Eye of the Hurricane

It was just cloudy and humid when I switched on this week's American Top 40 re-run this morning. The Top 40 went back to August 1980 this week. Hits from late summer of that year include "All Out of Love" by Air Supply, "More Love" by Kim Carnes, "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John, "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" by Billy Joel, and "Let My Love Open the Door" in a rare solo hit by Who member Pete Townsend. The number one song that week was one of the prettiest and most peaceful ballads of the early 80s, the lovely "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.

I made a quick run to the bank and the farm market while the weather was still decent. The bank wasn't busy; the farm market surprisingly was. I guess everyone else wanted to get their vegetables while the going was good, too. Didn't see grapes this time, but plums were out, so I picked up a pint of those. The small Ginger Gold apples I like were back, too. Also grabbed peaches, tomatoes, red potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, a squeeze bear container of blueberry honey, zucchini, an ear of corn, romaine lettuce, and some unusual, very long green and purple string beans - Chinese beans, I think someone called them.

Obviously, with the impending storm, there were no yard sales today. I went straight home. When I got in, I swept the porch, did things online, and dubbed more James Bond movies. On Her Majesty's Secret Service, from 1969, is an oddity in the series for several reasons. First and foremost, it's the only Bond role for Australian model George Lazemby. While he's not quite Connery's equal, he isn't bad, either. What makes this one of the best Bonds is the supporting cast. Diana Rigg as Italian contessa Bond woos (and marries) is the best "Bond Girl," and Telly Savalas is a matchless Blofeld. The ski and car chases sequences are some of the best in the entire series.

Diamonds are Forever came out two years later in 1971. Connery was back for one of the most bizarre films in a series known for strange plots. This has long been a favorite of mine, and even I can't quite figure out the full plot, other than it involves diamond smuggling, a reclusive millionaire, and a super-laser. Once again, it's the supporting characters who stand out, including Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as a pair of hitmen with unusual methods of doing in their victims and Jimmy Dean as the aforementioned millionaire. The ladies, however, are a disappointment after Rigg - Jill St. John is annoying, and her character comes off as little more than a bimbo.

(The other awesome thing about this one is the theme song, the best of the three Bond title songs Shirley Bassey performed.)

It started raining around 11:30. It rained on and off into the afternoon. I was hoping it would slow down again by 2:30. It didn't. I was working late and didn't really want to drag anyone out in the storm, so I just rode my bike to work and got very wet.

It may not have been worth the trouble. It was steady when I came in, busier than I figured it would be but nothing resembling the mob from yesterday. As it turned out, all of our closest competition - the Shop Rite in Bellmawr, the WaWa a few blocks from us on the Black Horse Pike, and the Wal Mart in the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center - closed early because of the storm. They may have done the right thing. By 9, we were so dead, the college kids (and one manager) were all crowded around some little electronic educational game for kids in an attempt to amuse themselves. No, we never closed. The Acme NEVER closes early. Everything outside was dragged in the store, including trash cans and all the carts that could be rounded up, but the store closed at 11 like always.

I got a phone call at quarter of 8. It was my sister Rose. Why didn't I call her or Dad when the weather got bad? Why did I ride my bike in a storm? Because I had no desire to drag anyone out in a hurricane. It's not fair to them. Rose insisted that she or Dad would take me home, and I wasn't in the mood to argue.

I did get out a few minutes early - not a great surprise, given the weather. Yes, the storm was going full-force when Dad arrived. We got wet just loading my bike into his car! Dad did drive me back to my place. I left the bike in his car. It's probably safer there anyway. I'm off tomorrow and wouldn't be needing it. I'll pick it up tomorrow afternoon, after the storm subsides.