Started a beautiful, sunny morning with this week's American Top 40. I was almost 3 in early April 1982, when this episode first ran, and some of these songs are among my earliest childhood memories. Among the hits that spring were "Pac Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia (this was the height of the original Atari video game craze), "Freeze Frame" by the J. Gelis Band, "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder, "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks, "One Hundred Ways" by James Ingram and Quincy Jones, "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins, "Make A Move On Me" by Olivia Newton-John, "We Got the Beat" by the Go-Gos, "Don't Talk to Strangers" by Rick Springfield, "Do You Believe In Love" by Huey Lewis and the News (their first top 10 hit), and Van Halen's version of "Pretty Woman."
The #1 hit that week and for pretty much the entirety of March and April was one of my favorite songs of the early 80s. Mom, my sisters, and I used to belt Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers' anthem "I Love Rock and Roll" as loudly as we could whenever we heard it on the radio.
I actually ended up spending a lot of the morning reading some of the books on the late 40s through the early 2000s I took out of the Haddon Township Library on Thursday. Currently, the story I'm working on is set in 1987 (though that may change as I work my way through it). I was almost 8 years old in March 1987, which is where the story begins. I have fond memories of the music, movies, and toys from this time...but a lot of the rest of the era doesn't bring as much happy nostalgia for me today. For one thing, the years from 1987 through 1989 were the height of my problems in school and at home. This was when my body started developing in ways I was far from ready for. My parents hit a rough patch in their marriage, too. Being so close to Atlantic City didn't help Dad's bad habits, and both of my parents were regulars in the South Jersey bar scene. Both Mom and Dad worked; as soon as we were old enough, my sisters and I took care of each other.
I have no memory of the politics of the time whatsoever, other than one of the few things Mom and Dad could agree on during this era was they had little use for Reagan or Bush Senior (neither were fond of their tax policies or cutting funding for schools and agriculture). The only yuppies I ever saw were on TV and the wealthier tourists who would pass through during the summer. All I knew was that communists were bad and the US was good; I didn't really start to notice global politics until 1989. One of the most profound memories of my childhood was watching the Berlin Wall being torn down on the news and realizing what an enormous change this was for so many people.
I finally decide to take a quick walk for lunch around 11:30. It was a fairly normal day in early spring, blustery and chillier than Thursday, but not as cold as it has been. I had lunch at Phillies' Phatties, the pizza parlor around the corner from me. I watched ESPN Sports Center as I ate a slice of cheese and a slice of mushroom and broccoli pizza, along with a can of Diet Pepsi. Since it was barely noon, I was only joined by two cops who were wearing bright yellow vests - maybe they were helping to fix pot holes.
When I got back in, I ran a couple of Max & Ruby episodes while I got ready for work. Ruby and Louise attempt to play doctor and nurse, with Max as their not-so-patient patient, in "Max's Check-Up." Max really wants the toy at the bottom of the cereal box in "Max's Prize," but Ruby says he can't have it until he eats all the cereal in the box. Ruby, Louise, and Valerie want to make a princess' castle for their entry into the Bunny Scout Parade in "Space Max," but Max thinks it would make a much better space station! Max is the model for Ruby and Louise when they want to create "Max's Work of Art," but being a toddler, Max just can't stay still for long.
Work was pretty much the same as yesterday - very busy with very cranky people. I don't know why everyone's in such a bad mood. It's spring, and the weather was gorgeous today, so they no longer have the weather excuse. Thankfully, we had a lot more help than we have the last few days. We had so much help, I was able to spend the last half-hour shelving candy.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Saturday, April 05, 2014
Friday, April 04, 2014
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
I got up at 5AM to join Rose for yoga. The phone rang at 5:30, as I was sipping my tea and eating a muffin. Yes, it was Rose. No, she couldn't go to yoga. She sounded terrible on the phone. Turns out she got a really bad cold (probably the same one my stepfather got) and wasn't up for much of anything. It was all right. If you're sick, you're sick. I finished my muffin and my tea and listened to the rest of the Sleepless In Seattle soundtrack, then went back to bed. I tossed and turned for an hour before passing out somewhere around 7.
I didn't get up until 9:30. It's a good thing I didn't really have a whole lot planned for today anyway. The big thing was grocery shopping. I didn't need a lot of things, but I did need some things that were expensive, like grapefruit (which went up to 2 for $3.00 after being a dollar each all winter), ground turkey, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Restocked canned pineapple, lamb chops, dryer sheets, buttermilk, and bananas. The dollar fish fillets were on sale, and I grabbed a can of salmon for a quick meal this week. I found Easter For Max & Ruby in the seasonal section and decided that would be my treat to myself.
When I got home, I put everything away and made lamb chops with salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing for lunch while running Doc McStuffins. Doc continues to administer aid and hugs to toys with boo-boos or broken parts, now with the help of her purple "mobile clinic." The clinic was first introduced when Doc wanted to help a wind-up mouse in the park, but didn't have any of her tools on her.
Ironically, despite the build up about the mobile clinic on the front cover, only two other stories made use of Doc's office-on-wheels. In "Doc to the Rescue," Doc and her staff find a Dress-Up Daisy fashion doll stuck in a tree. Daisy keeps panicking, until Doc and the others arrive and remind her of the importance of remaining calm during an emergency. And in "Don't Knock the Noggin," a guy friend's motorcycle stunt man toy loses his helmet and gets a bump that loosens his computer chips. While Doc fixes him, the others look for his lost helmet and encourage him to keep it on at all times.
The remaining stories stuck closer to home. "Run Down Race Car" has Doc teaching her brother's remote control car Ricardo the importance of recharging - whether a toy recharges their batteries or a human gets the sleep they need. A father-son jack in the box duo appear in two episodes where the son worries about his dad when his winder is bent, and then the son gets nervous when Doc wants to figure out why he can't pop out like he should. Ronda, a remote-control rescue helicopter, also appeared in two episodes. In the first, Doc's brother Donnie and Rhonda's owner Luca accidentally crashes her into a sticker bush. While Doc's doctor mom removes a splinter from Luca's hand, Doc tries to figure out why Ronda can't fly. Ronda has rotor problems in the second when her rotors crack after rescuing Stuffy and have to be glued together. She's upset that she can't do her job and rescue toys...until she discovers that leading a rescue is just as important.
It rained lightly on my way to go grocery shopping, but by the time I went to work, it was just cloudy and cool. That didn't stop the crowds from coming. We were steady-to-busy all night. It's the beginning of the month, plus April is a big month for birthdays and spring events. The weather did no one's mood any favors. People were grouchy and grumpy all night. I was happy when the manager said she'd send my relief elsewhere and I was able to shut down with no problems.
I'm not as happy with my schedule. In good news, the latest I work next week is 7, and the only long shift is Monday. In annoying news, I don't have another day off until next Friday, and it's the only day off next week! Not only are we in the last month of our vacation cycle and people are still using up their remaining time, but the college kids are all going into their finals weeks. Things should slow down a bit once we get into May and the kids are out of school and our vacation cycle starts over.
I didn't get up until 9:30. It's a good thing I didn't really have a whole lot planned for today anyway. The big thing was grocery shopping. I didn't need a lot of things, but I did need some things that were expensive, like grapefruit (which went up to 2 for $3.00 after being a dollar each all winter), ground turkey, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Restocked canned pineapple, lamb chops, dryer sheets, buttermilk, and bananas. The dollar fish fillets were on sale, and I grabbed a can of salmon for a quick meal this week. I found Easter For Max & Ruby in the seasonal section and decided that would be my treat to myself.
When I got home, I put everything away and made lamb chops with salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing for lunch while running Doc McStuffins. Doc continues to administer aid and hugs to toys with boo-boos or broken parts, now with the help of her purple "mobile clinic." The clinic was first introduced when Doc wanted to help a wind-up mouse in the park, but didn't have any of her tools on her.
Ironically, despite the build up about the mobile clinic on the front cover, only two other stories made use of Doc's office-on-wheels. In "Doc to the Rescue," Doc and her staff find a Dress-Up Daisy fashion doll stuck in a tree. Daisy keeps panicking, until Doc and the others arrive and remind her of the importance of remaining calm during an emergency. And in "Don't Knock the Noggin," a guy friend's motorcycle stunt man toy loses his helmet and gets a bump that loosens his computer chips. While Doc fixes him, the others look for his lost helmet and encourage him to keep it on at all times.
The remaining stories stuck closer to home. "Run Down Race Car" has Doc teaching her brother's remote control car Ricardo the importance of recharging - whether a toy recharges their batteries or a human gets the sleep they need. A father-son jack in the box duo appear in two episodes where the son worries about his dad when his winder is bent, and then the son gets nervous when Doc wants to figure out why he can't pop out like he should. Ronda, a remote-control rescue helicopter, also appeared in two episodes. In the first, Doc's brother Donnie and Rhonda's owner Luca accidentally crashes her into a sticker bush. While Doc's doctor mom removes a splinter from Luca's hand, Doc tries to figure out why Ronda can't fly. Ronda has rotor problems in the second when her rotors crack after rescuing Stuffy and have to be glued together. She's upset that she can't do her job and rescue toys...until she discovers that leading a rescue is just as important.
It rained lightly on my way to go grocery shopping, but by the time I went to work, it was just cloudy and cool. That didn't stop the crowds from coming. We were steady-to-busy all night. It's the beginning of the month, plus April is a big month for birthdays and spring events. The weather did no one's mood any favors. People were grouchy and grumpy all night. I was happy when the manager said she'd send my relief elsewhere and I was able to shut down with no problems.
