United We Get Wet

First of all, "Welcome to the Hotel California" will be up sometime this weekend. It definitely won't be up tonight. I've had a loooong day, which I will explain below.

Second, Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers!

Third, I hope your Fourth was much drier than mine. I did go to work early this morning, around 7:30. This is not the earliest I've worked (that would be the day after the Fourth of July 2003 in Wildwood - I opened the store at 6AM and have not opened any store since), but it still took a lot out of me. I wish I was used to it, but I'm not. I usually work later in the afternoon.

Work was busy but relatively pleasant except for one incident. A woman wanted to buy two 24 packs of water this morning, but she thought they were $2.50. No matter how much I tried to explain it was the 6 packs that were $2.50, she wouldn't listen...and then when she did listen and opt to take Acme's generic water, they were STILL too expensive for her...on sale! One of nature's natural resources, something she could get out of a tap, and she made all that fuss!

My afternoon was much quieter. I went home, had lunch, rested, did yoga, and went over to my older friend Erica's, since she seemed to be the only person I knew who wasn't on vacation or at a party. She'd just returned from vacation; we chatted, played with her cat Honey, and watched the 1942 Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy romantic comedy "Woman of the Year." (Now that's romantic comedy done RIGHT!)

She invited me over to her friend's house, but I declined. I like Mary Anne, but I was worried I'd feel awkward among Erica's older friends. I'd be the only 30-something there. I went out to the Newton Diner and had half a burger and fries instead.

I did go to the fireworks in Cooper River Park on my own. I had a splendid view from in front of the CVS on the border of Collingswood and Oaklyn. Heck, I actually got to see 1 and 1/2 fireworks shows, not something many people who didn't flip around on TV tonight can claim. I watched the whole Oaklyn/Collingswood show, then watched some of Haddon Township's fireworks in the distance before heading into CVS to buy a copy of this month's Rolling Stone (there's extensive articles on rock history and the 1967 "Summer Of Love") and heading home.

Unfortunately, I got caught in the rain for the third time today walking home...this time in a downpour. Every single article of clothing on my body was sopping wet when I finally got into my apartment, even my undergarments. I was lucky I got home when I did, too - not only does it still appear to be pouring out there, but the wind's picked up, too.