Sunday, November 03, 2019

Pumpkins and Eagles

Began the day with work. It was steady up through around 11, after which the lines got longer. It's the beginning of the month, right before a big Eagles game, and a gorgeous day to book. Once again, it was sunny, breezy, and chilly, likely in the mid-50's. I spent most of the day doing carts, even after another bagger arrived to help out, though I did round up the overflowing trash and recycling at one point.

I got called in for the last twenty minutes. While we were busy, the carts also still needed to be done. Not to mention, even after I turned off the light, people were still coming in my line. I had to leave it to a manager so I could get out on time.

Took the long way home down Nicholson Road to calm me down after what happened with the registers. It was a little busy down around the Audubon Crossings entrance, but once I got into Oaklyn, things were mostly quieter. Given I got off at noon, most people were probably at lunch.

Ate my own lunch, then put on the Fraggle Rock record I found yesterday. According to Wikipedia, this is the first of three Fraggle Rock soundtracks released. It may have been my best find yesterday. My sisters and I used to love this show when it was on HBO in the 1980's. My favorite Fraggles were fearless Red the athlete and ever-worrying Boober. Red gets to sing "Do It On My Own" as she tries to prove how tough she really is. Sweet artist Mokey gets the gentle ballad "Why?" as she wonders about pretty much everything.

Made the bed and changed the sheets while the record was on. It's gotten cold enough overnight that the spring/fall sheets are no longer enough. I pulled out the flannel sheets and my heavy magenta fleece blanket (which is very warm, but also tends to attract fuzzies).

It was past 1:30 when I finally finished with the bed and headed over to Dad and Jodie's. The game was in full swing when I arrived, and so was the crowd. Rose and Craig and their kids were there, as were Mark and Joya and Jessa and Midnight the puppy. Khai played with his iPad in front of the TV, while a delighted Finley chased Midnight around the living room and kitchen. Jodie made corned beef and cabbage for lunch, with Italian bread and butter to go with it. Even after Rose and her family left, TJ and his boyfriend and neighbors Matthew and Karen dropped by.

Jodie and Dad's neighbor Sandy was holding a big neighborhood "pumpkin chucking" contest on the hill behind their house. Jodie, Jess, Midnight, and I went to check it out during half-time. Parents and kids (including Savannah, Ryan, and their dad) threw tiny pumpkins at scarecrow and pumpkin-themed targets (and a human in an eagle costume) on the bottom of the hill. The kids would all scramble down and retrieve their pumpkins. The little guys loved Midnight! They all wanted to stop and pet and scratch him. I threw one pumpkin, but it went way too high, and I opted to watch instead until I got too cold and went in with Jess.

The Eagles game was just as good. They played well out of the gate, coming up 13-7 by the end of the first half. The Bears roared back to life in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough. The Eagles' offense simply outgunned them. They put in a last-minute field goal and won the game 22-14. Dad's other favorite team, the Miami Dolphins, played equally well against the wayward Jets and won 26-18.

Worked on writing when I got home. Gene reveals that he'd been lured into the woods by a beautiful woman who called herself Nimue. An angry Brett tells him it was her stepmother in disguise, hoping to get rid of him and his magic. The evil Queen Malade is a shapeshifter who strips magic and beauty from living beings, keeping her young for centuries. Richard admits that she'd also attempted to seduce his father...and killed him when he refused her advances. The trio of fairies offer them shelter for the night when Brett realizes how late it is.

Broke for dinner at 7. Made French toast with the bread from last week while listening to Call Me Madam. Ethel Merman was a Washington hostess who is assigned to bring aid to the tiny impoverished country of Litchenburg. She falls for the country's ambassador (Paul Lukas), while her assistant (Russell Nype) begins a romance with the princess of the land. Trouble is, Merman worked for one company, but another owned the rights to the show. Dinah Shore took her place on the actual cast album...but there's no replacement for Merman. I listened to the original cast album chorus numbers, including the adorable "It's a Lovely Day Today," and to an admittedly nice version of "Marrying for Love" that included Shore and Lukas. Merman's best moment was the standard "You're Just In Love" with Dick Haymes.

Finished the night with the soundtrack for The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. This unusual live-action tale from Disney focuses on a family of performers who move to Dakota Territory, just in time for the contested election of 1888 between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Grandpa's (Walter Brennan) devotion to Cleveland and the Democrats may end up coming between daughter Alice (Leslie Ann Warren) and her Republican beau (John Davidson). There's some decent Sherman Brothers music here, notably two rousing chorus numbers, "Ten Feet Off the Ground" for the Family Band and "West O' the Wide Missouri" for the town during the Election Day party. Warren and Davidson also get a nice duet, "'Bout Time," as they discuss their wedding plans.

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