Barbecue Bliss

The storms took a breather today. I awoke to sunshine, pale blue skies, beautiful breezes, and temperatures as perfect as they're going to get in early July in southern New Jersey. It was so nice, I turned the air conditioner and fans off for the first time in days.

Switched on this week's American Top 40 re-run during breakfast and as I wrote in my journal. The charts during July of 1985 were almost as hot as this week's weather. Among the hits from this era were Bryan Adams' "Heaven," Journey's "The Search Is Over," Cyndi Lauper's "Good Enough" (from a favorite childhood movie of mine, The Goonies), Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days," and Prince and the Revolution's "Raspberry Beret."

For once, the number one hit of the week was just as good - the title song of the very weird James Bond film that came out that year, Roger Moore's last, "A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran.

Since I didn't need to go to the bank today, I got a slightly later start than usual. I did a lot of riding around. July and August are slow months for yard sales. I hit one on West Holly in Oaklyn and one in Collingswood. I found a cute Roo-and-Kanga stuffed pair who would go nicely with my Poohs and Eeyore on the children's shelf after a washing machine bath in Oaklyn; nothing of interest in Collingswood.

Had a bit more luck at the Farm Market. Not surprisingly, on a gorgeous weekend when many people have barbecues and graduation parties planned, it was packed there. I saw the first nectarines and Italian peppers of the year; a woman told another customer that watermelon will be out next week. For my own part, I picked up honey, a small white eggplant, tiny plums, peaches, a red onion, blackberries, blueberries, fresh organic mint (complete with long, pretty lavender flowers), two yellow squashes, and a tomato.

When I got home, I put everything away and checked on the computer. Thankfully, shutting it down and restarting it seems to have cleared whatever happened last night. It's given me no more trouble.

It was so nice this morning, I baked blackberry muffins when I got off the computer. I got the recipe from that muffin and biscuit cookbook Jen Payne gave me for Christmas a few years ago. Yum! It came out very well, moist and tart and just sweet enough.

Headed to work a little early today, partially to avoid yesterday's tardiness problems. Mostly, I just wanted to deposit my change in the Coinstar counter machine. My change was almost to the top of the little container I keep it in. I got almost twenty dollars out of that little container, thanks to all the leftover quarters from the laundromat.

Work was pretty decent. There were some mildly annoying customers with bagging issues; otherwise, it was steady but not too busy, and I was in and out quickly.

Went out to dinner after leaving the Acme. A new barbecue restaurant, Basset's, replaced Fat Jack's in the mall behind work. They were in the same place and even used most of the same furniture and equipment, but the menu on the wall was more fast-food-like, the prices were lower, and there were cowboy hats, acoustic guitars, and vintage rock, country, and soul records tacked on the walls. (You could see the push-pins they used on the records quite easily.)

I ordered a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a small side of slaw and a bottle of water. I'm glad I nixed the fries that originally came with the "meal" order. The sandwich was huge, and the plastic container the slaw was in wasn't all that small, either.

They were also awesome. The grilled chicken tasted fresh off of someone's grill. The slaw had real celery seeds and just a hint of salad dressing sweetness. I made quick work of the sandwich (despite half of it ending up in my basket), but it really filled me up, and I eventually took most of the slaw home (along with the water).

Stopped at the Acme on my way back to do this week's grocery shopping. (I worked too late to do it last night.) I needed to restock Oatmeal Squares, oatmeal, eggs, graham crackers (one of my go-to cookies when it's too hot to bake), and chicken. Stew meat was finally on a decent sale, and I used a coupon to get two Pam cooking sprays.