Yes, it snowed again this morning. It wasn't a case of deja vu, though. It was a little warmer this morning than it was on Sunday, and most of the streets had already been plowed and salted. The snow was coming down fast and thick, but the sky wasn't as dark, either.
I spent the morning working on Christmas cards while watching White Christmas. I figured that was appropriate, given the current weather. Two popular performers (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) and a girl singing act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) find themselves in a rundown Vermont inn for the holidays. Vermont has been experiencing a freak heat wave, and it's killing the business of the men's former Army commander, General Wavery (Dean Jagger). The guys fall back on the old "put on a show" trope and call their revue to drum up business. When the General feels depressed after being turned down for active duty, Crosby goes on TV to try to get their old Army unit together to buoy his spirits, even as mixed messages threaten his relationship with Clooney.
The musical numbers are the big thing here. The plot is really cute, especially in the first half during the emphasis on the show and the relationships between the guys and the girls. Things fall apart a bit towards the middle, thanks to some rather silly romantic comedy contrivances. The numbers, on the other hand, are still fun, from the girls' hilarious "Sisters" (the men lip-sync an even funnier version a few minutes later) to the Oscar-nominated ballad "Count Your Blessings." The best number, however, is in the first five minutes of the move. Bing sings the title song accompanied by nothing but a tinkling music box and bombs falling in the instance. It's a touching, lovely moment. Otherwise, this is snazzy fluff that's recommended for fans of Berlin, big 40s and 50s Technicolor musicals, or the four leads.
I vacuumed the fake needles and Mylar shreds from the tree and garlands towards the end of White Christmas, then ran two winter-themed animated specials while working on crocheting. Frosty Returns isn't a follow-up to the Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman. In this original tale from 1992, a little girl named Holly and her very scientific friend Charles encounter the title snowman just as a nasty factory owner is touting his new formula that could completely eliminate snow...and Frosty's reason for existing. The trio do what they can to prove that snow does have its uses, and even a shy little girl can stand up for what she believes in.
Holly's not the only one have snow problems. In the Backyardigans' earlier holiday special "The Secret of Snow," Uniqua is also dying for the frozen precipitation to start. She travels to the factory of the Ice Lady (Tasha) and her bored assistant (Austin) to find out what the "secret of snow" is. Tasha has no patience for her questions and sends Uniqua first to the desert, then to the jungle. Uniqua comes back with Cowboy Pablo and Tyrone of the Jungle, who also want to see this thing called snow. They finally learn that there is no "secret of snow," but that friendship is even more important.
Work was surprisingly quiet after yesterday's mess. It was steady all night, with no major problems besides some grumpy people. While many local schools were closed today, the joke was on them. The roads had almost entirely been cleared. The snow was letting up by the time Rose drove me to work and was gone when she picked me up at 6. In fact, the sun came out towards the end of the afternoon. It wasn't even that cold, and certainly not as cold as Sunday or it's supposed to be for the next few days.
When I got in, I made roasted Tilapia and Brussels sprouts and applesauce for dinner, then crocheted while watching Jack the Giant Slayer. In this re-imagining of Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is a daydreaming farmhand who finds himself in the adventure of a lifetime when the beans he got from a fleeing monk grow into an enormous beanstalk, and a giant at the top kidnaps the Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson). He and several of the King's men, along with his head of the guards (Ewan MacGregor) and Isabelle's smarmy fiancee Roderick (Stanley Tucci) must rescue her from the giants...and then the entire kingdom when the giants invade their world.
I just didn't get into this one. The special effects were fairly impressive, and I liked how Isabelle's father the king wasn't set up to be a bad guy because he chose the wrong fiancee for her. MacGregor and Tucci were also stand-outs as the noble knight who understands fairy tales better than most and the obnoxious suitor who isn't what he seems. What brings this one down are the dull leads, who lack chemistry and sparkle (and Isabelle, despite saying she wants more responsibility, is constantly being rescued), and the very derivative story. This isn't anything you haven't seen before in anything from Dragonslayer to Lord of the Rings. Only recommended for fans of elaborate special effects adventures, MacGregor, or fantasy nuts.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 09, 2013
Between Snow and a Wet Place
Started a gray, wet morning with Prep & Landing and oatmeal and grapefruit for breakfast. This 2009 Disney special takes us behind the scenes on Christmas Eve to show us just how Santa manages to deliver all those toys. The answer - a high-tech, elite group of elves known as "Prep & Landing" go on ahead and make sure every house is sleeping, ready, and has the milk just the right temperature for the big man in red. Trouble is, Wayne, one of the the team's most trusted field elves for over 200 years was just passed over for a promotion, and he's not happy about it. Not only that, but his partner got the coveted position, and he has to train a new recruit named Lenny just out of the academy. Angry over how his Christmas Eve has gone, he slacks off during the job. When his goofing around may result in a kid being passed over, Lenny reminds him that the real reason for his job is making the kids happy.
Naughty & Nice came out two years later. This time, Wayne is competing with his younger brother Noel, a coal-mining elf, for the Elf of the Year award. The brothers and Lenny infiltrate the house of a "naughty" kid who is trying to break into Santa's computerized "naughty and nice" list. While Lenny tries to keep the list out of the kid's hands, the brothers try to outdo each other.
Someone at Disney really got into this. In addition to the two half-hour specials, there's two more shorts included on the DVD, "Mission: Secret Santa" (Wayne and Lenny have to retrieve something from Santa's office) and "Tiny's Big Adventure" (Tiny the Elf does his best to make coffee). Not to mention, the DVD is filled with spoof commercials for North Pole businesses briefly seen in the specials, "training shorts" for Prep & Landing team members, and even black & white newsreels. I can tell why these were extremely popular when they came out. Get the DVD, even if you've caught these on TV; the additional shorts are hilarious.
It was raining lightly when I headed to the laundromat. I did get a ride from my landlady Linda who lives a block away; she was heading out to run errands on the White Horse Pike anyway. The laundromat was busy when I arrived, quiet as a mouse when I left. Thankfully, I was able to get a washer and drier with no problems. My laundry basket was almost as full as it was last week; I had sheets to wash.
When I got home, I listened to one of my True Value Happy Holidays CDs while putting away the laundry and having pasta with beans and vegetables for lunch. It was 39, the one with Tony Bennett singing "Snowfall," which I figured was appropriate.
It wasn't even raining when I headed out to work, just damp and cloudy, probably in the 40s. The snow was melting and slushy. Despite the slightly improved weather, the Acme was a nut house tonight. We're supposed to be getting more snow tomorrow, between 3 and 5 inches as of right now (although after yesterday, I'm taking that information with a grain of salt). We had two people call out and were short on help, too. Thankfully, it just began slowing down as I was ready to go.
When I got in, I put on The Backyardigans as I made peanut butter and strawberry spread on cinnamon bread for a quick dinner. "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" is another take on elves who can kick rear and help Santa keep the gift-giving on track. "Action Elves" Uniqua, Tasha, and Pablo have to get Santa's magic sack back from goofy "Abominable Brothers" Tyrone and Austin, who took it to carry snowballs and really doesn't know what it does.
Naughty & Nice came out two years later. This time, Wayne is competing with his younger brother Noel, a coal-mining elf, for the Elf of the Year award. The brothers and Lenny infiltrate the house of a "naughty" kid who is trying to break into Santa's computerized "naughty and nice" list. While Lenny tries to keep the list out of the kid's hands, the brothers try to outdo each other.
Someone at Disney really got into this. In addition to the two half-hour specials, there's two more shorts included on the DVD, "Mission: Secret Santa" (Wayne and Lenny have to retrieve something from Santa's office) and "Tiny's Big Adventure" (Tiny the Elf does his best to make coffee). Not to mention, the DVD is filled with spoof commercials for North Pole businesses briefly seen in the specials, "training shorts" for Prep & Landing team members, and even black & white newsreels. I can tell why these were extremely popular when they came out. Get the DVD, even if you've caught these on TV; the additional shorts are hilarious.
It was raining lightly when I headed to the laundromat. I did get a ride from my landlady Linda who lives a block away; she was heading out to run errands on the White Horse Pike anyway. The laundromat was busy when I arrived, quiet as a mouse when I left. Thankfully, I was able to get a washer and drier with no problems. My laundry basket was almost as full as it was last week; I had sheets to wash.
When I got home, I listened to one of my True Value Happy Holidays CDs while putting away the laundry and having pasta with beans and vegetables for lunch. It was 39, the one with Tony Bennett singing "Snowfall," which I figured was appropriate.
It wasn't even raining when I headed out to work, just damp and cloudy, probably in the 40s. The snow was melting and slushy. Despite the slightly improved weather, the Acme was a nut house tonight. We're supposed to be getting more snow tomorrow, between 3 and 5 inches as of right now (although after yesterday, I'm taking that information with a grain of salt). We had two people call out and were short on help, too. Thankfully, it just began slowing down as I was ready to go.
When I got in, I put on The Backyardigans as I made peanut butter and strawberry spread on cinnamon bread for a quick dinner. "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" is another take on elves who can kick rear and help Santa keep the gift-giving on track. "Action Elves" Uniqua, Tasha, and Pablo have to get Santa's magic sack back from goofy "Abominable Brothers" Tyrone and Austin, who took it to carry snowballs and really doesn't know what it does.
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Surprise Winter Wonderland
It was just cloudy and damp when I woke up this morning. It was still cloudy when I put on Brunch With the Beatles and started my Apples and Cinnamon Pancakes. John Lennon's life and tragic death 33 years ago were in the spotlight today. Among his songs we heard with the Beatles were "Revolution," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," "I Am the Walrus," and "In My Life." Solo songs highlighted included "Mind Games," "Imagine," "Instant Karma," and two of my favorites from the Double Fantasy album, "Woman" and "Just Like Starting Over."
