The GGA Project -- Day #102 "This Magic Moment"

I'll start by admitting this will surely be one of the dorkiest GGA write-ups of all.  I can already declare that confidently.  See, because I meant to participate in this activity and report about it in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way.  But ultimately I got caught up in the hustle and bustle and whirlwind joy of


Today's New Activity: Attending the Opening of the New Neighborhood Safeway


Oh my God.  Just look at it there on paper, threatening to strip me of any semblance of cool I'd manage to feign all this time.  It wasn't the attending that made me a super dork.  I could have just happened to be out and about and in need of some bananas at just the right moment.  But my being there didn't happen like that at all.  No.  My Mom and I planned to be there today.  And even at that I thought I'd just be going along for the ride, for something to do on this rainy day.


Turns out I got all excited when I got there and was just in awe of the clean, well-stocked spectacle.  There must have been 150 employees on hand to manage the onslaught of excited neighbors.  And every aisle was full of people proclaiming, out loud, their joy at the opening of this sparkling new location (badly needed since the other two nearby Safeways are always overcrowded).  Also, I'm sure it was just something to talk about apart from the neighborhood speeders.


And in even greater dork splendor, I took pictures, specifically for the purposes of sharing the experience with you.  Here goes:

What I was marveling at in taking all these pictures was not only the volume and waxed-up shininess of the produce, but the incredible stocking job they did.  I just didn't understand (because I've worked retail store openings before and know how these things generally go) how it was they managed to have every last item slot stocked...and not just stocked, but SUPER stocked, with everything full and perfectly aligned.  It would be the shock of the century if it stayed that way.  I'm telling you though, it was something to behold and stand in awe of for the moment :)

Monkey got in the joyful spirit too, waving over and over again at his image on the screen meant to deter sticky fingered-bandits in the alcohol aisle.

All this dorky hubbub reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?.  In the scene, the entire population of the movie's po-dunk town is attending the opening of the "cutting edge" Burger Barn, a tiny hut of a restaurant that arrived on the back of a truck.  The best part, if you listen, is the town's high school band, playing "This Magic Moment."  I couldn't find a Youtube clip, but it's worth seeking out of your own if you haven't seen it, if only so you can feel a tiny fraction of the thrill I felt today.  :P