enough for me to leave without a relief.

The Dolls With the Bows In Their Hair

Slept in this morning; Brunch With the Beatles was almost half-way done when I finally got up and going. The emphasis were on singles that didn't make it to #1. Among the Beatles singles that didn't quite hit the top spot were "Lady Madonna," "Something," "If I Fell," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Penny Lane." Solo singles that didn't make it to the top included George's "All Those Years Ago," Ringo's "No No Song," John's "Power to the People," and Paul and Wings' "Live and Let Die."

I made Gingerbread Pancakes for breakfast. Tried calling Mom, but she had my nephew Skylar there. Oh, well. I forgot to call her when I got in from work, too. I'll try again tomorrow.

After I finished breakfast and the Beatles, I did a few things around the house. I was tired of looking at the winter decorations. I'm bored, with winter and with myself. I took them down. I'll wait to put up the spring, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter items until after I've dusted sometime this week, though.

When that was done, I changed the dolls into more spring-y clothing. Samantha's in a hand-made version of her ice-blue Skating Party Dress I bought on eBay. Jessa switched her good red and black and white plaid dress for a more casual emerald green wrap-front blouse over Molly's corduroys and a pair of black high-top sneakers. Molly wears the shamrock-print dress I found at a yard sale and black flats with her Miss Victory Costume socks. Felicity sports her Pink Birthday Dress and Pinner Apron.

Having enjoyed listening to Les Miserables and Chicago last week, I put on more recordings of stage shows that were adapted for the screen...and even three screen musicals that found their way to the stage. The original 1950s sountrack LP for High Society, the two-disc collector's edition of the 2007 musical version of Hairspray, and the 2002 original Broadway cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie represented the latter. (While the stage versions of Hairspray and Millie were long-running hits on Broadway, High Society, despite some decent reviews and a not-bad cast album, was not.) Stage musicals adapted for film included my rare LP soundtrack album for Ken Russell's version of The Boy Friend and a Decca studio cast recording of Babes In Toyland.

Work was busier than yesterday when I came in...but it died down just as fast. I found out why when walked out of work and saw that the Black Horse Pike was clogged with red and blue lights and sirens. I had no idea of what was going on. I assumed it was some kind of car accident.

Into the Spring of Things

I was up late online last night and slept in. By the time I headed out to run some much-needed errands, it was past noon. My first stop was Avenue, the only clothing store left in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center with clothes I would wear and could fit into. I just needed a pair of black winter work pants. My old pair finally wore out, and the slacks I bought from LL Bean turned out to be too knitted and sweats-like for the Acme. (That's ok, too. Those will replace a pair of somewhat similar pants I bought from WalMart at least five years ago.)

I did find a good pair on clearance for $15.95. They're a little thinner than I would have liked, but they're long and comfortable and fit pretty well. They're also cotton - and just right for work. I don't know why they have a tie belt when they also have three buttons, but whatever.

(Oh, and while the former FYE remains empty, something did replace the former Fashion Bug...a Rainbow. Yet another clothing store for teenagers and urban hipsters. Like we need another one. The mall already has Deb and Dots, and a similar store just closed in the FYE's old spot.)

Braved Saturday traffic to head across the parking lot to the other side of the mall. I wanted to check out the laptops at Staples. I saw two Lenovos for everyday use that I liked. The smaller one was about $379 on sale. The larger one had far more memory, but their was no price attached to it; I assumed it was out of stock. I didn't get a laptop today, but I did buy a Martha Stewart notebook on sale that would be perfect for my next morning journal.

Next up were two quick stops. Stopped at a very busy America's Best to make an appointment for my annual eye exam. After that, I dodged the traffic on the Black Horse Pike and hiked up the hill to Mt. Ephram's PNC Bank branch. The location isn't in the nicest part of town - a lot of the buildings on that part of the Black Horse Pike are empty or are a bit on the scuzzy side. This, coupled with the traffic, is why I never really liked using that branch. The bank was long closed by the time I got there. I quickly deposited my paycheck in the ATM machine and hurried back down the hill. I debated eating out, but decided I'd rather save my money after the shopping and just rode home.