Called Mom briefly after breakfast. She was preparing for the Eagles game with the Lions at 1 and for my nephew Collyn's birthday party (he turned 5 today). She loves her grandsons, but she wasn't too happy about having to miss part of the game, as my sister Anny doesn't have cable.
The snow started to come down as we talked. I was originally going to ride my bike today, but then I saw how heavily it was falling. We were only supposed to get a dusting, but it was already piling up, even as I finished talking to Mom. I ended up calling Dad. Rose picked me up; she was out running errands anyway, and her van has 4-wheel drive. She had two small skids on our way to the Acme, but nothing that caused any damage.
The Acme was very busy when I first arrived. The combination of crazy weather and a really good Eagles game finally cleared out our customers. We were mildly steady from about 1:30 onwards. Most people were in decent, if rather surprised, moods. We were expecting a dusting of snow at most, not a blizzard!
I also got to see part of the Eagles game in the back room. Naturally, we weren't the only ones dealing with the blizzard. The Eagles were literally up to their ankles in six unexpected inches of snow. The Lions were winning when I saw the first few minutes of the 3rd Quarter in the back room. The Eagles made some very big plays in the second half when visibility became better. They eventually won the game 34-20.
The snow had let up a little by the time my cousin Mark picked me up in his huge truck at 4:30. Mark not only also has 4-wheel drive, but he's from Wisconsin. He's probably driven in worse snow! It was slow going, but we did finally make it back to my place. Thankfully, by that point, either my landlord or my neighbor or both had shoveled my porch and the path leading to the steps.
After taking some photos of the porch and woods in the snow, I went straight in the bathtub. Ahhhh, that felt really nice. It was so relaxing, reading How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas and listening to classic Christmas music while the snow/rain fell softly outside my bathroom window.
When I got out of the bath, I made pasta fagiloi (pasta with beans and vegetables) for dinner and baked Fudgy Brownies while listening to three different versions of A Christmas Carol on LP. The soundtrack from the 1970 version of Scrooge with Albert Finney was a yard sale find a couple of years ago. That score has some nice songs, including the standard "Thank You Very Much." Peter Pan did a condensed Christmas Carol sometime in the 70s. And it's not well-remembered today, but Mickey's Christmas Carol was an LP first. Differences from the 80s special include more songs (I love the delicious "Money" for Scrooge and Mickey), Merlin as the Ghost of Christmas Past, the witch from Snow White as the Ghost of Christmas Future, and Foulfellow and Gideon from Pinocchio as the gentlemen collecting for the poor.
Called Mom briefly after breakfast. She was preparing for the Eagles game with the Lions at 1 and for my nephew Collyn's birthday party (he turned 5 today). She loves her grandsons, but she wasn't too happy about having to miss part of the game, as my sister Anny doesn't have cable.
The snow started to come down as we talked. I was originally going to ride my bike today, but then I saw how heavily it was falling. We were only supposed to get a dusting, but it was already piling up, even as I finished talking to Mom. I ended up calling Dad. Rose picked me up; she was out running errands anyway, and her van has 4-wheel drive. She had two small skids on our way to the Acme, but nothing that caused any damage.
The Acme was very busy when I first arrived. The combination of crazy weather and a really good Eagles game finally cleared out our customers. We were mildly steady from about 1:30 onwards. Most people were in decent, if rather surprised, moods. We were expecting a dusting of snow at most, not a blizzard!
I also got to see part of the Eagles game in the back room. Naturally, we weren't the only ones dealing with the blizzard. The Eagles were literally up to their ankles in six unexpected inches of snow. The Lions were winning when I saw the first few minutes of the 3rd Quarter in the back room. The Eagles made some very big plays in the second half when visibility became better. They eventually won the game 34-20.
The snow had let up a little by the time my cousin Mark picked me up in his huge truck at 4:30. Mark not only also has 4-wheel drive, but he's from Wisconsin. He's probably driven in worse snow! It was slow going, but we did finally make it back to my place. Thankfully, by that point, either my landlord or my neighbor or both had shoveled my porch and the path leading to the steps.
After taking some photos of the porch and woods in the snow, I went straight in the bathtub. Ahhhh, that felt really nice. It was so relaxing, reading How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas and listening to classic Christmas music while the snow/rain fell softly outside my bathroom window.
When I got out of the bath, I made pasta fagiloi (pasta with beans and vegetables) for dinner and baked Fudgy Brownies while listening to three different versions of A Christmas Carol on LP. The soundtrack from the 1970 version of Scrooge with Albert Finney was a yard sale find a couple of years ago. That score has some nice songs, including the standard "Thank You Very Much." Peter Pan did a condensed Christmas Carol sometime in the 70s. And it's not well-remembered today, but Mickey's Christmas Carol was an LP first. Differences from the 80s special include more songs (I love the delicious "Money" for Scrooge and Mickey), Merlin as the Ghost of Christmas Past, the witch from Snow White as the Ghost of Christmas Future, and Foulfellow and Gideon from Pinocchio as the gentlemen collecting for the poor.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Christmas In the City of Brotherly Love
I slept in a little more than usual and only got to hear the last half-hour of this week's American Top 40 re-run. We were in early December 1980, as R&B, ballads, country stars, and disco enlivened the first holiday season of the 80s. Hits that week included "Master Blaster" by Stevie Wonder, "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, "More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer, and "Woman In Love" by Barbara Streisand. The number #1 was one of the biggest hits of country legend Kenny Rogers, the ballad "Lady."
I finally headed out to the PATCO Station in Collingswood around quarter after 10. I rode around Collingswood for about 10 minutes, just enjoying a chilly, sunny late fall day, before locking my bike and buying my ticket. There were two large, noisy crowds of older people and college students dressed for the holidays in loud sweaters, silly Santa hats, and ridiculous ornament jewelry waiting with me, too. They were so loud and obnoxious on the way to Philly, I wonder if they all hit the eggnog a little early.
This year, I chose to forgo the congestion on Market Street and start on 16th Street, heading down to Rittenhouse Square. Much to my surprise, there was a line of white tents and booths set up on the sidewalks on the side of the Square across from Barnes & Noble. I decided to check out this event instead of going to the bookstore first.
It turned out to be a farm market, smaller but just as nifty as the one at Collingswood. In fact, I recognized some of the booths as Collingswood regulars, including the mushroom sellers, the hand-made soap sellers, and two bakery booths. I bought a Pumpkin Roll from one of the bakeries. It was a slice of very moist roll pumpkin spice cake with a thick cream cheese filling. Ooh, it was so yummy! I must have looked like I enjoyed it, because a father with two kids asked me where I got it - I pointed them back to the farm market.
I finally made it to Barnes & Noble after finishing my treat. I went right to the third floor after a brief peek at this week's Entertainment Weekly's top 10 movies of the year list. I took a look at the area in the back where the film and music books were, and was a bit disappointed when I realized that the meeting area had been cleared, there were shelves where the chairs were, and there were far fewer shelves of media-related books than there used to be.
Had far more luck in the extensive children's section. I listened to a mother read a Christmas story to her daughter as I browsed. I discovered my 7-year-old cousin Faith's gift first. She and her mother Samantha enjoyed the American Girl historical books I gave them last year so much, I decided to get her another one new. American Girl does a "Girl of the Year," a doll with a special collection that can only be bought for one year. This year's girl is Saige Copeland, who lives in New Mexico. Her themes are horseback riding and the importance of the arts in schools and in our lives...something I thought horse-loving Faith and Samantha would appreciate.
Skylar's present was harder to find. It wasn't overwhelming busy, but there were quite a few parents in the kids' section. I had to gingerly step around a mother looking for a Spanish-English dictionary for her child while checking the science and reference books. I finally came up with a small but thick book of science experiments for kids. Skylar loved doing science experiments all summer with Mom.
It was past 12:30 when I left Barnes & Noble. Time for lunch. I wanted something filling, but simple. I remembered the food court in the lower level of the Bellevue, the deluxe hotel/mall on Broad Street. Much to my surprise, despite it being the lunch hour, the food court wasn't busy, and many of the restaurants were closed. I opted for one of the few open, Bain's Deli. Had a delicious, mile-high roast beef sandwich on marble rye bread, with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a huge spear pickle.
My next stop was the big FYE on Broad Street, a couple of blocks from the Bellevue. Surprisingly, they also weren't that busy. It also helps that they have more space than most of the stores in the area, with wide aisles and plenty of display room. I quickly found the movie Rose requested for her and her family's Christmas party host gift. It was more difficult to find something appropriate for my best friend Lauren. She can and does buy herself most movies and video games she's interested in as soon as possible. In fact, the item I ended up getting her wasn't a movie or a game, but I think she'll still get a kick out of it. I had a small embarrassing moment when the item I was getting for Lauren didn't seem to have a label and I had to go back for another one. Otherwise, the lines weren't long, and I had no problems getting out.
I opted to go around City Hall and enter Macy's through the Juniper Street doors. That was a mistake. The place was an absolute lunatic asylum. It was a sea of people, people, and more people. The lines were ridiculously long everywhere, and people were grouchy and rude. I was hoping it would have been less busy by quarter of 3. Nope. To make matters worse, for some reason, they're having the Light Show every two hours, instead of every hour. I don't know if it's for traffic control or what, but no one was happy, including me. Because the light show wasn't for over an hour, the line for the Dickens Village was half-way down the kids' section on the third floor. Even the line at the tiny Starbucks was annoyingly long. I ultimately left without anything, even a cup of hot chocolate. I'll see the Light Show the week after Christmas and just do the Dickens Village next year.