I'm not as happy with my schedule. In good news, the latest I work next week is 7, and the only long shift is Monday. In annoying news, I don't have another day off until next Friday, and it's the only day off next week! Not only are we in the last month of our vacation cycle and people are still using up their remaining time, but the college kids are all going into their finals weeks. Things should slow down a bit once we get into May and the kids are out of school and our vacation cycle starts over.
Thursday, April 03, 2014
When the Going Gets Tough...
Started today with another Peanuts baseball tale. Charlie Brown's All-Stars have never won a game. Chuck thinks uniforms and playing on a real league might make a difference...until the league tells him they won't accept a team with four girls and a dog. The Peanuts are angry when they don't get the uniforms, until they find out Chuck stood up for them...and for possibly the only time in the entire series, admit they were wrong and try to make him feel better.
I made the bed and stripped the sheets while the Peanuts were on. I only make the bed about once or twice a month. Who's going to see it? I only did it today so I could put on fresh, lighter sheets for spring and dump the older sheets in the laundry to be washed later.
I finally headed out around noon. It was an absolutely glorious day, in the lower-mid 60s and sunny as could be. Newton River Park was bustling with dog-walkers, joggers, parents with strollers, and kids hurrying around the playground. It's looking so much greener than it did even a week or two ago. There's more and more new grass amid the dry yellow straw, buds are just starting to appear on the trees, and dafodils and crocus are popping up everywhere.
The Haddon Township Library was bustling, too. I had a lot to organize and shelve, starting with a very messy children's section. I had some adorable help from a little 4-year-old girl who was looking for Barbie As specials. She ended up with Barbie In the Three Musketeers, along with Big Top Scooby (she said some of Scooby's more recent programming scares her, but she liked the circus theme in that one), and one of the Dora the Explorer sets. There were lots of adult titles to shelve, too.
I took out less than I did last week, but I did still find some movies to watch this weekend. Now You See Me, a caper action movie about a group of magicians who pull heists, was a surprise hit last summer and has a great cast and an intriguing premise. I never did get to Trading Places the last time I had it out. I actually like Easter With Max & Ruby better than the earlier Springtime For Max & Ruby, as the Easter specials there are a bit kinder to both bunnies. And the library just got a new Doc McStuffins disc in that seems to cover the arrival of Doc's mobile medical unit (a purple painted wagon).
Since it was late by that point, I just stopped at WaWa for a 4-inch roast beef hoagie on a wheat roll, skim milk, and money from the ATM machine and headed home. I ate my hoagie while watching Max & Ruby's later Easter tales. Ruby puts together the fanciest Easter bonnet she can for the Bunny Scouts' annual bonnet competition, but Max is more interested in getting his frog to hop in "Ruby's Easter Bonnet." Ruby and Louise are painting beautiful eggs for Grandma, but Ruby's brother would rather be a part of "Max's Easter Parade." Max finds a way to join in when the Bunny Scouts search for eggs in "Max and the Easter Bunny."
I pulled out the glass iced tea jar and put it on the edge of the counter in front of the sink as I went looking for a jar. I must have put it too close to the sink, because....CRASH! The jar tumbled into the sink, breaking into a hundred pieces and slicing two of my fingers so badly they bled everywhere. I'm still really upset! I don't have too many other vessels to hold liquids. I mostly drink iced tea, milk, and water. Not to mention, glass iced tea jars are impossible to find. I got mine at the Acme a couple of years ago and haven't seen glass ones there since. It took me ten minutes to clean up the mess and clean and bandage my fingers before I finally rounded up my laundry and hauled out.
It was past 4 when I finally made it to the laundromat. They were busy with elderly people and family doing their wash before dinner. There was a line for the change machine when I arrived! That was the only thing I had to wait for. I was able to get a washer and a drier quickly, though I needed a little more time on the drier than usual because of the flannel sheets. I was out after 5.
When I got home, instead of separating everything and putting it away, I separated light and heavy clothes and pulled out the plastic bin that holds out-of-season items. I think the warm weather today was a good indication that we're finally done with really cold temperatures during the daytime hours. I'll probably need a sweater or coat at night for a while, but I don't think I'll be wearing turtlenecks or my corduroys again until November. I forgot I replaced a lot of summer blouses last year. I need t-shirts, good skirts for summer and winter, pajamas for both seasons, and a darker pair of jean shorts.
I ran Romancing the Stone while making a quick mushroom and cheese omelet and carrot sticks for dinner, and then while whipping up a Fluffy (Cooked) White Frosting to put on top of and around my Spring Cake. (I used strawberry jam for the filling.) This tale of a shy romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) who goes to Columbia to rescue her sister, only to find treasure and a handsome poacher (Michael Douglas), has been one of my favorite movies since it came out when I was a kid. I'm not normally into romances, but this one has comedy and action to spare - and possibly because it was written by a woman, it's the novelist who gets to defeat the evil dictator in the end. Highly recommended for all lovers of romance, adventure, or strong female characters.
I made the bed and stripped the sheets while the Peanuts were on. I only make the bed about once or twice a month. Who's going to see it? I only did it today so I could put on fresh, lighter sheets for spring and dump the older sheets in the laundry to be washed later.
I finally headed out around noon. It was an absolutely glorious day, in the lower-mid 60s and sunny as could be. Newton River Park was bustling with dog-walkers, joggers, parents with strollers, and kids hurrying around the playground. It's looking so much greener than it did even a week or two ago. There's more and more new grass amid the dry yellow straw, buds are just starting to appear on the trees, and dafodils and crocus are popping up everywhere.
The Haddon Township Library was bustling, too. I had a lot to organize and shelve, starting with a very messy children's section. I had some adorable help from a little 4-year-old girl who was looking for Barbie As specials. She ended up with Barbie In the Three Musketeers, along with Big Top Scooby (she said some of Scooby's more recent programming scares her, but she liked the circus theme in that one), and one of the Dora the Explorer sets. There were lots of adult titles to shelve, too.
I took out less than I did last week, but I did still find some movies to watch this weekend. Now You See Me, a caper action movie about a group of magicians who pull heists, was a surprise hit last summer and has a great cast and an intriguing premise. I never did get to Trading Places the last time I had it out. I actually like Easter With Max & Ruby better than the earlier Springtime For Max & Ruby, as the Easter specials there are a bit kinder to both bunnies. And the library just got a new Doc McStuffins disc in that seems to cover the arrival of Doc's mobile medical unit (a purple painted wagon).
Since it was late by that point, I just stopped at WaWa for a 4-inch roast beef hoagie on a wheat roll, skim milk, and money from the ATM machine and headed home. I ate my hoagie while watching Max & Ruby's later Easter tales. Ruby puts together the fanciest Easter bonnet she can for the Bunny Scouts' annual bonnet competition, but Max is more interested in getting his frog to hop in "Ruby's Easter Bonnet." Ruby and Louise are painting beautiful eggs for Grandma, but Ruby's brother would rather be a part of "Max's Easter Parade." Max finds a way to join in when the Bunny Scouts search for eggs in "Max and the Easter Bunny."
I pulled out the glass iced tea jar and put it on the edge of the counter in front of the sink as I went looking for a jar. I must have put it too close to the sink, because....CRASH! The jar tumbled into the sink, breaking into a hundred pieces and slicing two of my fingers so badly they bled everywhere. I'm still really upset! I don't have too many other vessels to hold liquids. I mostly drink iced tea, milk, and water. Not to mention, glass iced tea jars are impossible to find. I got mine at the Acme a couple of years ago and haven't seen glass ones there since. It took me ten minutes to clean up the mess and clean and bandage my fingers before I finally rounded up my laundry and hauled out.
It was past 4 when I finally made it to the laundromat. They were busy with elderly people and family doing their wash before dinner. There was a line for the change machine when I arrived! That was the only thing I had to wait for. I was able to get a washer and a drier quickly, though I needed a little more time on the drier than usual because of the flannel sheets. I was out after 5.
When I got home, instead of separating everything and putting it away, I separated light and heavy clothes and pulled out the plastic bin that holds out-of-season items. I think the warm weather today was a good indication that we're finally done with really cold temperatures during the daytime hours. I'll probably need a sweater or coat at night for a while, but I don't think I'll be wearing turtlenecks or my corduroys again until November. I forgot I replaced a lot of summer blouses last year. I need t-shirts, good skirts for summer and winter, pajamas for both seasons, and a darker pair of jean shorts.
I ran Romancing the Stone while making a quick mushroom and cheese omelet and carrot sticks for dinner, and then while whipping up a Fluffy (Cooked) White Frosting to put on top of and around my Spring Cake. (I used strawberry jam for the filling.) This tale of a shy romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) who goes to Columbia to rescue her sister, only to find treasure and a handsome poacher (Michael Douglas), has been one of my favorite movies since it came out when I was a kid. I'm not normally into romances, but this one has comedy and action to spare - and possibly because it was written by a woman, it's the novelist who gets to defeat the evil dictator in the end. Highly recommended for all lovers of romance, adventure, or strong female characters.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Mythology In the Real World
Today was my early work day. It rained lightly as I was riding there, but nothing that made me more than a bit damp. It wasn't that busy when I got in at 10 - I spent a little while doing returns leftover from the busy weekend - but it picked up by the noon rush hour and was steady for the rest of the day. I had no problems getting out - in fact, my relief was early.
The sun was coming out even as I rode to work this morning. By the time I got out, the rain was long gone, but the clouds were returning. The streets weren't even all that wet anymore. It had also gotten much warmer; I changed into more seasonally-appropriate attire as soon as I got in.