Spent the rest of the afternoon quietly. I watched cartoons and Good Eats episodes while making scrambled eggs with Swiss cheese and winter vegetables for lunch. After I ate, I worked on some things on the computer, including household inventories and something that Mrs. Stahl, my counselor, asked me to do. She wanted me to write out all the negative thoughts I get into my head and think of ways I could put some positive ones in. I did do it...but when I turned on the printer, I discovered it was out of red and black/white ink. Arrgh! And I was just at Staples. I'll go back there Monday after my eye appointment.

I actually was asked to work late tonight by a manager last Saturday - one of the college boys had to turn down the hours suddenly. That was fine. All my plans today were for the morning and afternoon. As it turned out, I wasn't the only one who came in. We were really short-handed. In addition to call-outs earlier in the week, there were at least two people who called out that day. Thankfully, it was on-and-off busy until about 7, after which it died so fast, I left a few minutes early.

First Signs of Spring

I slept in and didn't get to the Acme until nearly noon. The line at the front desk was so long, I did some shopping before picking up my paycheck...and it was a paycheck. My direct deposit hasn't gone through yet. Darn. That means I'm going to have to find my way to a PNC Bank branch tomorrow. Oaklyn's branch closed last Friday.

Had a smaller load of groceries to buy than last week. A lot of it was a fruit and vegetable restock. Small cuts of lamb were cheap, so I bought two. Needed buttermilk, brown sugar, yogurt, and cream of mushroom soup (the last to replace what I used on last night's Tuna Casserole). There was a dollar sale on packs of Green Giant frozen vegetables - got peas, Vegetable Medley, and Green Beans and Almonds. (I try not to buy the vegetables with sauce on them. Not only does it add calories, but it makes the veggies mushy when you cook them.) Found a few items on the clearance rack that I wanted, including Burt's Bees soap and Acme generic brand 30 spf suntan lotion (something has to keep me from getting fried on long walks).

When I got in, I ran the first Easter special of the year, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, while I put everything away and made Lamb with green beans and snap peas for lunch. The first Rankin-Bass springtime special is one of their odder ones. Peter Cottontail (Casey Kasem) is a boastful bunny who may tend to fib, but is also a pretty smart fellow. When nasty Irontail (Vincent Price) lets him sleep through Easter so he can become the new Chief Bunny, Peter goes back in time through most major holidays to try to give out enough eggs to beat Irontail at his own game.

Ok, so the story makes no sense whatsoever. (How would giving out eggs on another holiday help with Easter?) This is still really cute, even if most of it doesn't have that much to do with Easter. The best thing about this one is a great voice cast - in addition to Price and Kasem, Danny Kaye narrates and plays at least three roles.

Added the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Easter Yeggs" as I got ready for work. A tired Easter Bunny tricks Bugs into doing his job. Bugs thinks it'll be simple...but encounters with a bratty criminal's kid and Elmer on a gun-shooting rampage makes him think twice about how difficult the Easter Bunny's job is.

Work was busy all night. It's the beginning of the month, with all the usual annoying people. Other than that, it wasn't bad. A manager went in for me so I could get out; we were still busy when I left at 8.

Pirates and Balance

Actually, I spent most of the morning watching Three Stooges shorts and puttering around online and with some stories I'd written with Lauren ages ago that were never meant to be posted. I haven't had a lot going on lately. I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to go out and do a lot of shopping...but if I'm not going shopping, I have no idea of what else to do with myself. I've been into movies and media and toys and collecting them for so long, now that I'm trying to save for other things, I have no idea what else I want. If I'm not into movies and toys, what am I? What else do I like?