I did better on my stroll down 13th Street. I noticed small door that said "Verde," and the lovely jewelry and knit scarves and hats they had on display. When I came in, I discovered a long, narrow old store filled with tables and shelves of knit hats, scarves, and gloves, funky socks, cool accessories, and Philly-related gifts. They even had a selection of elaborate chocolates behind a counter. It looked and felt more like a gift shop in Cape May than in Center City Philadelphia. I fell in love with it right away. Even the heavy crowd seemed to be more cheerful than the one at Macy's. I found a nifty item for my stepsister Jessa, who loves unique socks and accessories. I'll have to go back there after the holidays, when it's less crowded.
I was hot after being in overheated stores all day. I made a quick stop at the frozen yogurt store Sweet Endings for a cup of eggnog yogurt sprinkled with white chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and my first-ever pomegranate seeds. I liked the sweet-tart seeds better than the too-tart yogurt, which didn't really taste much like eggnog. I took my frozen yogurt on the road, eating it on the way to the 13th Street PATCO station. Thankfully, the 3:30 train was practically empty and quiet. When I got in, I made short stops at WaWa (for a French Vanilla chilled coffee) and CVS (they were out of the Dawn Dish Liquid on sale) before heading home.
Spent the rest of the evening watching Shrek: The Musical, crocheting, and eating baked salmon and broccoli for dinner. This was the Broadway stage version of the blockbuster movie that debuted in 2010. It wasn't a huge hit, but apparently did well enough...which is a shame, because I may have liked it better than the movie. As in the film, the title character is a grouchy but good-hearted ogre (Brian D'Arcy) who travels to the kingdom of Lord Faarquad (Christopher Sieber) to get him to remove the enchanted animals and fairies he's exiled from his swamp. Faarquad agrees...but only if he rescues the lovely Fiona (Sutton Foster) from a tower and a dragon. Along the way, he reluctantly befriends a motor-mouth Donkey (Daniel Breaker) who both helps and hinders his quest...and the trio and Fiona discover that one ogre's "freak" is another's handsome knight and beautiful princess.
I saw the first Shrek film in the theater and liked the second well enough, but wasn't crazy about the third and didn't bother with the fourth or the subsequent holiday specials. This was a surprisingly enjoyable romp with some really wonderful songs. My favorites were "Let Your Freak Flag Fly" for the enchanted characters, Fiona's trio with her younger selves "I Know It's Today," and the hilarious competition duet for Shrek and Fiona, "I Got You Beat." Well worth checking out for fans of the movies or of stage musicals.
I finally headed out to the PATCO Station in Collingswood around quarter after 10. I rode around Collingswood for about 10 minutes, just enjoying a chilly, sunny late fall day, before locking my bike and buying my ticket. There were two large, noisy crowds of older people and college students dressed for the holidays in loud sweaters, silly Santa hats, and ridiculous ornament jewelry waiting with me, too. They were so loud and obnoxious on the way to Philly, I wonder if they all hit the eggnog a little early.
This year, I chose to forgo the congestion on Market Street and start on 16th Street, heading down to Rittenhouse Square. Much to my surprise, there was a line of white tents and booths set up on the sidewalks on the side of the Square across from Barnes & Noble. I decided to check out this event instead of going to the bookstore first.
It turned out to be a farm market, smaller but just as nifty as the one at Collingswood. In fact, I recognized some of the booths as Collingswood regulars, including the mushroom sellers, the hand-made soap sellers, and two bakery booths. I bought a Pumpkin Roll from one of the bakeries. It was a slice of very moist roll pumpkin spice cake with a thick cream cheese filling. Ooh, it was so yummy! I must have looked like I enjoyed it, because a father with two kids asked me where I got it - I pointed them back to the farm market.
I finally made it to Barnes & Noble after finishing my treat. I went right to the third floor after a brief peek at this week's Entertainment Weekly's top 10 movies of the year list. I took a look at the area in the back where the film and music books were, and was a bit disappointed when I realized that the meeting area had been cleared, there were shelves where the chairs were, and there were far fewer shelves of media-related books than there used to be.
Had far more luck in the extensive children's section. I listened to a mother read a Christmas story to her daughter as I browsed. I discovered my 7-year-old cousin Faith's gift first. She and her mother Samantha enjoyed the American Girl historical books I gave them last year so much, I decided to get her another one new. American Girl does a "Girl of the Year," a doll with a special collection that can only be bought for one year. This year's girl is Saige Copeland, who lives in New Mexico. Her themes are horseback riding and the importance of the arts in schools and in our lives...something I thought horse-loving Faith and Samantha would appreciate.
Skylar's present was harder to find. It wasn't overwhelming busy, but there were quite a few parents in the kids' section. I had to gingerly step around a mother looking for a Spanish-English dictionary for her child while checking the science and reference books. I finally came up with a small but thick book of science experiments for kids. Skylar loved doing science experiments all summer with Mom.
It was past 12:30 when I left Barnes & Noble. Time for lunch. I wanted something filling, but simple. I remembered the food court in the lower level of the Bellevue, the deluxe hotel/mall on Broad Street. Much to my surprise, despite it being the lunch hour, the food court wasn't busy, and many of the restaurants were closed. I opted for one of the few open, Bain's Deli. Had a delicious, mile-high roast beef sandwich on marble rye bread, with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a huge spear pickle.
My next stop was the big FYE on Broad Street, a couple of blocks from the Bellevue. Surprisingly, they also weren't that busy. It also helps that they have more space than most of the stores in the area, with wide aisles and plenty of display room. I quickly found the movie Rose requested for her and her family's Christmas party host gift. It was more difficult to find something appropriate for my best friend Lauren. She can and does buy herself most movies and video games she's interested in as soon as possible. In fact, the item I ended up getting her wasn't a movie or a game, but I think she'll still get a kick out of it. I had a small embarrassing moment when the item I was getting for Lauren didn't seem to have a label and I had to go back for another one. Otherwise, the lines weren't long, and I had no problems getting out.
I opted to go around City Hall and enter Macy's through the Juniper Street doors. That was a mistake. The place was an absolute lunatic asylum. It was a sea of people, people, and more people. The lines were ridiculously long everywhere, and people were grouchy and rude. I was hoping it would have been less busy by quarter of 3. Nope. To make matters worse, for some reason, they're having the Light Show every two hours, instead of every hour. I don't know if it's for traffic control or what, but no one was happy, including me. Because the light show wasn't for over an hour, the line for the Dickens Village was half-way down the kids' section on the third floor. Even the line at the tiny Starbucks was annoyingly long. I ultimately left without anything, even a cup of hot chocolate. I'll see the Light Show the week after Christmas and just do the Dickens Village next year.
I did better on my stroll down 13th Street. I noticed small door that said "Verde," and the lovely jewelry and knit scarves and hats they had on display. When I came in, I discovered a long, narrow old store filled with tables and shelves of knit hats, scarves, and gloves, funky socks, cool accessories, and Philly-related gifts. They even had a selection of elaborate chocolates behind a counter. It looked and felt more like a gift shop in Cape May than in Center City Philadelphia. I fell in love with it right away. Even the heavy crowd seemed to be more cheerful than the one at Macy's. I found a nifty item for my stepsister Jessa, who loves unique socks and accessories. I'll have to go back there after the holidays, when it's less crowded.
I was hot after being in overheated stores all day. I made a quick stop at the frozen yogurt store Sweet Endings for a cup of eggnog yogurt sprinkled with white chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and my first-ever pomegranate seeds. I liked the sweet-tart seeds better than the too-tart yogurt, which didn't really taste much like eggnog. I took my frozen yogurt on the road, eating it on the way to the 13th Street PATCO station. Thankfully, the 3:30 train was practically empty and quiet. When I got in, I made short stops at WaWa (for a French Vanilla chilled coffee) and CVS (they were out of the Dawn Dish Liquid on sale) before heading home.
Spent the rest of the evening watching Shrek: The Musical, crocheting, and eating baked salmon and broccoli for dinner. This was the Broadway stage version of the blockbuster movie that debuted in 2010. It wasn't a huge hit, but apparently did well enough...which is a shame, because I may have liked it better than the movie. As in the film, the title character is a grouchy but good-hearted ogre (Brian D'Arcy) who travels to the kingdom of Lord Faarquad (Christopher Sieber) to get him to remove the enchanted animals and fairies he's exiled from his swamp. Faarquad agrees...but only if he rescues the lovely Fiona (Sutton Foster) from a tower and a dragon. Along the way, he reluctantly befriends a motor-mouth Donkey (Daniel Breaker) who both helps and hinders his quest...and the trio and Fiona discover that one ogre's "freak" is another's handsome knight and beautiful princess.
I saw the first Shrek film in the theater and liked the second well enough, but wasn't crazy about the third and didn't bother with the fourth or the subsequent holiday specials. This was a surprisingly enjoyable romp with some really wonderful songs. My favorites were "Let Your Freak Flag Fly" for the enchanted characters, Fiona's trio with her younger selves "I Know It's Today," and the hilarious competition duet for Shrek and Fiona, "I Got You Beat." Well worth checking out for fans of the movies or of stage musicals.
