SNOW FORECAST

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The forecast is calling for it and everybody is talking about it. Snow. A good day to go to the grocery store if you want to see a lot of people. The parking lot was full to where the only places left to park were down at the end by the Chinese take-out place. That's where I wanted a place. Needed to get some catfood at Food Lion and some other necessities. Then to the Chinese place for something to take home. I believe it does a body good to eat something that tastes so good it feels good going down and continues to feel good after it's been down awhile.



The fun thing about our Chinese restaurant is it could be in any Chinatown anywhere in the world, and anywhere in China. They talk in Chinese behind the counter. The sound system, a small stereo, very small, Asian small, plays a Chinese chanteuse who is probably a pop sensation in the Chinese language part of the world, which is substantial. 2 white middle class women were having a meal in there. One of them asked them to turn it down. I've seen so many Chinese films their language is familiar, though I can't make anything out. I know one word. Ha means Yes. Though if I were to say it, it would mean something else. Has to be said just right. Like you don't say yees for yes.



I imagine they like to watch Jackie Chan and Jet Li and a long list of Chinese movies. It's a big industry in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan. Some beautiful films are coming out of those places. Some extraordinarily awful ones are too. They seem to never get enough martial arts mayhem. There is also Zhang Zimou, director of fine works of contemporary art. There are several others making high quality film, which is possible because boxoffice is not the bottom line. Sometimes, in mainland China, a director will be banned from making a film for a couple of years, because he made China look bad or something that challenged the party line. They walk a thin line. We have our military censors who have to approve anything in a film with military in it, as well as party line. Hollywood self-censors. It's like they're the inmates and the guards. Good behavior.



Food Lion was bustling. It wasn't as bad at the registers as usual. So many people were in there, they had all the registers going. The only problem when it's busy is all these displays in the aisles that block the flow of traffic, make people stop and negotiate who's going to do what. They're a nuisance, but it's marketing strategy. When it gets in your way, you notice it. A grocery store is a marketing wonderland. A lot of people study marketing in depth. They write books and make computer programs. People are hired out of universities in the field of marketing to work a computer and fine tune down to pennies. I'm actually fascinated by the frequent changes of stock arrangements. Obvious marketing strategy when it's getting so frequent now that the people working there have a hard time keeping up with it as much as the customers. But I don't want to know about all those subtleties. I know enough as it is. Live in our American culture all your life and you become versed in advertising.



I'm one of the shoppers they understand. I go after what I go in there for, sometimes a basket full, sometimes just catfood. I don't even look at displays. Why would I want 10 of something I don't want when I can save a dollar getting 10? Instead of 8 or 3 or 1, or none. If I don't buy any, I save at least $15. I never understood how spending is saving. As many people as were in there today, I don't remember seeing anyone I knew.



The snow appears to be a certainty. Strangely, I bought 2 half gallons of buttermilk today. I never do that. It just came to me looking at the milk section I almost never go to, that I like buttermilk and haven't had any in many a year. I guess you could say that was an impulse purchase. It had a card on it that said 2 for whatever the amount was. I thought, yeah, I'll give that a go. I've forgotten what it tasted like. Pet. When I was a kid, Pet advertised a kid's show called the Big Top or something like that. I have a psychological affection for Pet dairy products. I didn't know that until today when I saw myself pick up 2 Pet half gallons. I remembered the Big Top and the kid ringmaster who dressed as a clown and had a red pingpong ball nose. They had things like Chinese circuses that were unforgettable, somebody bends over backwards and sticks their head up between their legs, or spins pie tins on a stick, does tricks with multiple rings.



It looks like the snow really is coming. Looks like it will start around noon tomorrow, Friday, and snow all night. A foot or so forecast. I don't doubt it. We'll soon see. It will be wonderful. I've noticed hearing tv weather every once in awhile and radio weather reports, they seem to be making the weather as sensational as possible now. I've got to where I tell my friends in Atlanta who want to come up here to their place and see a weather forecast on tv that sounds like it will be the snow of the century, to check with me. They make 2 inches of snow sound like the big blizzard we'll never forget. I don't like to hear that dramatic weather reporting. Maybe it makes better ratings and gets broadcast awards, but I'm glad I don't get pumped full of that.



After the snow plows do their thing, the Catfish will be behind a wall of snow waist high and I'll have to go at it with the snow shovel. I'm ready to hunker down for several days. As long as we have electricity, I'll be fine. Without electricity, it's panic time. I like getting snowed in. Like it a lot. I may go out from time to time and shovel my walkway to the road so it won't get so deep I have to punch through the snow every step. Snowed in, unfortunately, I'll have to miss the radio show. I don't even know if there will be radio Saturday morning after an all day and all night snow. Might be a wet snow too, as the day's high will be 32 for a few minutes in mid afternoon. It does look like a certainty there will be snow.