I found this really neat spring cake mix at work - one layer is pink, and one is yellow! I worked on that, then had leftover chicken and "French Salad" for dinner while watching Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Percy, the child of the Greek god Poseidon and a mortal woman, has settled quite happily in with the other "half-bloods," children of humans and gods, at the camp where they train. The camp is protected by the tree that is the spirit of a child who died. When the tree is poisoned, the camp's leaders fear it could be invaded by outside forces. Clarisse, the very arrogant daughter of Hades, is sent to get the Golden Fleece that'll heal the tree. Percy has his own problems. He's troubled by a prophecy that could foretell his death or being the savior of the world. He also just discovered he has a half-brother named Tyson, who happens to be a cyclops. Tyson is about as far from your typical cyclops as Percy is from a bird - he's naive, sweet, and gentle. Percy wants to prove he's more than a "one-quest wonder," so he and his friends Grover and Annabeth go after Clarisse in the hope of rescuing the Fleece and proving that one makes one's own destiny.
Same deal as the previous movie in this series - a fun teen retelling of a famous myth, in this case the journey to find the Golden Fleece. Lots of cute modern gags (especially where Hermes works and the one-eyed sisters who drive the New York cab). If you enjoyed the first one, or love Greek mythology, you'll probably like this one as well.
The sun was coming out even as I rode to work this morning. By the time I got out, the rain was long gone, but the clouds were returning. The streets weren't even all that wet anymore. It had also gotten much warmer; I changed into more seasonally-appropriate attire as soon as I got in.
I found this really neat spring cake mix at work - one layer is pink, and one is yellow! I worked on that, then had leftover chicken and "French Salad" for dinner while watching Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Percy, the child of the Greek god Poseidon and a mortal woman, has settled quite happily in with the other "half-bloods," children of humans and gods, at the camp where they train. The camp is protected by the tree that is the spirit of a child who died. When the tree is poisoned, the camp's leaders fear it could be invaded by outside forces. Clarisse, the very arrogant daughter of Hades, is sent to get the Golden Fleece that'll heal the tree. Percy has his own problems. He's troubled by a prophecy that could foretell his death or being the savior of the world. He also just discovered he has a half-brother named Tyson, who happens to be a cyclops. Tyson is about as far from your typical cyclops as Percy is from a bird - he's naive, sweet, and gentle. Percy wants to prove he's more than a "one-quest wonder," so he and his friends Grover and Annabeth go after Clarisse in the hope of rescuing the Fleece and proving that one makes one's own destiny.
Same deal as the previous movie in this series - a fun teen retelling of a famous myth, in this case the journey to find the Golden Fleece. Lots of cute modern gags (especially where Hermes works and the one-eyed sisters who drive the New York cab). If you enjoyed the first one, or love Greek mythology, you'll probably like this one as well.
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'
Started out a fine, sunny April Fool's Day with some baseball-themed laughs from the Peanuts gang. Everyone thinks that Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, since she's by far the worst player on Chuck's notoriously loss-prone team. When Chuck does finally trade her to Peppermint Patty for Marcie, he discovers there are worse players out there - Marcie doesn't even like baseball and only plays because her best friend does.
I headed out as soon as I finished my Cheerios and grapefruit breakfast. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, probably into the upper 50s-lower 60s, with a nice breeze and warm sun. It's looking so much greener than it did even a week or two ago. New grass can be seen poking from the dry, yellow patches. The daffodils are finally starting to poke their heads above the ground.
I did the Oaklyn Library first, but I wasn't there for very long. For one thing, this is the day Oaklyn's seniors watch a movie there. I listened to Summer Stock as I organized the adult DVDs. Mainly, though, the kids' section is still in the midst of serious reorganization. I don't know why the director wants to organize everything by theme or genre rather than alphabetically or by the Dewey Decimal System like most libraries, but whatever. She may be trying to minimize space in the already small building. I was in and out after 20 minutes.
Another reason I didn't want to hang around was...it was just too nice of a day to spend messing around in a library. I went straight to Haddonfield, enjoying the increasingly warm afternoon. I had no problems getting there this time. I did have to dodge quite a few potholes, but even the largest piles of snow and ice are long gone. The snow we had last week didn't even last a day.
I came up Haddon Avenue and landed at the Bistro, which is where I ended up having lunch. It was 12:30 by this time, and both the outdoor and indoor dining areas were packed with college students, high schoolers and their parents, elderly couples, and executives and assistants from the local medical offices on their lunch break. I enjoyed that wonderful Pear Spinach Salad I had last spring on my Haddonfield counseling day trip, the one with the big pieces of bacon, sliced pears and cucumbers, blue cheese, caramelized walnuts, and chicken on a bed of spinach. It was just as delicious as it was last April. I wasn't the only one who loved it, either. The two medical executives next to me also ordered it (along with cups of soup).
Since I still had at least 40 minutes before counseling, I strolled down Haddon Avenue for a while. I ended up at the small book store. I didn't see any adult books I couldn't live without, but I do love their children's section. After reading over several of the kids' books for Easter, I finally found three for my nephew Khai's birthday on the 20th - a Thomas the Tank Engine counting book, a National Geographic for Kids easy reader on dinosaurs, and the classic Golden Book The Pokey Little Puppy.
Headed to counseling next. I told Mrs. Stahl about my busy month, the changes to my story, my frustrations with my customers and Rose, Mom's new job, starting the communications class, and my hopes and plans for the summer. In addition to Lauren's visit, I'd like to make some day or short overnight trips to easy-to-reach fun places in the area like Wildwood, Ocean City, the Shops at Marlton, and the Moorestown Mall (the only major area mall I've never taken a look at).
Another thing I want to look into is going to the theater. There's tons of local theater groups, starting with the Ritz Theater down the street from me on the White Horse Pike. (And they could use a new fan - I read in the Courier Post that they're having financial problems.) The trouble is, most shows are at night, when I work, and most matinees are on Sunday afternoons, which I rarely get off. It should be a bit easier to get to shows once we get into summer and the sun starts going down later. I may see if I can find at least one movie theater that's on a bus route as well. It'll be a lot easier to do the work for my communications class when the people I communicate with on a regular basis aren't so hostile.
Basically, she said "try to either look up or call the neurophysicists, get to the theater or a group whenever you can, and save for trips and your vacation." I have my birthday coming up in two weeks to look forward to as well. I haven't decided what I'll do for that yet. Maybe I'll go into Philly, or write Amanda and see if she wants to visit.
It was too nice of a day to go straight home after counseling was done. I browsed in a few stores in Haddonfield and on Haddon Avenue going to Westmont, including one cute little gift/antiques shop that had really funny cards based around vintage photos. Stopped at Primo's Water Ice on my way through Westmont and treated myself to a small cup of Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was the 4PM rush hour by the time I arrived. There were lots of parents and kids treating themselves to water ice and ice cream on their way home from work and school. A mom with two cute grade-school-age kids licked at soft ice cream cones as I worked my way through my water ice.
After a brief stop at Walgreens to look at their Easter section (they always have the best seasonal aisle), I headed straight home via Newton River Park. Given the beautiful weather and the time of day, the park was the busiest I'd ever seen it. I wound my way around joggers, dog walkers, parents with kids in strollers, and old people out for a ramble. The playground was so filled with little kids in colorful clothes, it more closely resembled a carnival.
When I got in, I got an idea. Miss Ellie planted violets in the side garden in 2010, about two years before she died. I really enjoyed raking up the leaves and seeing those lovely little green shoots reaching for the sunlight. I grabbed one of the rakes and went downstairs and around the back of the house to the side garden, which is situated between the house and the hill that goes up to the park.
I was delighted to see tiny green sprouts coming up out of the dirt as I raked. I don't know if they're violets, but something is still there. The sun, which had disappeared while I was in Haddonfield, came out as I finished raking. I think Miss Ellie somehow knew, too.
Spent the rest of the evening in my kitchen. I made Chocolate-Oatmeal Hermits from the Cooking Light Yearbook I bought from a yard sale a few years back, then had baked seasoned chicken thighs and honey-glazed carrots for dinner. I ran two favorite late 80s comedies as I worked.
Mannequin is one of the more bizarre comedies made during an era noted for strange concepts. Johnathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is a Philadelphia sculptor who can't seem to find a good outlet for his creative impulses. He keeps getting fired from job after job...until he lands at Prince & Company, a fading downtown department store, after seeing the mannequin he built in their window. Turns out the mannequin is Emmy (Kim Catrall), a cursed Egyptian princess who has traveled through time looking for the right man. Emmy is just as creative and upbeat as Johnathan, and they proceed to make window displays that are the talk of downtown Philly. Johnathan's growing love for a window display dummy makes him look increasingly suspicious to everyone else, including the store security office (G.W Bailey) and flamboyant window dresser Hollywood (Mesach Taylor).
If you can get around the plain odd idea, this is a really cute romantic comedy-fantasy, and a nifty little taste of the mid-late 80s in Philly. Locals might still be able to figure out still where a lot of scenes were filmed, including the Wanamaker Building (now Macy's) standing in for Prince & Company. (I heard a Boscov's stood in for rival store Illustra, which isn't surprising given the 80s vibe of most Boscov's.) Not for heavy action enthusiasts or those who can't handle the 80s in general, but if you love the concept or the cast or the era, you may like this.
