Bus observations, a stamp d’oh, some time with Kevin, and dinner w/Joe…

A woman got on the bus this morning on Gorman Street, on just the other side of Western Blvd, and I’m not saying that her boot heels were quite at the sharpness of stilettos, but she had cleanly pierced a leaf that had become an unflattering, unbeknowst to her, part of her outfit—not unlike some trailing toilet paper. I’m just saying…


I had the biggest “D’oh” moment at the post office this morning. I went in with four holiday cards that were bound for various overseas destinations: one for Calgary, Canada; one for Alberta, Canada; one for Brussels; and one for Australia.

“I need first class postage for these, please,” I said.

The postal clerk handed me two of the same stamps ($.72 each) for the Canada cards, and then two of the same kind ($.94) for the Brussels and Australia ones.

Of course I was fine with the two stamps for Canada being alike, but when I saw that the other two were also alike, I said, “Oh, those are for two different countries.”

“Yes,” he said, “It’s the same stamp for both of those.”

I just couldn’t believe that Brussels and Australia used the same stamps. It wasn’t until I was outside that it occurred to me that it was the price that mattered. It costs the same to send a first class letter to Brussels as it does to Australia.

I was stuck in this paradigm of thinking that the stamp was from the country I was mailing the card to, for some bewildering reason. I was thinking, “How in the word can they use the same stamps in Brussels that they use in Australia? Those countries aren’t connected in any way that I know of.”

As I said, “D’oh.”


I stopped by Bruegger’s this morning, where I got cup of coffee and a Pumpernickel Bagel with Egg and Swiss Cheese, which was most delicious.


I did some editing work today for our organization’s Standard Operating Procedures document, and I devised a “Happy Holidays” blurb for the home page of our organization’s website.

I got the go-ahead to leave work at 12:30, and I hopped the bus home, where I picked up my car and drove down to Helios to meet Kevin (av8rdude), who was killing some time until picking his mom up at the airport at around 4:00.

It was nice to have some alone time with him to catch up. He gave me $40 in iTunes gift cards for Christmas!


I met Joe for dinner at Macaroni Grill in Cary, where after a delicious dinner, we exchanged gifts. I got him a $100 gift certificate to Kohl’s, that much mostly because he always goes ridiculously overboard buying me Christmas gifts.

He got me a laser mouse, $25 in iTunes gift cards, and some Lindts cookies and cream chocolate balls.


I got to Flex at about 10:30 for Tuesday night Karaoke. It was very crowded in there for a Tuesday night, that’s for sure.

That annoying diarrhea-of-the-mouth Chas was the host(ess). Every person that said anything about her included, “She talks too damn much,” or “It wouldn’t be bad that she talks so much if she was funny.”

I met a nice guy named Tim, who was waiting for his friend Kevin, whom when he showed up I recognized, but didn’t know his name. Tim grew up as a military brat. His dad retired a Sgt. Major, like mine, and he lived most of his time growing up at Cherry Point, where my dad was actually stationed for a couple of years. Tim knew where my house at Cherry Point was at 9 Alexander Drive. 🙂

The bartender, Richard, gave me a free bottle of water at the end of the night, and I gave him a $10 tip. Happy Holidays.

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