I had my tires rotated at Just Tires, and it was done before I even realized that they’d taken my car into the bay. I was deeply engrossed in the redesign of my home page, which I’m doing in Dreamweaver.
After that, I stopped by Target, where I bought: household cleaning products (Tilex and OxyClean), three boxes of holiday cards each marked 75% off, and DVDs (on which to duplicate a family video, and on which to store digital photos).
From there, I ran down the street to Borders, where I returned a CD that I bought about a week ago to use up a gift card. I spent half the money I got back for it on a card, a postcard, and two small, plastic containers of Christmas Chocolate-Coated Sunflower Seeds marked 50% off.
Before heading back to Raleigh from Cary, I stopped by Lowes Home Improvement, where I found 4s—and 3s and 2s and 5s and 7s.
My next stop was at the Avent Ferry Post Office, about which I’ve bragged before, but with which the transaction I took care of today I was not “delighted.”
Those of you who know me well, know that I’m an “organized” person, and I like things done “critically”—in other words, I’m a “draw-inside-the-lines” sort of person. I handed the clerk the bubble-wrap mailer with my two sunflower seed containers in it, and asked, “How much will this be for 1st class, please?”
“Okay,” I said about the $2.41 amount, expecting him to print out one of those stamp labels with the amount printed on it. Instead, he opened what I guess was his “stamp leftover drawer,” and he did this to my package:
Needless to say, had I stamped this envelope: First of all, all of the stamps would have been face up and touching each other—preferably with all the little teeth interlocked with each other so as not to expose the envelope underneath. Second of all, I do think that I probably would have grouped all the holiday stamps together first, following them with the others in order of their value, most expensive first down to the least expensive.
But that’s just me.
My final “errand stop” was at the Mission Valley Blockbuster, where I returned Queens and Walking the Line.
On my way to Helios, I called Jeanie-baby to ask her about visiting her at the end of this month—the weekend of January 25-27. She was a little under the weather, as were a lot of her fellow assisted-living residents and a few of the staff, but she definitely perked up with the news of my intended visit and she said, “I so look forward to your visit, and I’ll do everything between now and then to get, and stay, healthy.”
On Boylan Avenue, I was reminded of what Robert has sometimes referred to as my “charmed life.”
As I was approaching the little driveway at which I turn into Helios, a black cat started to cross the road in front of me. I slowed down to let it pass, but it came to a complete stop, let me pass in front of it, and then crossed the road behind me.
At Helios, I worked all afternoon on my home page redesign.
I received a most-heartwarming e-mail from my cousin today about the photo calendar I sent her for Christmas. Lots of affirmations in it. We’re going to try and see each other that weekend I visit Jeane. Jeane’s in N. Agusta, SC, and my cousin is in Atlanta.
Joe arrived at Helios at 7:00, and we rode up the street and had dinner at Moe-Joe’s, where we had the worst customer service we’ve ever had there. My “Inferno Burger” was delicious, however.
From there, we went to Flex, where we played about three games of free pool before the “regular, serious” pool players arrived, and to whom we gave up the table.
In the continuing theme of customer service (that sucks), it was freezing in that place tonight, and when Joe said to Brigner (the manager), “A lot of people think it’s cold in here tonight,” he replied, “I’m not cold.”
Tonight was “120 Minutes” night, which is not one of our favorite things. By 10:30, we were both ready to go home, and Joe did just that.
I went over to give Sean and Dave a hug, where I received a cologne transfer from Sean. I hate that!
I decided to have “one more drink,” and Rob (the financial planner), Paul (the ex-republican), and I got to laughing so hard about my comment:
“You might be gay if… you have a pile of cigarette ashes on your shoulder,” (with attribution to Robert for introducing me to the concept), that Paul said, “Oh my god; my cheeks hurt from laughing.”
Of course, I was instantly reminded of Bill from line-dancing, who has used that line more than once when he and I have had our laughing fits.
Before leaving, I played a few games of Word Dojo with Phil and Joe.