Moved to Troop Beverly Hills as I cleaned up from dinner. We skip ahead two years from 1987 to 1989 and cross the continent to the title city. Phyllis Neffler (Shelly Long) may be rich and a good shopper and have great taste in elegant wide-brimmed hats, but her life is a mess. She and her husband (Craig T. Nelson) are in the midst of a messy divorce. Determined to prove that she can do more than shop and bond with her daughter Hannah, she takes over Hannah's Wilderness Girls troop. These poor little rich girls aren't the type of kids who bake cookies and make hooked rugs, and they've scared off every other den mother they've had...until Phyllis takes over. Phyllis and the girls try to prove to militant, bullying head Wilderness Girl Velda Plundor and her overly competitive "Red Feathers" troop that there's more than one way to be a Wilderness Girl...and that the most important thing is a girl is in tune with her environment, whether she lives in the wilderness or the wilds of Beverly Hills.
This was one of my favorite movies when I was about the same age as Hannah and the troop. I still like it, but as with Mannequin, it's very much a time capsule of its era. I honestly don't think Phyllis, the girls, or Beverly Hills in general would be played nearly as positively today as they are here. Not to mention, the outrageous fashions, on the kids and the adults, are something else - check out all of Phyllis' variations on the Wilderness Girls uniform. I especially love Phyllis' amazing hats. This is also 100% a girl and woman's movie - guys don't need to apply. I suspect this would probably still go over well with pre-teen girls today who can get around the dated premise and enjoy the story and colorful costumes.
And speaking of comedies, I hope your April Fool's Day really tickled your funny bone, too!
I headed out as soon as I finished my Cheerios and grapefruit breakfast. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, probably into the upper 50s-lower 60s, with a nice breeze and warm sun. It's looking so much greener than it did even a week or two ago. New grass can be seen poking from the dry, yellow patches. The daffodils are finally starting to poke their heads above the ground.
I did the Oaklyn Library first, but I wasn't there for very long. For one thing, this is the day Oaklyn's seniors watch a movie there. I listened to Summer Stock as I organized the adult DVDs. Mainly, though, the kids' section is still in the midst of serious reorganization. I don't know why the director wants to organize everything by theme or genre rather than alphabetically or by the Dewey Decimal System like most libraries, but whatever. She may be trying to minimize space in the already small building. I was in and out after 20 minutes.
Another reason I didn't want to hang around was...it was just too nice of a day to spend messing around in a library. I went straight to Haddonfield, enjoying the increasingly warm afternoon. I had no problems getting there this time. I did have to dodge quite a few potholes, but even the largest piles of snow and ice are long gone. The snow we had last week didn't even last a day.
I came up Haddon Avenue and landed at the Bistro, which is where I ended up having lunch. It was 12:30 by this time, and both the outdoor and indoor dining areas were packed with college students, high schoolers and their parents, elderly couples, and executives and assistants from the local medical offices on their lunch break. I enjoyed that wonderful Pear Spinach Salad I had last spring on my Haddonfield counseling day trip, the one with the big pieces of bacon, sliced pears and cucumbers, blue cheese, caramelized walnuts, and chicken on a bed of spinach. It was just as delicious as it was last April. I wasn't the only one who loved it, either. The two medical executives next to me also ordered it (along with cups of soup).
Since I still had at least 40 minutes before counseling, I strolled down Haddon Avenue for a while. I ended up at the small book store. I didn't see any adult books I couldn't live without, but I do love their children's section. After reading over several of the kids' books for Easter, I finally found three for my nephew Khai's birthday on the 20th - a Thomas the Tank Engine counting book, a National Geographic for Kids easy reader on dinosaurs, and the classic Golden Book The Pokey Little Puppy.
Headed to counseling next. I told Mrs. Stahl about my busy month, the changes to my story, my frustrations with my customers and Rose, Mom's new job, starting the communications class, and my hopes and plans for the summer. In addition to Lauren's visit, I'd like to make some day or short overnight trips to easy-to-reach fun places in the area like Wildwood, Ocean City, the Shops at Marlton, and the Moorestown Mall (the only major area mall I've never taken a look at).
Another thing I want to look into is going to the theater. There's tons of local theater groups, starting with the Ritz Theater down the street from me on the White Horse Pike. (And they could use a new fan - I read in the Courier Post that they're having financial problems.) The trouble is, most shows are at night, when I work, and most matinees are on Sunday afternoons, which I rarely get off. It should be a bit easier to get to shows once we get into summer and the sun starts going down later. I may see if I can find at least one movie theater that's on a bus route as well. It'll be a lot easier to do the work for my communications class when the people I communicate with on a regular basis aren't so hostile.
Basically, she said "try to either look up or call the neurophysicists, get to the theater or a group whenever you can, and save for trips and your vacation." I have my birthday coming up in two weeks to look forward to as well. I haven't decided what I'll do for that yet. Maybe I'll go into Philly, or write Amanda and see if she wants to visit.
It was too nice of a day to go straight home after counseling was done. I browsed in a few stores in Haddonfield and on Haddon Avenue going to Westmont, including one cute little gift/antiques shop that had really funny cards based around vintage photos. Stopped at Primo's Water Ice on my way through Westmont and treated myself to a small cup of Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was the 4PM rush hour by the time I arrived. There were lots of parents and kids treating themselves to water ice and ice cream on their way home from work and school. A mom with two cute grade-school-age kids licked at soft ice cream cones as I worked my way through my water ice.
After a brief stop at Walgreens to look at their Easter section (they always have the best seasonal aisle), I headed straight home via Newton River Park. Given the beautiful weather and the time of day, the park was the busiest I'd ever seen it. I wound my way around joggers, dog walkers, parents with kids in strollers, and old people out for a ramble. The playground was so filled with little kids in colorful clothes, it more closely resembled a carnival.
When I got in, I got an idea. Miss Ellie planted violets in the side garden in 2010, about two years before she died. I really enjoyed raking up the leaves and seeing those lovely little green shoots reaching for the sunlight. I grabbed one of the rakes and went downstairs and around the back of the house to the side garden, which is situated between the house and the hill that goes up to the park.
I was delighted to see tiny green sprouts coming up out of the dirt as I raked. I don't know if they're violets, but something is still there. The sun, which had disappeared while I was in Haddonfield, came out as I finished raking. I think Miss Ellie somehow knew, too.
Spent the rest of the evening in my kitchen. I made Chocolate-Oatmeal Hermits from the Cooking Light Yearbook I bought from a yard sale a few years back, then had baked seasoned chicken thighs and honey-glazed carrots for dinner. I ran two favorite late 80s comedies as I worked.
Mannequin is one of the more bizarre comedies made during an era noted for strange concepts. Johnathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is a Philadelphia sculptor who can't seem to find a good outlet for his creative impulses. He keeps getting fired from job after job...until he lands at Prince & Company, a fading downtown department store, after seeing the mannequin he built in their window. Turns out the mannequin is Emmy (Kim Catrall), a cursed Egyptian princess who has traveled through time looking for the right man. Emmy is just as creative and upbeat as Johnathan, and they proceed to make window displays that are the talk of downtown Philly. Johnathan's growing love for a window display dummy makes him look increasingly suspicious to everyone else, including the store security office (G.W Bailey) and flamboyant window dresser Hollywood (Mesach Taylor).
If you can get around the plain odd idea, this is a really cute romantic comedy-fantasy, and a nifty little taste of the mid-late 80s in Philly. Locals might still be able to figure out still where a lot of scenes were filmed, including the Wanamaker Building (now Macy's) standing in for Prince & Company. (I heard a Boscov's stood in for rival store Illustra, which isn't surprising given the 80s vibe of most Boscov's.) Not for heavy action enthusiasts or those who can't handle the 80s in general, but if you love the concept or the cast or the era, you may like this.
Moved to Troop Beverly Hills as I cleaned up from dinner. We skip ahead two years from 1987 to 1989 and cross the continent to the title city. Phyllis Neffler (Shelly Long) may be rich and a good shopper and have great taste in elegant wide-brimmed hats, but her life is a mess. She and her husband (Craig T. Nelson) are in the midst of a messy divorce. Determined to prove that she can do more than shop and bond with her daughter Hannah, she takes over Hannah's Wilderness Girls troop. These poor little rich girls aren't the type of kids who bake cookies and make hooked rugs, and they've scared off every other den mother they've had...until Phyllis takes over. Phyllis and the girls try to prove to militant, bullying head Wilderness Girl Velda Plundor and her overly competitive "Red Feathers" troop that there's more than one way to be a Wilderness Girl...and that the most important thing is a girl is in tune with her environment, whether she lives in the wilderness or the wilds of Beverly Hills.
This was one of my favorite movies when I was about the same age as Hannah and the troop. I still like it, but as with Mannequin, it's very much a time capsule of its era. I honestly don't think Phyllis, the girls, or Beverly Hills in general would be played nearly as positively today as they are here. Not to mention, the outrageous fashions, on the kids and the adults, are something else - check out all of Phyllis' variations on the Wilderness Girls uniform. I especially love Phyllis' amazing hats. This is also 100% a girl and woman's movie - guys don't need to apply. I suspect this would probably still go over well with pre-teen girls today who can get around the dated premise and enjoy the story and colorful costumes.
And speaking of comedies, I hope your April Fool's Day really tickled your funny bone, too!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Writing Down Balance
I spent most of the morning writing and doing things online. I've been kind of stalled on the fourth story. The action seems too coincidental, and I keep re-reading the previous three stories and finding things that don't work. I changed the characters' occupations to be less high and mighty, and switched the setting from downtrodden 1937 to (relatively) upbeat 1987. I may even go further and move the whole thing from fairy-tale kingdoms based largely on South Jersey, New England, and the south, to most of the real-life South Jersey, New England, and the south. (Except for the fictional Jersey Shore islands.) I haven't decided yet. I try to just write, but I can't focus and end up online instead.