Friday, December 06, 2013
Wet Christmas
Today was my early work day. Actually, up through around 3, it was dead and never more than mildly steady. As with last night, I spent a lot of the late morning and afternoon bored. We were hit hard during rush hour, though. Everyone must have heard the weather reports. The rain is supposed to peter out by tomorrow...but then we may get a little snow and sleet on Sunday that'll turn into rain by Monday. It got so busy by 4, someone had to come in for me, and I still barely made it out on time.
The crowds didn't make my own grocery shopping any easier. I needed a lot of fruit and vegetables for the first time since the end of the Farm Market. I bought a bag of locally-grown apples, bananas, grapefruit, and small containers of pre-cut broccoli and Brussels sprouts that'll be a lot easier for me to handle. I also restocked my brown and white sugar, vanilla (which I've been forgetting to do for weeks now), milk, eggs, and dollar packs of salmon and tilapia fillets. The lines were still long, so I ended up using the self-checkout instead. That was a mistake. The machine did not like me using my own bags, and I'd have to call someone every time it got stuck because I pushed the button that said I had my own bags.
It wasn't really raining when I rode to work this morning. I didn't want to call for a ride because I had to go shopping and had no desire to rush or make someone wait. Of course, it was showering when I got out. I didn't feel like waiting for the rain to end, so I just rode home and got soaked.
I put on a couple of holiday specials while I ate leftovers and the last of the farm market Brussels sprouts and Cranberry Flummery for dinner. Gift of the Night Fury returns us to the Viking town of Berk, as the locals and their dragons prepare for their Winter Solstice holiday, Smoggletog. Everyone is astounded when all of the dragons suddenly disappear. Even Hiccup's beloved Black Fury Toothless takes off after his master gives him a mechanical tail. While his friend Astrid creates traditions to improve their community's flagging holiday spirit, Hiccup tries to figure out where the dragons went to.
The Peanuts gang return for their second of four Christmas specials in It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown. This one is really more a series of skits cobbled from the comic strips, but as such, it's kind of fun. Charlie Brown wants to sell wreaths to buy gloves for the Little Red Haired Girl. Peppermint Patty tries to avoid doing homework on holiday breaks and is furious when Marcie gets the coveted role of Mary in their school pageant, and she just ends up being a sheep. Sally is also in the pageant. She constantly practices her one line...but is embarrassed by what does come out of her mouth onstage.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas tells the famous tale of the nasty green title character, who wants to end the noise from the Whos who live below him on Christmas Day. He thinks he'll end their fun by stealing all of their holiday goodies, but it's the Whos themselves who ultimately show him the real meaning of the season.
I jumped into a short but much-needed bath after dinner. I was originally going to hold it off until tomorrow, but after all the trouble at work and shopping, I figured I needed it now. I was right. It felt soooo goood, just laying back and relaxing while reading Peanuts Christmas comics and How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas. I didn't want to get out, but the water got cold, and I wanted to beat Lauren online.
Oh, and I have a great schedule next week, probably my best in weeks. Nothing earlier than noon or later than 8, with Thursday and next Saturday off. I think I'll take advantage of the one day without rain tomorrow and hit Philly for some shopping and to see the Light Show and Dickens Village. Next Saturday, I may return to the Voorhees Town Center Boscov's and see what that's like at Christmas.
The crowds didn't make my own grocery shopping any easier. I needed a lot of fruit and vegetables for the first time since the end of the Farm Market. I bought a bag of locally-grown apples, bananas, grapefruit, and small containers of pre-cut broccoli and Brussels sprouts that'll be a lot easier for me to handle. I also restocked my brown and white sugar, vanilla (which I've been forgetting to do for weeks now), milk, eggs, and dollar packs of salmon and tilapia fillets. The lines were still long, so I ended up using the self-checkout instead. That was a mistake. The machine did not like me using my own bags, and I'd have to call someone every time it got stuck because I pushed the button that said I had my own bags.
It wasn't really raining when I rode to work this morning. I didn't want to call for a ride because I had to go shopping and had no desire to rush or make someone wait. Of course, it was showering when I got out. I didn't feel like waiting for the rain to end, so I just rode home and got soaked.
I put on a couple of holiday specials while I ate leftovers and the last of the farm market Brussels sprouts and Cranberry Flummery for dinner. Gift of the Night Fury returns us to the Viking town of Berk, as the locals and their dragons prepare for their Winter Solstice holiday, Smoggletog. Everyone is astounded when all of the dragons suddenly disappear. Even Hiccup's beloved Black Fury Toothless takes off after his master gives him a mechanical tail. While his friend Astrid creates traditions to improve their community's flagging holiday spirit, Hiccup tries to figure out where the dragons went to.
The Peanuts gang return for their second of four Christmas specials in It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown. This one is really more a series of skits cobbled from the comic strips, but as such, it's kind of fun. Charlie Brown wants to sell wreaths to buy gloves for the Little Red Haired Girl. Peppermint Patty tries to avoid doing homework on holiday breaks and is furious when Marcie gets the coveted role of Mary in their school pageant, and she just ends up being a sheep. Sally is also in the pageant. She constantly practices her one line...but is embarrassed by what does come out of her mouth onstage.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas tells the famous tale of the nasty green title character, who wants to end the noise from the Whos who live below him on Christmas Day. He thinks he'll end their fun by stealing all of their holiday goodies, but it's the Whos themselves who ultimately show him the real meaning of the season.
I jumped into a short but much-needed bath after dinner. I was originally going to hold it off until tomorrow, but after all the trouble at work and shopping, I figured I needed it now. I was right. It felt soooo goood, just laying back and relaxing while reading Peanuts Christmas comics and How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas. I didn't want to get out, but the water got cold, and I wanted to beat Lauren online.
Oh, and I have a great schedule next week, probably my best in weeks. Nothing earlier than noon or later than 8, with Thursday and next Saturday off. I think I'll take advantage of the one day without rain tomorrow and hit Philly for some shopping and to see the Light Show and Dickens Village. Next Saturday, I may return to the Voorhees Town Center Boscov's and see what that's like at Christmas.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
A Very Fishy Situation
Started today with a couple of Christmas specials and shorts pertaining to the more religious side of the holiday while eating breakfast and making Banana-Chocolate Chip-Coconut Muffins. The Little Drummer Boy of the 1969 Rankin Bass special hates people after bandits destroyed his home, preferring to spend his time with his drum and pets. He changes his views on humanity when only a "king among kings" can help his hurt lamb.
Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is another take on the story of the donkey who may have carried Mary to Bethlehem. The little donkey of the title can't seem to do anything right, thanks to his huge ears...until he has to help a special couple find their way to Bethlehem.
Charlie Brown is tired of all the commercialism around him and wishes he understood Christmas better. Linus finally shows him - and all of the Peanuts - the meaning of the holiday in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
In the Oscar-winning 1941 short A Star In the Night, character actor J. Carroll Naish plays an Italian hotel owner who is tired of the constant complaints from his customers. It takes the arrival of a poor Hispanic youngster with a pregnant wife who need a room to teach Naish a lesson in the true spirit of the season.
Headed out after "A Star In the Night" ended. I had a lot to do today, starting with a quick run to the Oaklyn Library. It was only 10:30 when I arrived. Thanks to the humid, warm, cloudy weather and the road work on Newton Avenue, the place was empty. I was able to organize DVDs and take a look at the kids' section in relative peace.
Cut through a quiet, brown Newton River Park on my way to the Haddon Township Library. They were also very quiet. I had no problems organizing either the kids' or adults' DVD titles. There was a lot to pull from both sides. They seem to have begun to replace some of the older DVDs with better copies...but neglected to remove the older ones. I also pulled foreign films from the regular adult titles and kids and adult DVDs from both sections. I ended up taking out a nice haul myself to make up for renting nothing last week, three movies (Jack the Giant Slayer, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and the stage version of Shrek: The Musical) and two cartoons (the How to Train Your Dragon holiday special Gift of the Night Fury and the Disney elf shorts Prep & Landing and Naughty & Nice).
Made a quick stop next at Dollar Tree for sponges, scrub pads, and cinnamon (mine's almost done). They were really busy, with lines snaking around to the seasonal section. Thank goodness they opened more registers! After I got out of there, I went to Capitol Pizza for two slices of cheese and broccoli and mushroom and a can of Diet Pepsi. I enjoyed my lunch while watching the tail end of The Chew, and then talk shows.
I spent the rest of the evening at home, crocheting and watching The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Don Knotts plays the fellow of the title, a meek little man who is obsessed with fish and the Navy, much to the annoyance of his wife Bessie. After being hit by lightning and falling in the water at Coney Island, he finds that he's been transformed into a real (well, animated) fish. While he's been learning about his new surroundings, America has joined World War II. Mr. Limpet becomes determined to help his country and prove that no matter what you are, you can still make a difference.
A strange but sweet comedy, best known for its animated underwater sequences done by mostly Warner Bros animators. Might be a little too weird for older kids and teens, but if you can explain the war sequences to the younger guys, you might be able to sell them on this one.
The quiet continued at work. We were dead for most of the night, except during rush hour. There weren't even any returns or shelving to do. They had plenty of boys stocking shelves for the new sales tomorrow, and a new girl bagger did the returns to learn more about where everything is in the store. I was more than happy to head out at 9:30 without a relief.
I got lucky with the weather again. The rain didn't start until well after I got to work, and it was long-gone by the time I finished. I hope my luck sticks around for the weekend. The weather doesn't look good, with rain showers and even a possible bit of snow Sunday and Monday.
Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is another take on the story of the donkey who may have carried Mary to Bethlehem. The little donkey of the title can't seem to do anything right, thanks to his huge ears...until he has to help a special couple find their way to Bethlehem.