Passion frightens me. I've never really dedicated myself to something besides media. I'm not even sure how. How can I get involved with real causes without looking crazy? What do I love? I'm not sure anymore. What do you do when you don't need the things you used to need, or you have them? I don't know what I want. I don't know what I'm craving. I'm craving...something, but I'm not sure what it is. Spending all that money last year - even on things I thought I needed, like those classes - just got me into trouble. I don't always have the paychecks to sustain them. And it doesn't help that so many people I know have lost jobs or shifts or have seen major work changes in the last year or so. No one else has an answer for me, either.

I finally went to the 4PM Basics Yoga class, after spending a half-hour or so browsing around in Collingswood. While the class wasn't as full as the morning one usually is, there were more people than normal, about 7 including the teacher, Lee. We emphasized balance poses and back stretches as we worked on getting the heart pumping. I'm getting much better at the Eagle pose, and I can rock Triangle and Warrior. My balance is still shaky, but it's improving.

Went straight home after class ended. When I got in, I made Julie's Tuna Noodle Casserole (with added frozen green peppers, low fat-and-salt cream of mushroom soup instead of cheddar soup, and topped with the last of the Christmas tortilla chips instead of potato chips) and watched The Pirates! Band of Misfits.

The most recent offering from Aardman Animation (the creators of Chicken Run, the Wallace and Gromit shorts, and Sean the Sheep, among others) is...how can I say this?...very peculiar and uniquely British. The pirates of the title are a group of sea rovers in 1837 who are very bad at their job, but enjoy it just the same. The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) wants more, though. He wants to be recognized as Pirate of the Year by his fellow buccaneers. When they laugh him and his odd band of good-natured cutthroats off the stage, the Pirate Captain and his crew attempt to rob ship after ship...but only come up with struggling scientist Charles Darwin (David Tennant). Darwin, however, recognizes the pirates' pet dodo Polly as a rare bird, one of the rarest in existence, and thinks it may get them in with his fellow scientists and Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). When the Pirate Captain gives in to the pirate-hating Queen, it makes him lose face with his crew...and learn that while recognition may be wonderful, having friends and a job you love is even more important.

This is a really, really strange animated film. Think a (somewhat) more family-friendly version of The Pyrates, or Pirates of the Caribbean meets Monty Python by way of Chicken Run. You don't see too many animated films whose soundtracks include punk-rock and reggae hits, or that mix Claymation and CGI with abandon. Or that revere Brian Blessed (who plays the Pirate King). Or where Charles Darwin is a major character who is played as a geek who just wants a woman.

Fans of British history might want go into this one with caution, since Queen Victoria is not seen in anywhere resembling the most flattering light. (Although I do like her going into Bond villain mode at the end.) Otherwise, this is a fun film for older kids, especially boys who will enjoy the action and slightly more adult humor, and adults who enjoy English comedy or other Aardman projects.

Animated Avengers Adventures

Spent most of the day running through the rest of Volume 3 and 4 of Avengers: World's Mightiest Heroes. I wish the libraries had more of this. The last couple of episodes had the entire group dealing with the Masters of Evil, then ending up in Thor's native Asgard to save it from Loki, the main villain of the Avengers movie. If you liked the movie or are a Marvel comics fan, this is a no-brainer. If you're new to the Marvel world (like me), this is actually not a bad place to start. 

I went for a walk between cartoons. The day had started out cloudy, but the sun was coming out by 11:30. Volunteered at the Oaklyn Library for a little while. There were a few books to shelve in the kids' section, and lots of DVDs and books to organize.

After I left the Library, I went on a short stroll to enjoy the day. Most yards and Veteran's Park next-door still show the effects of a winter that was not horrible, but colder than last year. The grass remains dry and brittle, but many trees have soft, fuzzy buds, and some gardens (including Miss Ellie's next to her basement) are showing the first signs of daffodils and crocus. It was breezy, but not nearly as windy as it has been, probably in the mid to upper 40s.

When I got in, I defrosted spring peas and had them with the last of the lamb for lunch and finishing out the Avengers. I made lamb stock while doing some things online and doing a little reading. I got off just in time to watch the last of the disc, toss a container of leftover tuna salad into my lunch bag, change into my uniform, and head to work.