I looked up neuropsychologists on Independence Blue Cross' website...or tried to, anyway. It was running so slow, I finally gave up. It kept showing no results anyway, even for a hundred-mile radius. How could that be? There has to be one that accepts IBC somewhere in this area! We're near one of the largest cities in the US! I'll see if I can finally get myself to call them later in the week. I now think that Linda and Shannon were right and there probably isn't anything wrong with me beyond sensitivity, but I want to make sure.
Did yoga after I got offline. It was just a quick 40-minute session, as I was running low on time by that point. I'm mostly concentrating on my back. My upper spine in particular has been very sore, probably from all the sitting I've done this month as I've worked on my stories.
Ran the two remaining My Little Pony specials as I made leftover green beans and lamb chops for lunch. "The Runaway Rainbow" is a follow-up to "Princess Promenade." Here, we're introduced to Unicornia, which produces the first rainbow of the spring. Cheerilee is trying to teach little Princess Rarity how to use the wand that creates the rainbows, but Rarity would rather have fun than pay attention to her mentor. She accidentally ends up in Ponyville after an accident with the wand. The ponies - especially Rainbow Dash - are dismayed to discover that if Rarity doesn't get her act together and get back to Unicornia in time, there will be no rainbow and no springtime color!
Likewise, "Friends are Never Far Away" is a sequel to "Dancing In the Clouds" and also introduces a new set of ponies. Here, we meet the Pegasus ponies, who live in a tropical paradise...but they're so shy, they're afraid to go down below. Sky Wishes wants them to meet her friends, but the lively and extroverted Earth Ponies almost scare their flying counterparts away! It takes a daring rescue to break the ice and remind the Pegasus that it can be fun to try new things, even when you're scared.
I found these cute and colorful, but largely underwhelming. The songs are annoying, and they lack the action and characterization that made the original series and current Friendship Is Magic popular among age groups besides little girls. For the youngest fans only; older girls and boys will want to proceed to My Little Pony and Friends or Friendship Is Magic.
Work wasn't too bad when I got in. The cloudy morning had become a bright, sunny, warmer (if windy) day. Trouble is, that beautiful day encouraged a lot of call-outs (including one college boy who claimed he just "didn't feel like coming in"), and we were extremely short-handed all night. That, coupled with this being the beginning of the month, lead to a lot of cranky people. Thank heavens it slowed down enough by 9 that I was able to leave with no relief.
I looked up neuropsychologists on Independence Blue Cross' website...or tried to, anyway. It was running so slow, I finally gave up. It kept showing no results anyway, even for a hundred-mile radius. How could that be? There has to be one that accepts IBC somewhere in this area! We're near one of the largest cities in the US! I'll see if I can finally get myself to call them later in the week. I now think that Linda and Shannon were right and there probably isn't anything wrong with me beyond sensitivity, but I want to make sure.
Did yoga after I got offline. It was just a quick 40-minute session, as I was running low on time by that point. I'm mostly concentrating on my back. My upper spine in particular has been very sore, probably from all the sitting I've done this month as I've worked on my stories.
Ran the two remaining My Little Pony specials as I made leftover green beans and lamb chops for lunch. "The Runaway Rainbow" is a follow-up to "Princess Promenade." Here, we're introduced to Unicornia, which produces the first rainbow of the spring. Cheerilee is trying to teach little Princess Rarity how to use the wand that creates the rainbows, but Rarity would rather have fun than pay attention to her mentor. She accidentally ends up in Ponyville after an accident with the wand. The ponies - especially Rainbow Dash - are dismayed to discover that if Rarity doesn't get her act together and get back to Unicornia in time, there will be no rainbow and no springtime color!
Likewise, "Friends are Never Far Away" is a sequel to "Dancing In the Clouds" and also introduces a new set of ponies. Here, we meet the Pegasus ponies, who live in a tropical paradise...but they're so shy, they're afraid to go down below. Sky Wishes wants them to meet her friends, but the lively and extroverted Earth Ponies almost scare their flying counterparts away! It takes a daring rescue to break the ice and remind the Pegasus that it can be fun to try new things, even when you're scared.
I found these cute and colorful, but largely underwhelming. The songs are annoying, and they lack the action and characterization that made the original series and current Friendship Is Magic popular among age groups besides little girls. For the youngest fans only; older girls and boys will want to proceed to My Little Pony and Friends or Friendship Is Magic.
Work wasn't too bad when I got in. The cloudy morning had become a bright, sunny, warmer (if windy) day. Trouble is, that beautiful day encouraged a lot of call-outs (including one college boy who claimed he just "didn't feel like coming in"), and we were extremely short-handed all night. That, coupled with this being the beginning of the month, lead to a lot of cranky people. Thank heavens it slowed down enough by 9 that I was able to leave with no relief.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Rainy Days and Baths
It was pouring when I woke up this morning, and continued to do so as I read The Lion In the Valley and wrote in my journal. I only rode to work yesterday because it was so late; there was no way I was going to do it this time. I called Dad for a ride to work.
After I let off with him, I called Mom. She was quite happy. In good news, she did get that job at the Cape May Lewes Ferry that she mentioned she interviewed for. She'll start orientation next month. It sounds like she's going to do anything that'll require sitting down - taking reservations, taking phone calls, selling tickets. She says she especially wants to learn how to take reservations. In tourist-heavy Cape May County, that's one of the most useful skills a job-hunter can have. She's also spending time with my brother Keefe, who is up from the Navy base in Charleston on leave, and taking care of my stepfather, who has a nasty cold that's required two doctor visits and lots of medicine.
I made Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes while listening to this week's Brunch With the Beatles. We get psychedelic with one of my favorite Beatles albums, Magical Mystery Tour. I've heard the movie's weird as hell, but the album has some great numbers. I heard "Blue Jay Way," "Your Mother Should Know," "Baby You're a Rich Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Flying," and "Penny Lane" before I had to head off to work.
Dad did drive me to the Acme and back. It wasn't raining when he picked me up...but even after the five minutes it takes to go from Oaklyn to Audubon, it was back to torrential downpours again. That could be why we were swamped all day long. We're in the midst of some really big four-day sales too, including that 88 cents for generic Acme frozen vegetables deal I bought on Friday. Not to mention, it's getting close to the beginning of the month. We were so crazy, a manager had to send a stock boy in for me so I could get out on time.
When I got home, I went straight in the bath. I desperately needed that bath, especially after last night. I read Writing Fiction For Dummies and listened to 80s and early 90s soft rock and the sound of the rain on the roof.
I passed the rest of the evening quietly. I made salmon with leftover green beans and the last of the pasta-vegetable bake for dinner, then had pineapple upside-down cake for dessert while listening to 80s soundtracks. I'm not a big fan of Flashdance or Dirty Dancing today; despite a smoldering Patrick Swayze in the latter and some fine dancing in both, they're really just overheated melodramas that haven't dated well. They do have outstanding soundtracks. "I've Had the Time Of My Life" from Dirty Dancing and "What a Feeling!" from Flashdance both won Oscars; other favorites of mine from these albums include "Imagination" and "Seduce Me Tonight" from Flashdance and "She's Like the Wind" and "Yes!" from Dirty Dancing.
(Incidentally, the rain has been off and on pretty much the entire day. At press time, it sounds like it's raining heavily again. It's supposed to peter out tomorrow and start up again later in the week - we'll see what happens.)
After I let off with him, I called Mom. She was quite happy. In good news, she did get that job at the Cape May Lewes Ferry that she mentioned she interviewed for. She'll start orientation next month. It sounds like she's going to do anything that'll require sitting down - taking reservations, taking phone calls, selling tickets. She says she especially wants to learn how to take reservations. In tourist-heavy Cape May County, that's one of the most useful skills a job-hunter can have. She's also spending time with my brother Keefe, who is up from the Navy base in Charleston on leave, and taking care of my stepfather, who has a nasty cold that's required two doctor visits and lots of medicine.
I made Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes while listening to this week's Brunch With the Beatles. We get psychedelic with one of my favorite Beatles albums, Magical Mystery Tour. I've heard the movie's weird as hell, but the album has some great numbers. I heard "Blue Jay Way," "Your Mother Should Know," "Baby You're a Rich Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Flying," and "Penny Lane" before I had to head off to work.
Dad did drive me to the Acme and back. It wasn't raining when he picked me up...but even after the five minutes it takes to go from Oaklyn to Audubon, it was back to torrential downpours again. That could be why we were swamped all day long. We're in the midst of some really big four-day sales too, including that 88 cents for generic Acme frozen vegetables deal I bought on Friday. Not to mention, it's getting close to the beginning of the month. We were so crazy, a manager had to send a stock boy in for me so I could get out on time.
When I got home, I went straight in the bath. I desperately needed that bath, especially after last night. I read Writing Fiction For Dummies and listened to 80s and early 90s soft rock and the sound of the rain on the roof.
I passed the rest of the evening quietly. I made salmon with leftover green beans and the last of the pasta-vegetable bake for dinner, then had pineapple upside-down cake for dessert while listening to 80s soundtracks. I'm not a big fan of Flashdance or Dirty Dancing today; despite a smoldering Patrick Swayze in the latter and some fine dancing in both, they're really just overheated melodramas that haven't dated well. They do have outstanding soundtracks. "I've Had the Time Of My Life" from Dirty Dancing and "What a Feeling!" from Flashdance both won Oscars; other favorites of mine from these albums include "Imagination" and "Seduce Me Tonight" from Flashdance and "She's Like the Wind" and "Yes!" from Dirty Dancing.