Charlie Brown is tired of all the commercialism around him and wishes he understood Christmas better. Linus finally shows him - and all of the Peanuts - the meaning of the holiday in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
In the Oscar-winning 1941 short A Star In the Night, character actor J. Carroll Naish plays an Italian hotel owner who is tired of the constant complaints from his customers. It takes the arrival of a poor Hispanic youngster with a pregnant wife who need a room to teach Naish a lesson in the true spirit of the season.
Headed out after "A Star In the Night" ended. I had a lot to do today, starting with a quick run to the Oaklyn Library. It was only 10:30 when I arrived. Thanks to the humid, warm, cloudy weather and the road work on Newton Avenue, the place was empty. I was able to organize DVDs and take a look at the kids' section in relative peace.
Cut through a quiet, brown Newton River Park on my way to the Haddon Township Library. They were also very quiet. I had no problems organizing either the kids' or adults' DVD titles. There was a lot to pull from both sides. They seem to have begun to replace some of the older DVDs with better copies...but neglected to remove the older ones. I also pulled foreign films from the regular adult titles and kids and adult DVDs from both sections. I ended up taking out a nice haul myself to make up for renting nothing last week, three movies (Jack the Giant Slayer, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and the stage version of Shrek: The Musical) and two cartoons (the How to Train Your Dragon holiday special Gift of the Night Fury and the Disney elf shorts Prep & Landing and Naughty & Nice).
Made a quick stop next at Dollar Tree for sponges, scrub pads, and cinnamon (mine's almost done). They were really busy, with lines snaking around to the seasonal section. Thank goodness they opened more registers! After I got out of there, I went to Capitol Pizza for two slices of cheese and broccoli and mushroom and a can of Diet Pepsi. I enjoyed my lunch while watching the tail end of The Chew, and then talk shows.
I spent the rest of the evening at home, crocheting and watching The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Don Knotts plays the fellow of the title, a meek little man who is obsessed with fish and the Navy, much to the annoyance of his wife Bessie. After being hit by lightning and falling in the water at Coney Island, he finds that he's been transformed into a real (well, animated) fish. While he's been learning about his new surroundings, America has joined World War II. Mr. Limpet becomes determined to help his country and prove that no matter what you are, you can still make a difference.
A strange but sweet comedy, best known for its animated underwater sequences done by mostly Warner Bros animators. Might be a little too weird for older kids and teens, but if you can explain the war sequences to the younger guys, you might be able to sell them on this one.
The quiet continued at work. We were dead for most of the night, except during rush hour. There weren't even any returns or shelving to do. They had plenty of boys stocking shelves for the new sales tomorrow, and a new girl bagger did the returns to learn more about where everything is in the store. I was more than happy to head out at 9:30 without a relief.
I got lucky with the weather again. The rain didn't start until well after I got to work, and it was long-gone by the time I finished. I hope my luck sticks around for the weekend. The weather doesn't look good, with rain showers and even a possible bit of snow Sunday and Monday.
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Displaying the Holidays
I slept in a little bit this morning. I've gotten up early and have been on the run almost every day for the last three weeks or so. I was dead tired after Amanda's visit last night. After I finally did get up, I had breakfast, then put up the remaining Christmas items. While I've been trying to clear out a lot of my Christmas decorations over the years, I still have quite a few "display" items, like the greenery and Mom-made calico gingerbread people and stars who went around the TV, or the big resin Santa who stands on the adult fiction shelves in my bedroom. The mini-tree is on my printer this year. There was no room for it on the children's fiction shelves! My Winter Cinderella fashion-style doll in the elaborate cream-and-gold gown joined the Disney Animation Collection Toddler dolls. A wide bright red and green striped ribbon from a present went around the narrow shelf between the windows in my bedroom.
I pretty much had time for the rest of that Chicken-Avocado wrap from yesterday and not a whole lot else before I headed off to work. Work was a pain all day. We're still in the beginning of the month, and there were a lot of grouchy, grumpy, or just plain rude people today. I was still pretty tired, and very tired of dealing with them. It was steady for most of the afternoon; thankfully, it slowed down enough by 6 that I was able to leave without a relief.
When I got home, I settled down with a spinach "pancake" (spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and eggs whisked together and fried pancake-style, then with cheese added on top) for dinner and some Disney specials. Disney's two most famous holiday animated programs came out in the late 70s and early 80s. The Small One from 1978 is the touching story of a little boy who has to sell his beloved donkey. Small One is old and tiny, and the local merchants refuse to take either the boy or his pet seriously. But there is one kind man with a pregnant wife who thinks Small One might be perfect to take her for a ride to Bethlehem...
Mickey's Christmas Carol is Disney's take on the famous Charles Dickens story. Here, Uncle Scrooge is, naturally, Ebeneezer Scrooge, Donald is Nephew Fred, Mickey is Bob Cratchet, Minnie is his wife, their nephews and nieces are the Cratchet kids, Daisy is Belle, and Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant, and Big Pete are the ghosts. I've read that the animators had a hard time with Goofy as Jacob Marley - they couldn't see him as menacing. The part with Goofy as Marley is my favorite! They did a great job with making him still funny, but a bit scary, too.
These are really the only Disney holiday specials you need. They're available together in two different DVD sets, one released in 2002, the other in 2009. (For the record, I have the "Walt Disney Animation Collection" version from 2009.) Christmas Carol can be found separately in the Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse In Living Color Vol. 2 set, Snowed In at the House of Mouse, and on a recently-released Blu-Ray. Alas, at press time, the only solo release for Small One was on video.
I pretty much had time for the rest of that Chicken-Avocado wrap from yesterday and not a whole lot else before I headed off to work. Work was a pain all day. We're still in the beginning of the month, and there were a lot of grouchy, grumpy, or just plain rude people today. I was still pretty tired, and very tired of dealing with them. It was steady for most of the afternoon; thankfully, it slowed down enough by 6 that I was able to leave without a relief.
When I got home, I settled down with a spinach "pancake" (spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and eggs whisked together and fried pancake-style, then with cheese added on top) for dinner and some Disney specials. Disney's two most famous holiday animated programs came out in the late 70s and early 80s. The Small One from 1978 is the touching story of a little boy who has to sell his beloved donkey. Small One is old and tiny, and the local merchants refuse to take either the boy or his pet seriously. But there is one kind man with a pregnant wife who thinks Small One might be perfect to take her for a ride to Bethlehem...
Mickey's Christmas Carol is Disney's take on the famous Charles Dickens story. Here, Uncle Scrooge is, naturally, Ebeneezer Scrooge, Donald is Nephew Fred, Mickey is Bob Cratchet, Minnie is his wife, their nephews and nieces are the Cratchet kids, Daisy is Belle, and Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant, and Big Pete are the ghosts. I've read that the animators had a hard time with Goofy as Jacob Marley - they couldn't see him as menacing. The part with Goofy as Marley is my favorite! They did a great job with making him still funny, but a bit scary, too.
These are really the only Disney holiday specials you need. They're available together in two different DVD sets, one released in 2002, the other in 2009. (For the record, I have the "Walt Disney Animation Collection" version from 2009.) Christmas Carol can be found separately in the Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse In Living Color Vol. 2 set, Snowed In at the House of Mouse, and on a recently-released Blu-Ray. Alas, at press time, the only solo release for Small One was on video.
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Christmas With Friends
I began a cloudy morning with chores at my apartment to prepare for my friend Amanda's annual Christmas visit. I stripped the sheets off the bed, then put on my warmer flannel sheets and re-made the bed. I picked up around the apartment. I pulled out the things for the Christmas tree - Amanda was going to help me with it later.
Ran A Flinstone Christmas Carol as I worked. Prehistoric times may seem like an odd setting for Charles Dickens' famous short novel, but this one actually works pretty well. Fred and most of Bedrock are appearing in stage version of A Christmas Carol. Fred's gotten carried away with his role as Scrooge, to the point where he forgets Pebbles at daycare, has to rush to buy gifts, and is driving Wilma the stage manager crazy. When he finally lets his ego deflate a little after an incident in a closed department store, he realizes the true message of charity behind the story.
I headed out shortly after the end of the Flinstones. It was surprisingly warm for this time of year, in the mid to upper 50s. I barely needed my green winter coat. We were supposed to meet around 10:15. I hurried out at quarter of 10 and walked as fast as I could to the White Horse Pike. Ironically, Amanda didn't show up until about 10:30.
Amanda drove us to Collingswood (she does have a car), parking in the same lot that houses the Farm Market from May to November. We strolled up and down Haddon Avenue until Tortilla Press opened. Lauren's not my only friend who loves this place. Amanda's a big fan, too. We both had their home-made tortilla chips and farm-market-fresh salsa and wraps. I had Chicken-Avocado. Amanda went a little spicier with Chicken Chipolte. We had iced tea (mine unsweetened, Amanda's raspberry) and sweet potato fries. Our wraps were so big, we loaded the other halves into separate containers and took them home with us.
We strolled down Haddon Avenue again, this time heading for GrooveGround. Amanda wanted coffee; she ended up with the Peppermint Mocha I bought during the Parade the other day. I tried their coconut hot chocolate, which was delicious, including the real coconut shreds. The last time Amanda visited, we had ice cream. This time, we hit DiBartolo's Bakery and treated ourselves to cookies. Amanda bought a small container of sugar cookies. I went with a small container of coconut macaroons.
