Making a Living

Got an early start today; barely headed out on time after gulping my breakfast. Good thing both Pikes were pretty quiet at 8:30. Managed to duck in under the wire. 

Which proved to be a good thing. We were busy almost the entire day. Not only is it the first major holiday in two months, but a lot of people just got beginning-of-the-month money, and most kids in South Jersey return to school tomorrow. What a mess! I have such a hard time explaining things like how to use their online rewards apps and 

They did pull me at one point about an hour before my break to help with the carts. They were emptying faster than the one bagger could keep up with them. At least the weather remained decent. It's humid, but not really that hot, and the sun was still out at that point.

Those clouds finally came in by the time I got off work. Managed to shut down despite the lines being long and dash home. The traffic still wasn't that bad, and while it remained killer humid, the clouds did damper down the heat.

Went straight upstairs when I got home and changed, Watched one of the new episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood that debuted today while I had a snack. "Daniel Goes to Day Camp," and while he is disappointed he can't be in the same group as his best buddy Prince Wednesday, he does enjoy his nature hike with Amira, her Autistic brother Max, O the Owl, and Katerina. Amira shows her charges how to make tie-dye t-shirts in a tent during a "Rainy Day at Camp."

Went down for a nap again after the cartoon ended. I know I should get to bed earlier, but I enjoy chatting with Lauren, too. I don't have much in the way of support right now. This time, I slept almost an hour and a half, and I still woke up tired.

Tried some writing after that. Re-wrote Brett rescuing the others. Turns out she doesn't need a feat of strength of strategy to do it. She simply needs to command the Red Guards to release her sons and the others. There's one Red Knight missing, though...

Broke for dinner at quarter of 7. Returned to Daniel Tiger as I ate and had an ice cream soda for dessert. Amira is "Daniel's New Babysitter." He's not sure about her at first, until she shows him how to tell stories on the beach by drawing them in the sand. "Daniel's Sleepover at the Treehouse" goes well for him and Katerina, but O isn't crazy about sleeping away from his cozy nest. The other two let him help put their stuffed animals to bed and read them a story to make him feel better.

Switched to Match Game '75 after dinner. Gene starts off by visiting Earl, the little man who is supposed to slide the Audience Match answers, when he misses his cue. The others have more luck tossing out answers for "__ Wire." 

Finished the night on YouTube with an It's a Living Labor Day marathon. Alas, that seems to be the only place you can catch the show at the moment...but they do have seasons 4 through 6, which never showed up at Tubi. Began with "Cassie's Punctured Romance" from the first season. Cassie (Ann Jillian) can't cook, but she agrees to make dinner to impress a handsome Venezuelan anyway. The other waitresses all come over to help her with the meal. Later, Lois (Susan Sullivan) is there for Cassie to cry on her shoulder when he leaves for his home country.

Broadway star Sheryl Lee Ralph replaced the cancer-stricken Jillian as the resident sexpot in season 4. Ginger St. James is looking forward to meeting a guy at the airport, but she, smarmy lounge singer Sonny (Paul Kreppel) and fellow waitresses Jan (Barrie Longfellow) and Dot (Gail Edwards) end up stuck on the roof when the door locks on them from the inside during "The Roof Show." Hostess Nancy (Marian Mercer), chef Howard (Richard Stahl), and Texas waitress Amy (Crystal Bernard) end up handling customers who aren't too happy with the lack of service.

Maggie McBurney (Louise Lasser) is in shock when a mugger steals her purse in the Bonaventure Hotel's parking lot in the second season episode "Of Mace and Men." The waitresses all learn to use pepper spray to defend themselves. Dot, however, is the one who actually catches the mugger. Not only is she embarrassed by the notoriety, but the mugger actually wants to sue her for damages.