What a Weird Kinda Day?

Okay, it started out normal with none of my numbers matching the Powerball Lotto numbers. I don’t know why I keep on trying, but who knows…Somebody’s got to win. And if you don’t play you can’t win.

After lunch I drove to pick up my son at his work and got caught in a short but heavy hail storm. All traffic came to a halt for a few moments. Got home to drop him off and the whole neighborhood was under police and ambulances and part of our road was blocked off by police cars. Three houses down a man, sitting in his car in his driveway, blew his head off with a shotgun. Yeoh! Made me think of that Beatles song “…/he blew his mind out in a car/…A crowd of people stood and stared/…”*

Just before 5:00 pm the internal shelter alarm at work went off because of a tornado warning. Everyone of course stopped what they were doing and calmly rushed to the shelter. Luckily nothing happened and we were “released” 10 minutes later. Outside it was pouring with rain and lightning was lighting up the sky like a Christmas tree.

After work I had to go and buy some groceries and while looking at the meat a “belated St. Nicolas” in a butcher’s uniform came along and re-prized several packages of meat. I’ve seen those bright orange stickers before and being an avid cook and always on the lookout for a good cut on a special prize, I checked it out. I had to look a couple of times because I couldn’t believe my eyes. You know that “Oh my gosh” kind of look. He marked down a pack of three Rib eye steaks, which usually sells for $9-10 per pound and which previously was marked for $20.45 for the pack to $4.89. I checked the sell by date and it was okay. Now, being a carnivore by nature and genes (veggies and fruit is by choice, but I also like them) I immediately picked up the pack, stupidly ask “St Nicolas” if this is the per packed or per pound price, and he said: “That’s my final answer.”

I heard the music go on in my head, I turned, smiled, put the meat in my cart, turned back to “St. Nicolas” and followed him all the way as he was re-prizing more packages. A pack of chicken drumsticks was previously $4.16 and I got it for 36 cents. Braised steaks were previously $7.19 per pack and I got it for $1.47. Whow! Except for one pack of meat I didn’t want, I picked up every pack of meat as soon as he re-prized it and put them in my cart. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. I didn’t get the Powerball, but I certainly got this jackpot.

Back home the kids were happy to dine on last night’s leftovers of penne and sweet basil and tomato marinara and I was too happy to comply. With the wife visiting family and friends in Cape Town and sightseeing in Mykonos on the West coast and who knows where she'll go (I hope she snap some photos for later posts on this blog) I happily dined on a glass or two of Merlot, several thick slices of well-aged Parmesan (they go so well together), followed by a green salad with marinated artichokes hearts, marinaded mushrooms, lot’s of crumbled goat’s cheese, mixed olives and a Greek vinaigrette.

All that must now still happen today is me getting to bed by 10 o’clock. Now that will be unusual and abnormal. But it’s unlikely to happen because I got a three month financial forecast and a monthly departmental report still ahead of me tonight.

But what a…different…kind of day! It felt so eventful and spontaneous.

* Lyrics: A Day In The Life by Lennon and McCartney.
Art: Spontaneous I and II by Lanie Loreth