When we got home, we opened presents. Oddly enough, we both sort of bought each other the same gifts. My bag was filled with fun, small things like fancy hand soap and lotions from Bath & Body Works (Amanda works at the one in the Cumberland Mall), cute lamb sleep socks, and the same Christmas-themed tin of Swiss Miss cocoa I bought for her and Lauren. I gave her a purse I crocheted, a stuffed Christmas-themed Hello Kitty, the cocoa tin, and a few little Hello Kitty items I picked up from the House of Fun (our local supplier of Sanrio products).
We spent the next hour and a half decorating my tree. My tree usually takes anywhere from two to four hours for me to decorate on my own! Having Amanda there was a big help. She held the lights and garland while I wound them on, and was able to tell me when one part looked weird or wasn't filled in enough. She sometimes found good spots for my many ornaments that I missed! And of course, she got to put on the "Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys" Hallmark ornament she gave me years ago. We discussed our families and our problems with work (Amanda is also a substitute teacher for Vineland's school district), and I related the stories of how I acquired so many ornaments and where they came from. (The majority of them were presents from Mom from Winterwood or various gift shops, thrift shop and yard sale finds, or after-Christmas sale treats.)
We finished the tree so quickly, I pulled out the bears, too. Every year, I dress some of my stuffed animals and container of others bought for Christmas in old baby clothes, cast-aside scarves and hats, Christmas costumes, and ribbons with bells on them. This dated from the mid-80s, when Mom used to dress our stuffed animals for the holidays and set them on her hope chest as an interactive display. We'd play with the bears there throughout the season, even giving them party hats and tiaras for New Year's. By the time I'd moved to Wildwood, my Mom was tired of putting them out every year. Not to mention, my brother was too old for the display and my oldest nephew was still too little. I inherited the remaining Christmas toys and their things by default. Not having a hope chest, I put them under the Christmas tree instead to fill in that space. Amanda did a great job helping me to organize and get the clothes on them.
We went for a short walk in the park next door after we finished with the bears. The sun had long been out by then, making it even warmer. There was now a heavy, wide black paved path around the perimeter of the park. While it does make the often-messy park easier to walk in, it also spoils its natural beauty. I always liked how rugged and natural the park looked. Not to mention, it doesn't look right at all. They might have been better off with a dirt path, or at least something less big and black that fits in with the natural surroundings and the garden better.
Amanda left around 3PM to avoid the traffic on the White Horse Pike. I rounded up my large load of laundry and headed straight for the laundromat. It was nearly 4 by the time I made it there, and very busy. I spent the time reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus and ignoring Dr. Phil and the families hanging around.
It was nearly dark by the time I got out of there. I'm actually glad I went so late. It was so warm today, many Oaklyn residents had put up their lights, or were in the process of putting them up as I walked home. Though the people across the street who used to have that huge, wrap-the-lights-around-the-house display seem to be gone, there were still lots of other elaborate light shows, from trees wrapped in lights to three-story-houses with lights on each story that made them look like gingerbread houses.
When I got home, I put the laundry away while listening to one of my Happy Holidays cassettes from the mid-90s, then put on Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank while I worked on a dinner of lightly breaded chicken fillets with sauteed mushrooms and spinach and Cranberry Flummery. This early 60s color special proved to be a huge disappointment. It was really just the two of them singing famous Christmas songs to each other (including "White Christmas" and "Mistletoe and Holly") in Frank's very swinging 60s apartment, with an interlude with a group of Victorian carol singers who suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Though the DVD listed a 90 minute running time, they must have included the extras. The special barely runs a half-hour. Unless you're a huge fan of these two, this is completely skippable. You're better off listening to their many Christmas recordings.
The 1986 Babes In Toyland is only slightly less strange. Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore) is a very mature little miss, a proud resident of Cincinnati, who insists she's a grown-up when she's only about 11. A an accident on a sled leads her to Toyland, where she narrowly stops the wedding of pretty Mary Quite Contrary to evil Barnaby. Mary already has a suitor in Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves), but Jack is under Barnaby's thumb and will only inherit his fortune when he turns 21 and marries. Lisa does her best to aid the lovers and help the Toymaster save Toyland from Barnaby's schemes.
Ok, I'll admit that I like this. Barrymore's not bad as the girl who refuses to be treated as a child, and Richard Mulligan and Eileen Brennan have fun chewing the scenery as Barnaby and Mrs. Hubbard, who carries a list to remember everything she says or does. It's a little cheap and very campy, the new music is dreadful, and the one person who can actually sing (Brennan) doesn't. Not on DVD at press time, though it was on video and turns up on cable from time to time. Worth a peek if you like Barrymore or campy musicals like I do.
Ran A Flinstone Christmas Carol as I worked. Prehistoric times may seem like an odd setting for Charles Dickens' famous short novel, but this one actually works pretty well. Fred and most of Bedrock are appearing in stage version of A Christmas Carol. Fred's gotten carried away with his role as Scrooge, to the point where he forgets Pebbles at daycare, has to rush to buy gifts, and is driving Wilma the stage manager crazy. When he finally lets his ego deflate a little after an incident in a closed department store, he realizes the true message of charity behind the story.
I headed out shortly after the end of the Flinstones. It was surprisingly warm for this time of year, in the mid to upper 50s. I barely needed my green winter coat. We were supposed to meet around 10:15. I hurried out at quarter of 10 and walked as fast as I could to the White Horse Pike. Ironically, Amanda didn't show up until about 10:30.
Amanda drove us to Collingswood (she does have a car), parking in the same lot that houses the Farm Market from May to November. We strolled up and down Haddon Avenue until Tortilla Press opened. Lauren's not my only friend who loves this place. Amanda's a big fan, too. We both had their home-made tortilla chips and farm-market-fresh salsa and wraps. I had Chicken-Avocado. Amanda went a little spicier with Chicken Chipolte. We had iced tea (mine unsweetened, Amanda's raspberry) and sweet potato fries. Our wraps were so big, we loaded the other halves into separate containers and took them home with us.
We strolled down Haddon Avenue again, this time heading for GrooveGround. Amanda wanted coffee; she ended up with the Peppermint Mocha I bought during the Parade the other day. I tried their coconut hot chocolate, which was delicious, including the real coconut shreds. The last time Amanda visited, we had ice cream. This time, we hit DiBartolo's Bakery and treated ourselves to cookies. Amanda bought a small container of sugar cookies. I went with a small container of coconut macaroons.
When we got home, we opened presents. Oddly enough, we both sort of bought each other the same gifts. My bag was filled with fun, small things like fancy hand soap and lotions from Bath & Body Works (Amanda works at the one in the Cumberland Mall), cute lamb sleep socks, and the same Christmas-themed tin of Swiss Miss cocoa I bought for her and Lauren. I gave her a purse I crocheted, a stuffed Christmas-themed Hello Kitty, the cocoa tin, and a few little Hello Kitty items I picked up from the House of Fun (our local supplier of Sanrio products).
We spent the next hour and a half decorating my tree. My tree usually takes anywhere from two to four hours for me to decorate on my own! Having Amanda there was a big help. She held the lights and garland while I wound them on, and was able to tell me when one part looked weird or wasn't filled in enough. She sometimes found good spots for my many ornaments that I missed! And of course, she got to put on the "Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys" Hallmark ornament she gave me years ago. We discussed our families and our problems with work (Amanda is also a substitute teacher for Vineland's school district), and I related the stories of how I acquired so many ornaments and where they came from. (The majority of them were presents from Mom from Winterwood or various gift shops, thrift shop and yard sale finds, or after-Christmas sale treats.)
We finished the tree so quickly, I pulled out the bears, too. Every year, I dress some of my stuffed animals and container of others bought for Christmas in old baby clothes, cast-aside scarves and hats, Christmas costumes, and ribbons with bells on them. This dated from the mid-80s, when Mom used to dress our stuffed animals for the holidays and set them on her hope chest as an interactive display. We'd play with the bears there throughout the season, even giving them party hats and tiaras for New Year's. By the time I'd moved to Wildwood, my Mom was tired of putting them out every year. Not to mention, my brother was too old for the display and my oldest nephew was still too little. I inherited the remaining Christmas toys and their things by default. Not having a hope chest, I put them under the Christmas tree instead to fill in that space. Amanda did a great job helping me to organize and get the clothes on them.
We went for a short walk in the park next door after we finished with the bears. The sun had long been out by then, making it even warmer. There was now a heavy, wide black paved path around the perimeter of the park. While it does make the often-messy park easier to walk in, it also spoils its natural beauty. I always liked how rugged and natural the park looked. Not to mention, it doesn't look right at all. They might have been better off with a dirt path, or at least something less big and black that fits in with the natural surroundings and the garden better.
Amanda left around 3PM to avoid the traffic on the White Horse Pike. I rounded up my large load of laundry and headed straight for the laundromat. It was nearly 4 by the time I made it there, and very busy. I spent the time reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus and ignoring Dr. Phil and the families hanging around.
It was nearly dark by the time I got out of there. I'm actually glad I went so late. It was so warm today, many Oaklyn residents had put up their lights, or were in the process of putting them up as I walked home. Though the people across the street who used to have that huge, wrap-the-lights-around-the-house display seem to be gone, there were still lots of other elaborate light shows, from trees wrapped in lights to three-story-houses with lights on each story that made them look like gingerbread houses.
When I got home, I put the laundry away while listening to one of my Happy Holidays cassettes from the mid-90s, then put on Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank while I worked on a dinner of lightly breaded chicken fillets with sauteed mushrooms and spinach and Cranberry Flummery. This early 60s color special proved to be a huge disappointment. It was really just the two of them singing famous Christmas songs to each other (including "White Christmas" and "Mistletoe and Holly") in Frank's very swinging 60s apartment, with an interlude with a group of Victorian carol singers who suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Though the DVD listed a 90 minute running time, they must have included the extras. The special barely runs a half-hour. Unless you're a huge fan of these two, this is completely skippable. You're better off listening to their many Christmas recordings.
