I did a lot of running around today:
- I bought 85 non-religious holiday stamps at the post office and stamped my 72 pieces of mail with them.
- I rode to Target to pick up my pictures, print two 8x10s and four 5x7s, and to buy four picture frames and two photo albums. I picked up my pics and got the photo albums, but their 8×10 printer was out of order, so I had to go to another Target.
- While over at Crossroads, I stopped at the Lowes to get a gift certificate, and the cutest girl was working the register I went to. She looked a little like Ellen, was chewing gum actually (which normally doesn’t work for me in a customer service position), and just had this very confident demeanor about herself.
I really liked the way in which she said hello to each customer. After she said it to me, I said, “You are adorable.” She frowned a little and said, “What was that?” I repeated, “You’re just adorable.”
She got the biggest smile on her face, and said, “Oh man, you have just made my day. And I wasn’t having a good day either. Thank you.” And then after a few seconds, she added, “I think I blushed.”
“You did,” I said. “It made you even cuter.”
She handed me my receipt, and said, “Thank you so much. You really have made my day.” She was still smiling when I walked out of the place and lost sight of her.
- I went to the Target at North Hills, where a man with an attitude was working the photo section. I asked him if the 8×10 photo printer was working as I stood in front of the kiosk to start the order.
“Yes, but you can print them yourself right there,” he said pointing to the copy machine-like contraption to the right of the kiosk I was about to use. (Which by the way had someone with photos spread out all over it and was saying things like, “Do you like this one?” to her friend.)
“Well, I’d rather you do them,” I said, and after a pause and a face that said he’d rather otherwise, he said, “Yes, they’re both working,” meaning the printer in that machine and the one he’d have to use, I guess.
I’m quite certain it was no accident that when I went back at the time indicated on my receipt that they’d be ready, they weren’t. Scrooge.
- While I waited, I got a hot pretzel at the concession area, and when the lady rang it up, she said, “Would you like a drink with that for two extra cents?” “Two?” I asked incredulously, thinking I must have not heard her correctly. “Yes, two cents,” she replied. “Well even I think that’s a bargain that you can’t refuse. Yes, please.”
- Since I had an hour to kill before my promised picture delivery (at which point I had no idea was fiction), I went up to take a look around North Hills. I’ve never been to this “new” shopping center, which has probably been open for years now. I stepped into a store I’d never heard of before, Plow & Hearth, where I actually ended up buying two gifts for my friend Joe. Who knew?
- When I got back to Target, I still had about 30 minutes until that fake promise time, so I used the time to load the 58 4×6 pictures into those two photo albums I’d bought at the other Target.
And I’m glad I did, as one of them had a defect—one of the two binder rings didn’t close all the way, and the sleeves kept coming out every time you turned them. Annoying. I took it over to customer service and was pleased to find they had a couple at this Target, too, so I just swapped it out.
- At the promised time, I went to check on my photos, and that’s when I found out that the Grinch of Christmas Present was two hours behind. I left them my phone number to call me when they were ready.
Okay, it’s the end of the semester—you know the time everyone is frantically checking their grades? The “View My Grades” function of the “new and improved” MyPack Portal installed this semester has been down for over five hours now. Don’t get me started. Too late.
I arrived at Myra’s at just after seven, and we had some good food and good company tonight! James did a killer job cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, Myra made a yummy, yummy cheese dip to go with some Tostitos, some of those killer bacon-shrimp-cream cheese wraps, and a most delicious banana pudding for dessert. Me, Alissa, and Mark devoured as much of all of it as we could!
At one point, I said to everyone: “I have two questions: 1) Has anyone ever heard of the store named Plow & Hearth?” No one had. “2) What does it mean? How are these two thing related?”
Myra pointed out that it would be very tough question on one of those analogy tests, which is exactly what I was trying to articulate.
A plow is to a hearth as a ________ is to a _________. Let’s see. A plow is to a hearth as a grape is to a snowflake? It’s senseless.
The party was a ton of work on Myra’s part (and James’, I imagine), and I appreciate the thought (as this was a goodbye and than you sort of party from when I worked with these guys) in the midst of everything going on at this time of year. Good people.
I was going to go out, but decided to stop by my house first, and that was that.
I completed my online order to print some more photos at Target, so I can just pick them up tomorrow when I’m there getting my 8x10s and 5x7s, which are now ready.
I snuggled into the bed at just after 11:00, and read some of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. Luxurious.