Blues In the Day

I awoke to dark skies and blustery but slightly warmer temperatures. Ran A Broadway Christmas while making Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast. I found this CD at the ARC thrift shop in Rio Grande a few months before I moved in late fall 2005 and have loved it ever since. Favorites include the lovely "Christmas Eve" which was cut from She Loves Me, the gentle "Christmas Gifts" from a stage musical version of It's a Wonderful Life, the touching "I Thank You For Your Love" from something called The Mummer's Play, and the previously unpublished Irving Berlin number "The Happy New Year's Blues." Of the better-known songs, I love the 80s-pop-ish version of "Turkey Lurkey Time" from Promises Promises (which is a lot more fun than the slower one on the cast album!) and a really nice take on "Hard Candy Christmas."

I wish I'd stayed with the Christmas music. Work was crazy again almost the entire afternoon, and for the same reason - still not enough help, especially managers. Most people took it pretty well, but some were still in bad moods. Two women put back their entire order they discovered that not only did that free turkey coupon end Thursday, but the coupon was required - and it only came in the mail. You had to spend 100 dollars AND use the coupon. It didn't just come off if you spent 100 dollars. They were only buying the order to get the turkey. That makes no sense whatsoever. You buy the order because you need food. The turkey is supposed to be a nice bonus.

It was so busy, the guy who was working self-checkout had to go in for me, and I barely got out on time. I went home, changed into regular pants (I was already wearing my Eagles jersey for work), wrote off my rent check really fast for Miss Willa and Richard, delivered it to their mailbox, and headed back out. Dad was having a late football party for the big Packers-Eagles game.

It was a lot busier than the last time I made it to a football party. In addition to Jodie, Dad, Vanessa, and Mark (Mark is a big Packers fan), several neighbors were there, along with Jodie's son's girlfriend Dana and their cocker spaniel Helio. Khai was playing in the yard with Helio and Dana when I arrived. My sister Rose came later - she was making a grocery store run. (I saw Dana at the Acme earlier as well, along with Jessa and Joe.)

There was tons of food. Jodie's birthday was yesterday, so we got to have the leftovers from her party. When I came in, there were meatballs and sausage, two kinds of pasta salad, cole slaw, water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, tasty little cream puffs, apple cake with raspberry frosting, and the last of Jodie's chocolate birthday cake. Jodie pulled out baked ziti and stuffed mushrooms a bit later.

I wish the game was as nice as the company. The Eagles played terrible today. I don't know what got into Mark Sanchez. He had four interceptions, and that was the least of his troubles. The Packers finally flattened them 53-20.

I went home just as the halftime show was ending, around 6:30. I was full, Rose and Khai were about to leave as well, and I was tired of listening to Dad complain about the game. I rode home in a steady but fairly light shower. When I got in, I met Miss Willa at her door before going to my place. I was able to give her the rent, and I signed a few more papers for her.

I also confirmed some holiday plans with Rose. Yes, we're still going down to Mom's for Thanksgiving, probably around 10 again. No, she's not having the Christmas party. It's just too much with her current workload as a novice lawyer. Dad and Jodie will have Christmas breakfast at their house. I may just spend the rest of the day at my apartment, watching movies - it worked pretty well last year.