And It Just Keeps Getting Better

More rain last night, and today started off all chilly and overcast, which as those of you folks almost anywhere in these United States can imagine, was quite a relief. I was in and out of the Driver's License office in not much more than an hour. Plus, I saw they had an ARC Thrift Shop next door, which the local paper had informed me was having a 99-cent clothing sale. Since a mysterious gash had appeared in the knee of my comfortable old khakis, and the fabric of the new khakhi-colored slacks I bought always seems to make me sweat uncomfortably, I was able to pick up some khakis and khaki-colored jeans to replace or supplement them. (Dockers! Bugle Boy! Eddie Bauer!) I stopped at Albertson's on the way back to the office to pick up some cash and found Pop Tarts on sale. There are better sales at Safeway, but I'm waiting until this weekend, when there's a Grand Opening on Circle Drive with 10% off everything, free eats, and a portable DVD player giveaway.

And tomorrow, we have our Safety Luncheon at the office. Not sure when we'll get another of those, since one of our guys recently managed to get rear-ended by the shuttle van at the rental lot.

On the other hand, the fuel light started giving me that look on the way back, and when I stopped at the 7-11 the pump obstinately refused to comprehend my card, and I had to wait while an impossibly long truck tried to back off of the street which they do not, in fact, own. But in my current mood such trivialities escape my notice entirely.

Last night I saw Land of the Dead, a welcome return to form after Romero's disappointing Day of the Dead lo, these many years ago, which had some great ideas but unpleasantly shrill performances. Now George can afford real actors, not to mention elaborate sets and spiffy machinery. (And it's always good to see one of my favorite unsung players, Robert Joy.) The old mindless shambling zombies don't cut it anymore; 28 Days Later and the remake of Dawn upped the ante by making their monsters fast but just as stupid. Instead, Romero's are getting smarter--and, in unsettling ways, more human.