(Incidentally, the rain has been off and on pretty much the entire day. At press time, it sounds like it's raining heavily again. It's supposed to peter out tomorrow and start up again later in the week - we'll see what happens.)
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Balance In the Rain
The rain was already coming down when I awoke this morning. I read The Lion In the Valley and put on this week's American Top 40 re-run. Casey danced back a decade to 1975, as country, folk, pop, and the newly emerging disco reigned supreme. Hits from late March of that year included "Express" by B.T Express, "Have You Never Been Mellow?" by Olivia Newton-John, "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" by Sugarloaf, "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John, "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Someone Wrong Song" by B.J Thomas, "Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers, "Lovin' You," by Minnie Riperton, "Snookeroo" by Ringo Starr, "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli, and "Harry Truman" by Chicago. That week's #1 hit would be one of the biggest for Patti LaBelle - "Lady Marmalade"
My original plans for today were to go to the Oaklyn Library and then go for a ride up to Haddon Heights and Barrington. I never got to any of it. It rained steadily all day long. I spent most of the morning on the computer, writing and playing WebKinz World, since I knew I wouldn't be home until late.
I went downstairs around 12:30 to see if the mail had arrived. Yes, it had, and with it came my Amazon.com order! I badly wanted Frozen, and bought the musicals Gold Diggers of 1933 and Deep In My Heart to bump the order up to 35 and get the free shipping. I hurried back upstairs with the box snug and dry under my raincoat.
Started with Frozen as I had lobster cakes and leftover noodle and cheese casserole for lunch. Originally Disney's attempt at The Snow Queen, this movie has sat on the back burner as far back as Walt's lifetime. Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are princesses in a Norwegian-esque kingdom called Arendelle. Elsa has snow powers she once used to amuse her sister. When Anna is hurt in an accident, Elsa's told to hide her powers and Anna is kept away from her. Matters come to a head when their parents are killed and Elsa is crowned queen. Anna wants to marry Prince Hans, but Elsa refuses to give her consent - Anna's only known him a few hours. The argument between the two accidentally unleashes Elsa's full powers. She runs off, unaware that she's placed their country under a deep freeze. Anna goes after her; she's aided by a goofy ice cutter named Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and Olaf, a sweet snowman whom the girls had made as children. Elsa wants to be alone with her powers; Anna just wants to be friends again. It'll take a deception and a heroic sacrifice to prove to these sisters that there's more than one type of true love in the world.
I'm glad Disney finally put this one out. That Oscar for Best Animated Film was deserved - this was fabulous, even if it has very little to do with its source material. It breaks with many Disney molds, from a (largely) sympathetic queen who is a major character to its sister duo to actually questioning the idea of true love, who can love, and whether falling in love in an instant is a good idea. It's also one of the few animated films I've seen where the comic sidekick had some real bearing on the plot. Highly recommended, especially for sisters, best gal friends, and musical fans (there's a reason I've been listening to the soundtrack all winter).
Joining Frozen in theaters and on DVD is the very odd Mickey Mouse cartoon Get a Horse! A spoof of the Mickey cartoons of the early 30s, this starts out with Minnie, Mickey, Horace, Clarabelle, and a couple of others out for a ride in a horse-drawn cart in black and white. Pete drives up in his car and isn't happy that he can't get past them...and then, he sees Minnie. He grabs her, Mickey tries to get her back, and the chase is on! It gets so wild, the characters literally tear down the fourth wall when they're shoved into the theater itself. Now, even the movie screen becomes a vehicle for Mickey to reclaim his girl and give Pete his.
Ok, this was...weird. Really, really weird. The historically accurate and well-done animation is probably the reason it got a Best Animated Short Subject Oscar nomination. As with Frozen, Disney's trying for something different here. It's not the most necessary viewing, but is worth checking out once, if only to see just how crazy a Mickey Mouse cartoon can get.
Switched to Deep In My Heart as I worked on crocheting a dish rag. The last of MGM's composer "biography" semi-revues takes us from the world of pop to operetta. Sigmund Romberg (Mel Ferrer) wants to write beautiful operatic songs, and even has a lovely operetta he wants to put out, Maytime. The Shubert brothers are interested in his music, but not the show. He writes basic pop tunes for them, but longs to see Maytime in lights. His friend Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) helps him make his dream come true. Maytime is a smashing success...but the need for money pushes him back to the Shuberts and their light-weight Al Jolson vehicles. When he falls for a pretty debutante (Doe Avedon), he finally has the inspiration he needs to write a series of romantic light operas in the 20s, including The Student Prince, The Desert Song, My Maryland, and New Moon.
If you've seen other composer "biographies," you know what to expect here - lots of big numbers by leading stars of the day that are barely related to the life of the composer in question. I don't know enough about Romberg to tell you how accurate this is. I can tell you there's some really fun numbers here. Gene Kelly is joined by his brother Fred for the vaudeville-esque "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin." Vic Damone and Jane Powell put over a gorgeous "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" from Maytime. James Mitchell and Cyd Charisse dance a sensual "One Alone" pas de deux from The Desert Song.
The most notable thing about this one is some of the relatively rare material on display. My Maryland is almost never staged today, making Howard Keel's brief "Your Land and My Land" a fascinating bit of lost theater history. Though listed as being from the revue Artists and Models, Ann Miller's "It" dance routine was actually a comedy number for The Desert Song; it was dropped from all three film versions and is rarely heard in revival.
Switched to the My Little Pony specials as I did my basic yoga (mostly to stretch a back that's spent weeks crunched in a computer chair writing). Wisteria is looking forward to The Princess Promenade, which she organizes every year. When she and Pinkie Pie discover a cave under a weed, they encounter Spike the Dragon. Spike sees that Wisteria has taken his flower, which makes her princess. This is awkward for all concerned; Spike insists that Wisteria can't interact with her friends or get dirty or even sniff the flowers, while tiny Breezy wants to do the work Wisteria can no longer do, thanks to her duties. Wisteria finally decides that it's better to help out, whether one is a princess or not, and that being a princess doesn't mean you can't be yourself.
"Dancing In the Clouds" is a bit less frilly. Twinkle Twirl wants to come up with an extra-special dance for the Friendship Ball. She turns to her friend Sky Wishes for help. When Sky Wishes catches a kite, she makes as big of a wish as she can to help her friend...and meets a magical flying pony who can make her and Twinkle Twirl's wishes come true.
It was still raining when I had to leave for work, but I was working too late to call for a ride. I rode to work and got wet. I wasn't originally supposed to work tonight. I went in for a manager/cashier who had originally asked for today off to help with her father's birthday party, but for some reason, was given last Saturday off instead. I don't even need the hours. I was just doing something nice.
Work was a pain, especially early on. A woman gave me a hard time when I got flustered while I tried to call someone over to ask if we recycled other water cooler bottles besides our own brand. (We don't.) She said I had a bad attitude! I tried and tried to apologize, but I just ended up getting upset, and she moved the rest of her order to another line. I genuinely didn't mean to make her upset. I apologize because I feel bad and I did something wrong. Thank heavens things slowed down around 8; by 10:30, I was doing returns.
My original plans for today were to go to the Oaklyn Library and then go for a ride up to Haddon Heights and Barrington. I never got to any of it. It rained steadily all day long. I spent most of the morning on the computer, writing and playing WebKinz World, since I knew I wouldn't be home until late.
I went downstairs around 12:30 to see if the mail had arrived. Yes, it had, and with it came my Amazon.com order! I badly wanted Frozen, and bought the musicals Gold Diggers of 1933 and Deep In My Heart to bump the order up to 35 and get the free shipping. I hurried back upstairs with the box snug and dry under my raincoat.
Started with Frozen as I had lobster cakes and leftover noodle and cheese casserole for lunch. Originally Disney's attempt at The Snow Queen, this movie has sat on the back burner as far back as Walt's lifetime. Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are princesses in a Norwegian-esque kingdom called Arendelle. Elsa has snow powers she once used to amuse her sister. When Anna is hurt in an accident, Elsa's told to hide her powers and Anna is kept away from her. Matters come to a head when their parents are killed and Elsa is crowned queen. Anna wants to marry Prince Hans, but Elsa refuses to give her consent - Anna's only known him a few hours. The argument between the two accidentally unleashes Elsa's full powers. She runs off, unaware that she's placed their country under a deep freeze. Anna goes after her; she's aided by a goofy ice cutter named Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and Olaf, a sweet snowman whom the girls had made as children. Elsa wants to be alone with her powers; Anna just wants to be friends again. It'll take a deception and a heroic sacrifice to prove to these sisters that there's more than one type of true love in the world.
I'm glad Disney finally put this one out. That Oscar for Best Animated Film was deserved - this was fabulous, even if it has very little to do with its source material. It breaks with many Disney molds, from a (largely) sympathetic queen who is a major character to its sister duo to actually questioning the idea of true love, who can love, and whether falling in love in an instant is a good idea. It's also one of the few animated films I've seen where the comic sidekick had some real bearing on the plot. Highly recommended, especially for sisters, best gal friends, and musical fans (there's a reason I've been listening to the soundtrack all winter).
Joining Frozen in theaters and on DVD is the very odd Mickey Mouse cartoon Get a Horse! A spoof of the Mickey cartoons of the early 30s, this starts out with Minnie, Mickey, Horace, Clarabelle, and a couple of others out for a ride in a horse-drawn cart in black and white. Pete drives up in his car and isn't happy that he can't get past them...and then, he sees Minnie. He grabs her, Mickey tries to get her back, and the chase is on! It gets so wild, the characters literally tear down the fourth wall when they're shoved into the theater itself. Now, even the movie screen becomes a vehicle for Mickey to reclaim his girl and give Pete his.