Work was steady for a lot of the night. We were short on help, too. A lot of the college kids and the new high school baggers they hired had been recruited to clean and paint some parts of the store. I'm lucky one of the kids finished in time to come in for me so I could go home. 

And I really need to call Andrew tomorrow. My heater is making grinding noises again. It did this during the winter of 2011. I thought Miss Ellie had it fixed then, but it doesn't seem to have worked. It was so warm here last winter, I doubt the heater ran enough to make noise! 

Beating the Rain to the Punch

It was just cloudy and chilly but not as cold when I got up this morning. I had a late breakfast while running the Avengers cartoon, then ran to the laundromat to get the laundry done. It was very busy, probably with people hoping to avoid the rain that was supposed to show up later in the day, but I did get a washer and a drier quickly. I  had less to do than last week and more time to do it in. I was in and out fairly fast.

I continued The Avengers when I got in and started folding my laundry. Volume 3 brings in two very different menaces. The first story revolves around the "Masters of Evil," Marvel's villain equivalent of the Avengers. Most of the remaining ones pit the group against Krang, a warlord from the distant future. Krang insists that he must destroy Captain America to save his timeline. Iron Man in particular is determined to beat this menace from another time at his own technological game...and find out what he has against the Captain, and why.

Had a simple but tasty lunch of lamb and winter vegetables sauteed in Lemon-Wine Sauce, then headed off to work. Work was busy all night, and we didn't have nearly enough help to deal with it. It was only just starting to slow down when I finally left around 8.

I discovered one reason it was busy when I headed out. Sometime between 3PM and 8PM, the rain arrived. It was lightly showering when I rode home; even as I arrived, it was down to a sprinkle. The rain picked up about a half-hour after I got in, and has been going hard ever since.

Song of the Busy Woman

I slept in today, then ran two early Three Stooges shorts during breakfast. Men In Black, a spoof of hospital dramas, was their only short that was nominated for an Oscar. Horses' Collars is the boys' first western story. The Stooges are detectives who have to find an IOU in order to save Nell's ranch. It's Curly who may end up the hero, though, thanks to his going crazy every times he sees a mouse!

Ran to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering session. I really didn't feel like waiting until Thursday to do it. It was sunny and chilly but not abnormally so for this time of year when I headed out around 11:30. Newton River Park was busy with dog walkers, joggers, and friends out for a stroll before the weather gets worse later in the week. I dodged Canadian geese looking for lunch as I made my way to a busy Cuthbert Road.

The Haddon Township Library was also busy with people looking for DVDs on their lunch break. I had plenty of DVDs to shelve, both children and adult. Took out more of the animated Avengers, along with the Oscar-nominated animated movie The Pirates! Band of Misfits and the final film in the Thin Man series, Song of the Thin Man.

Stopped at the Westmont Bagel Shop for lunch. I decided on a simple cheeseburger and fries while watching The Chew. I was disappointed. The burger was grilled nicely, but gristly and probably not real. From now on, I'm going to stick to bagel sandwiches, soup, and small items when I stop there.

Not only did I not have any other errands in mind for today, I wouldn't have really had the time for them if I had. I went straight home after lunch. Popped Song of the Thin Man in the DVD player while making a Strawberry-Orange Coffee Cake for a snack.

Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) haven't changed much by 1947. Other than Nick Jr. (Dean Stockwell) is probably about 10 years old, they're still solving mysteries and swilling cocktails. This time, the case takes them into the world of hipster swing musicians. A bandleader (Philip Reed) is murdered on the verge of a huge tour, and one of the musicians (Bruce Cowling), who was seen fighting with him earlier, is sent to jail for the crime. The wife he just eloped with (Jayne Meadows) claims he's innocent and enlists Nick and Nora to find out who really did it. Was it the rich couple (Patricia Morison and Leon Ames) who paid the bandleader's debts? Or the chanteuse (Gloria Grahame) who knows more than she's telling? Or the father of the new bride, who didn't want her running around with musicians? Nick and Nora make friends with another musician (a young Keenan Wynn) as they try to make their way through hot jazz, weird music slang, and gunshots.