The 1986 Babes In Toyland is only slightly less strange. Lisa Piper (Drew Barrymore) is a very mature little miss, a proud resident of Cincinnati, who insists she's a grown-up when she's only about 11. A an accident on a sled leads her to Toyland, where she narrowly stops the wedding of pretty Mary Quite Contrary to evil Barnaby. Mary already has a suitor in Jack Be Nimble (Keanu Reeves), but Jack is under Barnaby's thumb and will only inherit his fortune when he turns 21 and marries. Lisa does her best to aid the lovers and help the Toymaster save Toyland from Barnaby's schemes.
Ok, I'll admit that I like this. Barrymore's not bad as the girl who refuses to be treated as a child, and Richard Mulligan and Eileen Brennan have fun chewing the scenery as Barnaby and Mrs. Hubbard, who carries a list to remember everything she says or does. It's a little cheap and very campy, the new music is dreadful, and the one person who can actually sing (Brennan) doesn't. Not on DVD at press time, though it was on video and turns up on cable from time to time. Worth a peek if you like Barrymore or campy musicals like I do.
Monday, December 02, 2013
Christmas Around the World and At Home
Started off the morning with Rick Steves' European Christmas while I ate breakfast. Rick and his family visit countries throughout Europe, exploring how many different cultures, from choirs in England to adorable St. Lucias and angels in Norway to living nativities in Italy, celebrate the holidays. I began my holiday celebrations by finishing out the dusting in the living room.
I left for work as soon as Rick Steves ended. Work was actually rather quiet for most of the afternoon. I spent a lot of the day organizing shelves that were looking more than a little decimated from last week's crowds. It did pick up by rush hour, but I didn't have to deal with the crowds for too long, thanks to my relief being on time. Other than some grumpy people, there were no major problems.
I had a harder time getting to and from work. The chain came off my bike again about half-way through the ride there. I just made it in under the wire! Thankfully, I ran into a neighbor on Kendall as I was walking home who was able to help me get the chain back on.
When I got home, I put on my Max & Ruby Christmas episodes as I made a quick dinner of baked salmon and Brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower. Ruby wants to find the perfect gift for Grandma in "Grandma's Present." Max knows what Grandma wants, but can he ever get Ruby's attention? Ruby and Max work together to decorate the perfect tree in their own way in "Max & Ruby's Christmas Tree." Max wants to go out in a blizzard in "Max's Snow Day," but Ruby thinks it would be the perfect day to do inside games. Max wants to stay outside and sled all day in "Max's Mix Up," but Ruby wants to go inside. Max finds a very sneaky way to remain outdoors! And in "Max's Sugar Plums," Ruby and Louise want to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies for Grandma, but they can't figure out pirouettes. All Max cares about is that box of sugar plums Ruby keeps insisting is for after their dance.
After dinner, I quickly finished the remaining dusting in my bedroom. Good thing I just dusted a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't that bad. After that was done, I pulled out the felt Santa Bag filled with all the oversized Christmas decorations and things that need to go out first. The wreath went on the door. The nativity is on the music area table. (I had to move that big red vase to the junk dresser.) The poinsettia placemats and the red and green woven coasters went on the dining area table. All of the greenery garlands are over the windows or attached to the baker's rack. The big gold tinsel garland was arranged decoratively on top of one of the DVD shelves in the entertainment area. I wasn't going to try wrapping it around the CD rack again, like I did last year. The CD shelf is too squeezed between record crates for that to work.
I ran a couple of quick Christmas specials as I finished my decorating. Papa Bear and the cubs are looking forward to some tree-trimming of their own in The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree. Papa is determined to find a tree in the wilderness, not some lot. What he forgets is that other animals have Christmas celebrations, too. He keeps finding trees with celebrating animals, until he and the cubs finally realize that the holidays are about a lot more than trees and pink plastic stars.
The Looney Tunes have more fun with their holiday adventures in "Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales," a Chuck Jones-animated anthology of original shorts. The first short is an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge, Porky and Petunia Pig as the Cratchets, and Bugs as a very crafty Nephew Fred. The second takes us to an unusually snowy desert for some Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner winter-themed antics. The third has the Tasmanian Devil end up in a Santa suit and appear in Bugs' house on Christmas Eve.
I left for work as soon as Rick Steves ended. Work was actually rather quiet for most of the afternoon. I spent a lot of the day organizing shelves that were looking more than a little decimated from last week's crowds. It did pick up by rush hour, but I didn't have to deal with the crowds for too long, thanks to my relief being on time. Other than some grumpy people, there were no major problems.
I had a harder time getting to and from work. The chain came off my bike again about half-way through the ride there. I just made it in under the wire! Thankfully, I ran into a neighbor on Kendall as I was walking home who was able to help me get the chain back on.
When I got home, I put on my Max & Ruby Christmas episodes as I made a quick dinner of baked salmon and Brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower. Ruby wants to find the perfect gift for Grandma in "Grandma's Present." Max knows what Grandma wants, but can he ever get Ruby's attention? Ruby and Max work together to decorate the perfect tree in their own way in "Max & Ruby's Christmas Tree." Max wants to go out in a blizzard in "Max's Snow Day," but Ruby thinks it would be the perfect day to do inside games. Max wants to stay outside and sled all day in "Max's Mix Up," but Ruby wants to go inside. Max finds a very sneaky way to remain outdoors! And in "Max's Sugar Plums," Ruby and Louise want to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies for Grandma, but they can't figure out pirouettes. All Max cares about is that box of sugar plums Ruby keeps insisting is for after their dance.
After dinner, I quickly finished the remaining dusting in my bedroom. Good thing I just dusted a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't that bad. After that was done, I pulled out the felt Santa Bag filled with all the oversized Christmas decorations and things that need to go out first. The wreath went on the door. The nativity is on the music area table. (I had to move that big red vase to the junk dresser.) The poinsettia placemats and the red and green woven coasters went on the dining area table. All of the greenery garlands are over the windows or attached to the baker's rack. The big gold tinsel garland was arranged decoratively on top of one of the DVD shelves in the entertainment area. I wasn't going to try wrapping it around the CD rack again, like I did last year. The CD shelf is too squeezed between record crates for that to work.
I ran a couple of quick Christmas specials as I finished my decorating. Papa Bear and the cubs are looking forward to some tree-trimming of their own in The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree. Papa is determined to find a tree in the wilderness, not some lot. What he forgets is that other animals have Christmas celebrations, too. He keeps finding trees with celebrating animals, until he and the cubs finally realize that the holidays are about a lot more than trees and pink plastic stars.
The Looney Tunes have more fun with their holiday adventures in "Bugs Bunny's Christmas Tales," a Chuck Jones-animated anthology of original shorts. The first short is an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol, with Yosemite Sam as Scrooge, Porky and Petunia Pig as the Cratchets, and Bugs as a very crafty Nephew Fred. The second takes us to an unusually snowy desert for some Wile E. Coyote/Roadrunner winter-themed antics. The third has the Tasmanian Devil end up in a Santa suit and appear in Bugs' house on Christmas Eve.
Sunday, December 01, 2013
Battle of the Birds
Began a sunny, breezy day with Brunch With the Beatles. One of my favorite Beatles records, dubbed The White Album because of its' plain white cover, was in the spotlight. Some of the group's best music came out even as their working relationship was fracturing, including "Revolution," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Blackbird," "Julia," "Helter Skelter," "Dear Prudence," and "Green Tangerine."
I called Mom before I even made breakfast. We mainly talked about the upcoming Christmas holidays. Mom said that not doing the present exchange was mainly Rose and Anny's idea, and she wasn't entirely happy with it. While we're both sympathetic to their current financial situations, not everyone in the family have kids to concentrate on. The holidays aren't just for children. They're for everyone. Mom's also worried about her own financial situation, and trying to keep her mind off of being a true empty nest mother for the first time in 34 years.
I have some of the same problems. While my finances are less precarious than they were at this time last year, I still don't have a ton of money. I love Christmas, but the holiday's emphasis on family can get me a little down. Big holidays aren't easy for singles with no kids or other halves. I'm working on ideas for things I can do that'll put me in the spirit and get me out and about.
We talked for so long, it was 11:30 before I started making Banana-Coconut Pancakes for breakfast, and nearly 1 before I began dusting the living room. I always do a thorough dusting before I put up the Christmas decorations, going under books and DVDs I normally just dust around. Other than that one dark, windowless corner where the VCR and TV are that always attracts dust like crazy, it wasn't too bad. I just dusted a couple of weeks ago.
I listened to the Eagles-Cardinals game as I dusted. This is a big game for both teams, who are chasing hopes of making it to the playoffs. The Eagles scored moments after the game began and dominated the first half. They were up 17-7 when I left.
Work was very busy for most of the night. Not only is it the beginning of the month, but the Acme's having a lot of sales. There's the triple coupons this weekend (that continues to attract those annoying people with 500 coupons for five items that holds up the line), and anyone who came in an Eagles jersey today got 10 % off their order. It did finally slow down enough by 6:30 for me to leave with no relief and no complaints. When I got home, I had a spinach-mushroom omelet for dinner, finished the dusting in the entertainment area, then hit the shower.
Oh, and while the Eagles faltered in the second half, they did finally hold off the Cardinals by the skin of their beaks, 24-21.
