A Winning Evening

Last night Mr. Boss came in to relieve me at 4:30 so I could zoom home to pick up Durwood and go to the Baylanders Barbershop cabaret.  They have a chicken dinner buffet (great broasted [quick-fried in a pressure cooker] chicken) with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, a few salads (coleslaw, my fave), cranberry sauce (much better than what I tried to serve the other night), rolls & butter, and bars for dessert.

Then there's 4-part singing by the chorus and a few quartets.  In between sets they bring up the lights and draw for door prizes and, since the night's a fundraiser for music programs in the schools, they sell raffle tickets throughout the evening.   The door prizes are kind of odd, a mix of slightly off-beat donations and stuff you want.  They called Durwood's name and here's what he won: a gallon of windshield washer solvent, 2 rolls of shop towels, and a $10 gift card from Sammy's Pizza.  Now the washer solvent and the towels are useful but the gift card's a real prize.  Sammy's makes great pizza and we hardly ever go.  We were thrilled. 

Some of the prizes were shop towels and a bottle of booze, not bad, but not Sammy's. The last prize intermission is for the 5 big raffle prizes.  We bought our 6-for-$5 tickets early and resisted buying more despite the blandishments and cajoling of random chorus members, but I didn't hold out much hope since we'd already won something and had never won any of the big stuff.  They handed out a couple of the prizes (I don't remember what they were) and then they announced the next one was a $50 Fleet Farm gift card.  I wanted that one so I crossed my fingers and stared hard at our ticket numbers.  The emcee called out, "3-6-3-dramatic pause-2-6-5."  We won!  There it was, right in the middle of the strip, 363265!  Both fists popped into the air and I woohoo-ed, which is what they told us to do if we won but most

people were too shy to do it.  Not me, I hooted and smiled and profusely thanked the guy who delivered the gift card.  (coincidentally he'd been one of the ones trying to sell us more tickets but I told him I already had the winning one, and I did!)  It was a fun evening, we had good, Wisconsin buffet-type food, good entertainment (some of it we got to sing along with), and excellent prizes to take home and chuckle over.  The birdies are going to eat well this winter because Fleet Farm's where I buy my birdseed these days.

I saw a peek of blue sky this morning, not a lot, but a little proof that the sky's still up there.  The nasturtiums are still blooming away and the sedum is blooming too so life hasn't totally fled.  Yesterday Durwood noticed the first junco at the feeders.  Juncos live way up in the arctic in summer and come down to Wisconsin where it's warm (not!) for the winter, so when we see the first one we know winter's on the way and when the last one leaves we know summer can't be far behind.  Plus the hawk likes juncos, evidently they're a bit easier to catch.  Hey, raptors have to eat too.

October 18--Turkey, Belt with Powder Measure and Primer.  The cord lay coiled in a yellowed sheet of newsprint tucked at the bottom of the box.  Sadie smoothed the paper out and tilted it toward the attic window.  It was dated March 27, 1935.  There were ads for liver pills and stories about who was visiting Victorville from other towns.  One column was devoted to a rapturous description of a bridal gown and the couple's honeymoon destination.  Sadie untangled the silver gilt powder horn and what she assumed were ceremonial shooting accessories and tried to figure out a way she could fashion the coral beads and silver fittings into jewelry.

Okey-dokey.  Now that I've gotten the feeders filled, some sweaters and warmer socks brought up from the basement, and crowed to you about winning those cool prizes I need to go get dressed because I get to work today.  I hardly ever have to work on Saturday but I do today.  Just think of the big paycheck I'll be getting.  Can I get a woohoo?  Talk to you tomorrow.
--Barbara