Ok, this was...weird. Really, really weird. The historically accurate and well-done animation is probably the reason it got a Best Animated Short Subject Oscar nomination. As with Frozen, Disney's trying for something different here. It's not the most necessary viewing, but is worth checking out once, if only to see just how crazy a Mickey Mouse cartoon can get.
Switched to Deep In My Heart as I worked on crocheting a dish rag. The last of MGM's composer "biography" semi-revues takes us from the world of pop to operetta. Sigmund Romberg (Mel Ferrer) wants to write beautiful operatic songs, and even has a lovely operetta he wants to put out, Maytime. The Shubert brothers are interested in his music, but not the show. He writes basic pop tunes for them, but longs to see Maytime in lights. His friend Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon) helps him make his dream come true. Maytime is a smashing success...but the need for money pushes him back to the Shuberts and their light-weight Al Jolson vehicles. When he falls for a pretty debutante (Doe Avedon), he finally has the inspiration he needs to write a series of romantic light operas in the 20s, including The Student Prince, The Desert Song, My Maryland, and New Moon.
If you've seen other composer "biographies," you know what to expect here - lots of big numbers by leading stars of the day that are barely related to the life of the composer in question. I don't know enough about Romberg to tell you how accurate this is. I can tell you there's some really fun numbers here. Gene Kelly is joined by his brother Fred for the vaudeville-esque "I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin." Vic Damone and Jane Powell put over a gorgeous "Sweetheart, Will You Remember?" from Maytime. James Mitchell and Cyd Charisse dance a sensual "One Alone" pas de deux from The Desert Song.
The most notable thing about this one is some of the relatively rare material on display. My Maryland is almost never staged today, making Howard Keel's brief "Your Land and My Land" a fascinating bit of lost theater history. Though listed as being from the revue Artists and Models, Ann Miller's "It" dance routine was actually a comedy number for The Desert Song; it was dropped from all three film versions and is rarely heard in revival.
Switched to the My Little Pony specials as I did my basic yoga (mostly to stretch a back that's spent weeks crunched in a computer chair writing). Wisteria is looking forward to The Princess Promenade, which she organizes every year. When she and Pinkie Pie discover a cave under a weed, they encounter Spike the Dragon. Spike sees that Wisteria has taken his flower, which makes her princess. This is awkward for all concerned; Spike insists that Wisteria can't interact with her friends or get dirty or even sniff the flowers, while tiny Breezy wants to do the work Wisteria can no longer do, thanks to her duties. Wisteria finally decides that it's better to help out, whether one is a princess or not, and that being a princess doesn't mean you can't be yourself.
"Dancing In the Clouds" is a bit less frilly. Twinkle Twirl wants to come up with an extra-special dance for the Friendship Ball. She turns to her friend Sky Wishes for help. When Sky Wishes catches a kite, she makes as big of a wish as she can to help her friend...and meets a magical flying pony who can make her and Twinkle Twirl's wishes come true.
It was still raining when I had to leave for work, but I was working too late to call for a ride. I rode to work and got wet. I wasn't originally supposed to work tonight. I went in for a manager/cashier who had originally asked for today off to help with her father's birthday party, but for some reason, was given last Saturday off instead. I don't even need the hours. I was just doing something nice.
Work was a pain, especially early on. A woman gave me a hard time when I got flustered while I tried to call someone over to ask if we recycled other water cooler bottles besides our own brand. (We don't.) She said I had a bad attitude! I tried and tried to apologize, but I just ended up getting upset, and she moved the rest of her order to another line. I genuinely didn't mean to make her upset. I apologize because I feel bad and I did something wrong. Thank heavens things slowed down around 8; by 10:30, I was doing returns.
Friday, March 28, 2014
All Kinds of Help
Started off a gloomy day at work. It rained a little on my way, but nothing major. It was pretty much the same as it has been - off-and-on steady, only really busy during rush hours. There were no major problems (other than a few annoying beginning-of-the-month people) and my relief was on time.
I rode over to America's Best quickly as soon as I got out to pick up my contacts, then went right back to the Acme to get my schedule and do this week's grocery shopping. I had a lot of things that needed to be restocked, starting with sugar. The Acme's having a big four-day sale on their generic frozen vegetables; I got the small bags of peas and green beans for 88 cents each. Picked up Acme generic whole-wheat rotini pasta buy one, get one. (I normally avoid sales that require you to buy more than one of an item. I rarely need more than one of anything...but I was really out of pasta. I used the last of it on my pasta bake last night.) Needed to refill grapefruit, apples, Romaine lettuce, bananas, mushrooms, cheese (bought the generic Acme sharp cheddar block and the new small Sargento wedge of Parmentino), Cheerios, and parchment paper.
My schedule isn't all that much different than it has been all winter and early spring. In good news, I have two days off, Tuesday and Thursday (Tuesday for counseling). In annoying news, I have one late day (Monday) and two long days (Monday and Wednesday), though nothing as early as the last few weeks.
By the time I finished work, the rain was gone, but it remained cloudy and windy. This time, it didn't stop it from getting warmer. It was probably in the upper 50s-lower 60s. It was so warm when I got home, I opened both windows to let the apartment air out.
Finished out the newest Strawberry Shortcake set, Berry Big Help, as I put everything away and started lamb chops with "French Salad" (Romaine lettuce with home-made dressing) and the last of the Brussels sprouts for dinner. Helping each other - and the importance of helping out - is the theme of this set. In the first story, a Baby Berrykin has the ability to turn anything different colors, not just fruit...but he's so little, he turns everything different colors without realizing the confusion this causes. Strawberry finally gets him to understand that he has to ask before he uses his powers for others. The second story has Raspberry determined to make Strawberry a beautiful new dress all by herself. When the other girls see that she's wearing herself out, they act as "fashion elves" and try to make a dress for her. The final tale is a variation on the "kid adopts huge pet who wrecks havoc" story. The kid in question is Orange Blossom, who becomes attached to what she thinks is a fish. It's really a tadpole...and when "Tad" grows up, he proves to be far larger and more energetic than Orange can handle.
Switched to Charlie Chan In Honolulu as I made Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from a Betty Crocker mix that was on sale at work. The famous Asian detective (Sidney Toler in this one) is awaiting the birth of his Number One Grandchild, so his number two son and his younger brother take the call from a cargo ship where a man has been murdered. Was he after the money one of the women has stashed in her room? Was he a victim of a freaky scientist? Or was he eaten by the lion owned by a rather goofy little trainer?
I have fond memories of the Charlie Chan movies from when they turned up on AMC (and later, TCM) during my childhood and college years. This one is especially interesting because we get to see a little of Charlie's home life, including more of his kids than usual. Considering this series' reputation (and that Chinese Chan is played by a Swedish character actor), there's surprisingly little stereotypes of any kind - Chan's son-in-law is more "stereotyped" than anyone in his wife's family, including Chan. With minimal violence and lots of gags with the Chan boys, this isn't a bad introduction to Charlie's world, and a nice starter film for older kids, too.
I rode over to America's Best quickly as soon as I got out to pick up my contacts, then went right back to the Acme to get my schedule and do this week's grocery shopping. I had a lot of things that needed to be restocked, starting with sugar. The Acme's having a big four-day sale on their generic frozen vegetables; I got the small bags of peas and green beans for 88 cents each. Picked up Acme generic whole-wheat rotini pasta buy one, get one. (I normally avoid sales that require you to buy more than one of an item. I rarely need more than one of anything...but I was really out of pasta. I used the last of it on my pasta bake last night.) Needed to refill grapefruit, apples, Romaine lettuce, bananas, mushrooms, cheese (bought the generic Acme sharp cheddar block and the new small Sargento wedge of Parmentino), Cheerios, and parchment paper.
My schedule isn't all that much different than it has been all winter and early spring. In good news, I have two days off, Tuesday and Thursday (Tuesday for counseling). In annoying news, I have one late day (Monday) and two long days (Monday and Wednesday), though nothing as early as the last few weeks.
By the time I finished work, the rain was gone, but it remained cloudy and windy. This time, it didn't stop it from getting warmer. It was probably in the upper 50s-lower 60s. It was so warm when I got home, I opened both windows to let the apartment air out.
Finished out the newest Strawberry Shortcake set, Berry Big Help, as I put everything away and started lamb chops with "French Salad" (Romaine lettuce with home-made dressing) and the last of the Brussels sprouts for dinner. Helping each other - and the importance of helping out - is the theme of this set. In the first story, a Baby Berrykin has the ability to turn anything different colors, not just fruit...but he's so little, he turns everything different colors without realizing the confusion this causes. Strawberry finally gets him to understand that he has to ask before he uses his powers for others. The second story has Raspberry determined to make Strawberry a beautiful new dress all by herself. When the other girls see that she's wearing herself out, they act as "fashion elves" and try to make a dress for her. The final tale is a variation on the "kid adopts huge pet who wrecks havoc" story. The kid in question is Orange Blossom, who becomes attached to what she thinks is a fish. It's really a tadpole...and when "Tad" grows up, he proves to be far larger and more energetic than Orange can handle.
Switched to Charlie Chan In Honolulu as I made Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from a Betty Crocker mix that was on sale at work. The famous Asian detective (Sidney Toler in this one) is awaiting the birth of his Number One Grandchild, so his number two son and his younger brother take the call from a cargo ship where a man has been murdered. Was he after the money one of the women has stashed in her room? Was he a victim of a freaky scientist? Or was he eaten by the lion owned by a rather goofy little trainer?