If you're a fan of the Thin Man series and have gotten this far, by all means, jump right in. The hipster argot makes it slightly more dated than most of the other movies starring the Charleses, but it's still fairly interesting, with a nifty cast and some pretty good jazz music. Most newcomers and casual fans will want to start with the first three movies and work their way through.

I just barely made it out to work in time. Work wasn't too bad. It was a bit busier than it was last week. We are getting close to the beginning of the month. I was still able to shut down without a relief at the end of the night.

Oscar Day Razzle Dazzle

I slept so late, I didn't get up until past 11! Brunch With the Beatles was saluting George Harrison, whose birthday was in February, when I finally did get out of bed. His solo hits "What Is Life?" and "My Sweet Lord" were joined by three childhood favorites, "Blow Away," "All Those Years Ago," and "Got My Mind Set On You."

I made Strawberry Ginger Pancakes, using the last of the evaporated milk leftover from the rice pudding earlier in the week. Yum! They came out moist and rich. Tastiest pancakes I've made in a while. I tried calling Mom, but my sister Anny and her son Skylar were visiting. She'd call back later.

After the show ended, I switched from my radio to the record player. My sister Rose was the first person to introduce me to Les Miserables in the early 90s, when she picked up a copy of a cassette of highlights on a school trip to New York City. I was blown away the moment I heard it. I'd never heard a musical that was so, well, musical, or as dramatic. I had that cassette for years after Rose finally turned it over to me, and I also owned the video of the "Dream Cast" concert for a while. I finally replaced the cassette with a double LP version of the original Broadway cast I found at Russakoff's in Philadelphia a few years ago; the record set has more music.

There's a reason I don't listen to Les Mis more often, even though I love the music and badly want to see the movie. It depresses the heck out of me. It's also long, and since it's more-or-less an opera, you pretty much need to hear most, if not all, of the music to have any idea of what's going on. It's rare that I have the time to run the whole thing.

Musical fans, however, should hear this at least once. Even if it was too bombastic to work as something more than a fluke, it's a wonderful fluke, with some fabulous songs and one of the most melodramatic storylines in the history of musical theater.

Mom finally called while the records were playing. She was happy that Dad is finally starting to work out (she's worried about his ballooning weight for years), but is worried about Anny. Anny lost her job at Big Lots a few weeks ago. She claims that Anny's boss from Big Lots kept her from getting unemployment. I don't know how he did that; Anny is a single mother with a child to support. Shouldn't that matter more?

Made a quick trip to CVS after my chat with Mom. I needed milk rather badly. Also wanted to replace the headband Mom gave me a few Christmases ago. It does hold my hair well....but the plastic was so thin, it was already cracking. I bought a set of three that were not only thicker and sturdier plastic, but held my hair just as well. Grabbed some Dawn dishwashing liquid, too. (For some reason, drug stores always have the best sales on dishwashing liquid.)

I cheered myself up with a switch to the soundtrack from the Oscar-winning movie version of Chicago. I was thrilled when this won in 2002. It was the first musical to win an Oscar for best picture since 1969's Oliver. Unlike Oliver, there were no complaints about Chicago not being relevant enough for the Oscars. There's a reason the Broadway revival is still running; it's probably more relevant now than it was when the stage show debuted in 1975. (Apparently, the stage show was initially overshadowed by the runaway success of A Chorus Line in the 70s.) Catherine Zeta-Jones deserved her Oscar as Velma Kelly, the murderess who is overshadowed by ambitious newcomer Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger). Queen Latifa was fabulous as the prison matron Mama Morton; Richard Gere was almost as good as the amoral attorney who represents both ladies and gets to sing the show's most famous number, "Razzle Dazzle." I also love John C. Reilly's "Mr. Cellophane."

Chicago ended just in time for me to head to work. It was much busier at the Acme tonight than it was last night, and a bit less dull. Otherwise, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.