I called Mom before I even made breakfast. We mainly talked about the upcoming Christmas holidays. Mom said that not doing the present exchange was mainly Rose and Anny's idea, and she wasn't entirely happy with it. While we're both sympathetic to their current financial situations, not everyone in the family have kids to concentrate on. The holidays aren't just for children. They're for everyone. Mom's also worried about her own financial situation, and trying to keep her mind off of being a true empty nest mother for the first time in 34 years.
I have some of the same problems. While my finances are less precarious than they were at this time last year, I still don't have a ton of money. I love Christmas, but the holiday's emphasis on family can get me a little down. Big holidays aren't easy for singles with no kids or other halves. I'm working on ideas for things I can do that'll put me in the spirit and get me out and about.
We talked for so long, it was 11:30 before I started making Banana-Coconut Pancakes for breakfast, and nearly 1 before I began dusting the living room. I always do a thorough dusting before I put up the Christmas decorations, going under books and DVDs I normally just dust around. Other than that one dark, windowless corner where the VCR and TV are that always attracts dust like crazy, it wasn't too bad. I just dusted a couple of weeks ago.
I listened to the Eagles-Cardinals game as I dusted. This is a big game for both teams, who are chasing hopes of making it to the playoffs. The Eagles scored moments after the game began and dominated the first half. They were up 17-7 when I left.
Work was very busy for most of the night. Not only is it the beginning of the month, but the Acme's having a lot of sales. There's the triple coupons this weekend (that continues to attract those annoying people with 500 coupons for five items that holds up the line), and anyone who came in an Eagles jersey today got 10 % off their order. It did finally slow down enough by 6:30 for me to leave with no relief and no complaints. When I got home, I had a spinach-mushroom omelet for dinner, finished the dusting in the entertainment area, then hit the shower.
Oh, and while the Eagles faltered in the second half, they did finally hold off the Cardinals by the skin of their beaks, 24-21.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
The Collingswood Christmas Parade
Started off a sunny, chilly morning with the American Top 40 re-run. Casey leaped back a decade to 1976, as pop, hard rock, soul, and the beginnings of disco rule the airwaves. Hits during the last week of November that year included "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" by Elton John, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by Leo Sayer, "Stand Tall" by Burton Cummings, "You are the Woman" by Firefall, "Nights are Forever" by England Dan and John Ford Cooley, "Beth" by Kiss, "Muskrat Love" by The Captain and Tenille, and "The Rubberband Man" by The Spinners. The number one song was one of Rod Stewart's most popular ballads, "Tonight's the Night."
Instead of heading straight out, I did a few things around the apartment and worked on crocheting after the show ended. Put on Frosty the Snowman as I worked. One of the most famous Rankin-Bass specials tells the story of the title snowman who comes to life thanks to a magical hat. When it starts getting warmer, he jumps on a car heading to the North Pole, joined by a little girl and a magician's rabbit. The rabbit's owner is a rather bumbling magician who wants Frosty's hat back, so he can actually perform magic.
Rankin-Bass would return to this well twice more, and there was an unrelated Frosty story in the early 90s that actually wasn't bad, but this is really the only Frosty you need. Like Rudolph, it's easy to find - it can be downloaded online and has been re-released on DVD every year for over a decade, first by Sony Wonder, then by Classic Media, and now by Dreamworks. I think it turns up on the networks, too.
I left for Collingswood around quarter of 10. I got there just in time. I parked my bike at the rack behind the Senior Center, then went across the street and parked myself in front of the Lumberyard Condos, between two families with little girls. The Collingswood Christmas Parade is the biggest holiday event in the eastern Camden County area. There's classic cars, motorcycle stunts, dancers from Ovations and the Ritz Theater in Oaklyn, and small teams of mummers in bright-colored, feathered costumes. There were at least three long-legged jugglers, one dressed as a toy soldier. There was an organ grinder with a very cold monkey wrapped in a thick blanket that kids just loved. There were high school marching bands - my favorite was Camden High School, with their high-stepping dancers in cute purple skirts. (But what on earth was with the neon yellow jumpsuits that the Collingswood High flag team was wearing? They looked like a neon sign.) The Boy Scouts had a camping themed-float; the Girl Scouts dressed as princesses in fancy gowns and tossed candy. Every local school had a float. Many businesses didn't even bother decorating and just drove with everyone else for the advertising.
And of course, I bought my annual pretzel from Collingswood High's wrestling team. They actually got into the parade themselves this year in addition to their food sales. Toward the end of the route, the wrestlers appeared in a small blue and white bus with their team name on it, singing an off-key but enthusiastic "Feliz Navidad."
I saw almost the entire parade. At one point, I briefly went across the street to GrooveGround to order a Peppermint Mocha. I don't normally drink coffee, but I was cold, and it was something I could get quickly. The parade was just about done by that point, anyway. I spent the last 20 minutes or so watching it at a sunnier spot a few steps from WaWa. The moment Santa arrived, I left.
I made a few stops on the way home. Since I was there anyway, I hit Rite Aid for their $1.99 sale on hair bands. Mine had been around for a while and were pretty stretched out. I also picked up a buy one, get one half-price sale on Christmas tinned hot chocolate for presents for friends. My next stop was The House of Fun in Oaklyn to finish my Christmas shopping for Amanda, who's visiting on Tuesday.
When I got home, I had the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch, then washed and dusted the windows inside and out. Ran Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol while I cleaned. The very first animated network Christmas special was this Columbia adaptation of the famous Charles Dickens story, featuring everyone's favorite lovable blind-as-a-bat old guy as a surprisingly effective Scrooge. The lovely score was by Broadway composers Robert Merrill and Jules Styne, who would go on to do Funny Girl a year later. I'm not even a Magoo fan, and I enjoyed this. Originally bundled with the Rankin-Bass specials when they were owned by Sony, Classic Media hung onto this one and re-released it with more extras and on Blu-Ray in 2011.
Work actually could have been worse. It was very busy through about 6PM, after which everyone went to dinner or shopping, and business died very quickly. I spent the last two hours shelving candy between customers. It was so quiet, I was able to leave with no relief and no complaints.
Instead of heading straight out, I did a few things around the apartment and worked on crocheting after the show ended. Put on Frosty the Snowman as I worked. One of the most famous Rankin-Bass specials tells the story of the title snowman who comes to life thanks to a magical hat. When it starts getting warmer, he jumps on a car heading to the North Pole, joined by a little girl and a magician's rabbit. The rabbit's owner is a rather bumbling magician who wants Frosty's hat back, so he can actually perform magic.
Rankin-Bass would return to this well twice more, and there was an unrelated Frosty story in the early 90s that actually wasn't bad, but this is really the only Frosty you need. Like Rudolph, it's easy to find - it can be downloaded online and has been re-released on DVD every year for over a decade, first by Sony Wonder, then by Classic Media, and now by Dreamworks. I think it turns up on the networks, too.
I left for Collingswood around quarter of 10. I got there just in time. I parked my bike at the rack behind the Senior Center, then went across the street and parked myself in front of the Lumberyard Condos, between two families with little girls. The Collingswood Christmas Parade is the biggest holiday event in the eastern Camden County area. There's classic cars, motorcycle stunts, dancers from Ovations and the Ritz Theater in Oaklyn, and small teams of mummers in bright-colored, feathered costumes. There were at least three long-legged jugglers, one dressed as a toy soldier. There was an organ grinder with a very cold monkey wrapped in a thick blanket that kids just loved. There were high school marching bands - my favorite was Camden High School, with their high-stepping dancers in cute purple skirts. (But what on earth was with the neon yellow jumpsuits that the Collingswood High flag team was wearing? They looked like a neon sign.) The Boy Scouts had a camping themed-float; the Girl Scouts dressed as princesses in fancy gowns and tossed candy. Every local school had a float. Many businesses didn't even bother decorating and just drove with everyone else for the advertising.
And of course, I bought my annual pretzel from Collingswood High's wrestling team. They actually got into the parade themselves this year in addition to their food sales. Toward the end of the route, the wrestlers appeared in a small blue and white bus with their team name on it, singing an off-key but enthusiastic "Feliz Navidad."
I saw almost the entire parade. At one point, I briefly went across the street to GrooveGround to order a Peppermint Mocha. I don't normally drink coffee, but I was cold, and it was something I could get quickly. The parade was just about done by that point, anyway. I spent the last 20 minutes or so watching it at a sunnier spot a few steps from WaWa. The moment Santa arrived, I left.
I made a few stops on the way home. Since I was there anyway, I hit Rite Aid for their $1.99 sale on hair bands. Mine had been around for a while and were pretty stretched out. I also picked up a buy one, get one half-price sale on Christmas tinned hot chocolate for presents for friends. My next stop was The House of Fun in Oaklyn to finish my Christmas shopping for Amanda, who's visiting on Tuesday.
When I got home, I had the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch, then washed and dusted the windows inside and out. Ran Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol while I cleaned. The very first animated network Christmas special was this Columbia adaptation of the famous Charles Dickens story, featuring everyone's favorite lovable blind-as-a-bat old guy as a surprisingly effective Scrooge. The lovely score was by Broadway composers Robert Merrill and Jules Styne, who would go on to do Funny Girl a year later. I'm not even a Magoo fan, and I enjoyed this. Originally bundled with the Rankin-Bass specials when they were owned by Sony, Classic Media hung onto this one and re-released it with more extras and on Blu-Ray in 2011.
Work actually could have been worse. It was very busy through about 6PM, after which everyone went to dinner or shopping, and business died very quickly. I spent the last two hours shelving candy between customers. It was so quiet, I was able to leave with no relief and no complaints.
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