I have fond memories of the Charlie Chan movies from when they turned up on AMC (and later, TCM) during my childhood and college years. This one is especially interesting because we get to see a little of Charlie's home life, including more of his kids than usual. Considering this series' reputation (and that Chinese Chan is played by a Swedish character actor), there's surprisingly little stereotypes of any kind - Chan's son-in-law is more "stereotyped" than anyone in his wife's family, including Chan. With minimal violence and lots of gags with the Chan boys, this isn't a bad introduction to Charlie's world, and a nice starter film for older kids, too.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Animal Crackers In My Hoagie
Rose called just as I was finishing the next chapter of The Lion In the Valley. We were going to have to take another rain check on yoga. She was called into work. That was fine. If I had a dime for every time I was called into work and had to cancel plans, I'd be able to buy Yogawood. I had other things I wanted to get done today before the weather gets bad this weekend.
First on the list was the laundry. I didn't have a big load, but it had to be done, and I work too early and have too much to do tomorrow to do it then. I'm glad I did it today. It was really quiet, with only an older woman and a few college girls getting their loads done. I read Writing Fiction For Dummies while CNN continued to go into details on that Malaysian plane that disappeared. I was in and out in about an hour.
When I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. I stopped at Amato Bros on the White Horse Pike for lunch first. I ordered a 6 inch "Mama's Turkey" hoagie (Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon, Russian dressing), a can of Diet A&W Root Beer, and white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies. Enjoyed my lunch while listening to ESPN's Sports Center and watching people go back and forth, ordering hoagies or wraps for their own lunches.
The Library was surprisingly busy for 2PM when I arrived. The children's DVDs were a mess - you can tell no one organized them last week. Thankfully, they weren't overloaded, and I was able to get all titles, even the S sets, on the shelves. Was able to shelve all of the adult DVDs as well, and cleared out a few foreign and kids' titles. I ended up taking out a lot of DVDs for the first time I weeks. Shout!Factory just re-released some of the My Little Pony direct-to-DVD specials from the early-mid 2000s; I took out two sets, one with The Princess Promenade. Grabbed the newest Strawberry Shortcake set, Berry Big Help. Also went with three movies, the Shirley Temple vehicle Curly Top, Charlie Chan in Honolulu, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
When I got home, I went right into the bath. Ahhh. That felt nice. I read a couple of books on the 30s I took out of the library and listened to my RCA/Victor 30s CD. I haven't had much of a chance to relax lately, besides working on my story. I passed a very pleasant hour there.
When I finally got out, I ran Curly Top while making baked chicken legs and a noodle casserole with mozzarella cheese, vegetables, and tomato sauce for dinner. One of Shirley Temple's most famous vehicles was a riff on the book and movies Daddy Long Legs. Here, we get two waifs for the price of one, as little Elizabeth (Temple) and her older sister Mary (Rochelle Hudson) are rescued from a strict orphanage by a kindly trustee (John Boles). The trustee falls for Mary, but she's being courted by a handsome pilot. Elizabeth does everything she can to bring the two together.
Not my favorite Temple vehicle, as the whole waif thing does get rather sugary. On the other hand, this one features two of Temple's most famous dance routines, the hit song "Animal Crackers In My Soup" and her tap number on top of a piano. Cute and simple; not actually a bad "starter" Temple film to bring little kids into her sunny world, or for adults to discover her, too.
First on the list was the laundry. I didn't have a big load, but it had to be done, and I work too early and have too much to do tomorrow to do it then. I'm glad I did it today. It was really quiet, with only an older woman and a few college girls getting their loads done. I read Writing Fiction For Dummies while CNN continued to go into details on that Malaysian plane that disappeared. I was in and out in about an hour.
When I got home, I put everything away, then went right back out. I stopped at Amato Bros on the White Horse Pike for lunch first. I ordered a 6 inch "Mama's Turkey" hoagie (Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon, Russian dressing), a can of Diet A&W Root Beer, and white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies. Enjoyed my lunch while listening to ESPN's Sports Center and watching people go back and forth, ordering hoagies or wraps for their own lunches.
The Library was surprisingly busy for 2PM when I arrived. The children's DVDs were a mess - you can tell no one organized them last week. Thankfully, they weren't overloaded, and I was able to get all titles, even the S sets, on the shelves. Was able to shelve all of the adult DVDs as well, and cleared out a few foreign and kids' titles. I ended up taking out a lot of DVDs for the first time I weeks. Shout!Factory just re-released some of the My Little Pony direct-to-DVD specials from the early-mid 2000s; I took out two sets, one with The Princess Promenade. Grabbed the newest Strawberry Shortcake set, Berry Big Help. Also went with three movies, the Shirley Temple vehicle Curly Top, Charlie Chan in Honolulu, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
When I got home, I went right into the bath. Ahhh. That felt nice. I read a couple of books on the 30s I took out of the library and listened to my RCA/Victor 30s CD. I haven't had much of a chance to relax lately, besides working on my story. I passed a very pleasant hour there.
When I finally got out, I ran Curly Top while making baked chicken legs and a noodle casserole with mozzarella cheese, vegetables, and tomato sauce for dinner. One of Shirley Temple's most famous vehicles was a riff on the book and movies Daddy Long Legs. Here, we get two waifs for the price of one, as little Elizabeth (Temple) and her older sister Mary (Rochelle Hudson) are rescued from a strict orphanage by a kindly trustee (John Boles). The trustee falls for Mary, but she's being courted by a handsome pilot. Elizabeth does everything she can to bring the two together.
Not my favorite Temple vehicle, as the whole waif thing does get rather sugary. On the other hand, this one features two of Temple's most famous dance routines, the hit song "Animal Crackers In My Soup" and her tap number on top of a piano. Cute and simple; not actually a bad "starter" Temple film to bring little kids into her sunny world, or for adults to discover her, too.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
They All Laughed
Started a chilly, windy morning with breakfast, making coconut macaroons, and watching one of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals, Shall We Dance? Fred is renowned ballet star Petrov, aka Pete Peters, who just wants to tap dance. Ginger is Lynn Keene, a musical star who wants to give up the rat race to get married. Pete says he's married to get a woman he isn't interested in off his back, but everyone starts assuming Lynn's the secret wife when they're seen together. They finally decided to actually get married, then divorced to get everyone off their backs. By the time their agents (Edward Everett Horton and Jerome Cowan) are putting their shows together, they're starting to wonder if the calling off the calling off is a good idea...
The great Gershwin brothers music is by far the best thing about the seventh Astaire-Rogers vehicle. There's some really nifty numbers, including Fred's dance in an Art Deco ship's boiler room to "Slap That Bass," the roller skating routine to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and the finale to the title song as Fred searches for the real Ginger among ladies wearing masks. As with most of the Fred/Ginger movies, the story is light as air, and the whole marriage thing gets a little complicated after a while. Fun for fans of Fred, Ginger, or 30s musicals, but newcomers will want to go to Top Hat or Swing Time first.
As it turned out, we got less than an inch of snow. It never stuck to the street at all, and the rest of it was half gone by the time I went to work. I think the coast got the worst of the weather this time - the storm was off-shore. The real problem here wasn't snow, but wind. The wind was heavy and very cold! It didn't make it easy getting to or from work.
My long 8-hour work day was on-and-off busy for most of the evening. Even the 4 to 6 rush hour was never more than steady. Most people may be waiting for closer to the beginning of the month. I spent the down times shelving candy. Other than some annoying customers, there were no major problems. It slowed down enough by 7 that I was able to get home with no major problems besides the still-heavy wind.
I ran a couple of the 40s Superman cartoons as I made Italian Breaded Chicken Sandwiches with braised Brussels sprouts for dinner. Superman saves Lois Lane when she's hot on the trail of "The Mechanical Monsters," robots who have been programmed to rob banks. "The Arctic Giant" is a massive dinosaur that was found frozen in the north. When he accidentally defrosts in Metropolis, Superman has to keep him from playing Godzilla with the citizens of the city over a decade early.
The great Gershwin brothers music is by far the best thing about the seventh Astaire-Rogers vehicle. There's some really nifty numbers, including Fred's dance in an Art Deco ship's boiler room to "Slap That Bass," the roller skating routine to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and the finale to the title song as Fred searches for the real Ginger among ladies wearing masks. As with most of the Fred/Ginger movies, the story is light as air, and the whole marriage thing gets a little complicated after a while. Fun for fans of Fred, Ginger, or 30s musicals, but newcomers will want to go to Top Hat or Swing Time first.
As it turned out, we got less than an inch of snow. It never stuck to the street at all, and the rest of it was half gone by the time I went to work. I think the coast got the worst of the weather this time - the storm was off-shore. The real problem here wasn't snow, but wind. The wind was heavy and very cold! It didn't make it easy getting to or from work.
My long 8-hour work day was on-and-off busy for most of the evening. Even the 4 to 6 rush hour was never more than steady. Most people may be waiting for closer to the beginning of the month. I spent the down times shelving candy. Other than some annoying customers, there were no major problems. It slowed down enough by 7 that I was able to get home with no major problems besides the still-heavy wind.
I ran a couple of the 40s Superman cartoons as I made Italian Breaded Chicken Sandwiches with braised Brussels sprouts for dinner. Superman saves Lois Lane when she's hot on the trail of "The Mechanical Monsters," robots who have been programmed to rob banks. "The Arctic Giant" is a massive dinosaur that was found frozen in the north. When he accidentally defrosts in Metropolis, Superman has to keep him from playing Godzilla with the citizens of the city over a decade early.
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