It Keeps You Runnin'

Not a great day, but I did get some things done. The thrift shop wasn't open when I arrived there at ten after 10. I hung around in the Collingswood Library for over an hour, just reading books on musicals and movies. (They have a fairly large - if older - collection of books on the theater, movies, and television.) When I finally made it back to the thrift shop, it was open and Erica was there. She'd overslept and was fifteen minutes late opening the store...and didn't really need me anyway. It would have been nice if she'd called me last night and told me that.

Scott was no help, either. I told him everything that's been going on - with Uncle Ken being sick, with my money problems, with the computer virus, with gaining weight and feeling fat, with work - and all he said was to wait for my tax return. Great, but that won't come until the end of next month or the beginning of March. What am I supposed to do in the meantime?

I had enough money left after counseling (I paid half of it with what little I had left in the bank and the other half with some of the money I had on me) to buy a cheap slice of pizza at Cafe Antonio's II on the end of the Haddon Avenue Shopping District, a few blocks down from PNC and Bank of America and contact solution at Walgreens. I looked at their WCares WebKinz when I was there, but alas, all they had were Lil'Kinz Tigers and Lil'Kinz Yorkies. I have a Lil'Kinz Tiger, and the Yorkies are rather silly-looking poofy little dogs with a big pink stripe on their back and a ribbon in their fur. No thank you.

Things went better at the Haddon Township Library, my first time volunteering there in over two weeks. They gave me a lovely little flashlight for my volunteer Christmas gift. (I have two, but you can never have too many flashlights.) I organized the childrens' DVDs and helped many children find things to watch. One little girl wanted Angelina Ballerina. Another girl opted for Strawberry Shortcake, and her older sister seemed pleased with That's So Suite Life Disney crossover DVD I showed her. A boy wanted Vegetales; a younger one chose Scooby Doo.

I had enough money to treat myself to something I'd wanted for a while on my way home. I didn't find what I was looking for at Super Fresh (which was cake mix and peanut butter on sale), but I did pick up an American Girls book, Really Truly Ruthie. This is the book that comes with the new Ruthie doll. Ruthie is Kit Kitteridge's best friend, a sweet-natured, very girly girl who loves fairy tales, fantasy, princesses, and happy endings. Ruthie, tired of being underestimated by Kit, her family, and everyone who knows her, becomes determined to find a way to help her friend when she discovers that their eviction date is closer than they originally thought. Though my best friend Lauren is a tomboy who prefers ninja turtles to princesses, Lauren reminds me a lot of her. She's just as courageous, kind-hearted, and generous.

It was around quarter after 5 when I got home, but I still wanted to get the tree down. I rushed around, taking down ornaments and putting on soup for dinner. It was probably just as well that I'd forgotten to take something out. I wouldn't have had the time to cook it anyway. When all was said and done, though, I managed to get the ornaments back in their boxes, the boxes in the plastic bin, the tree back in its box, and returned bin and box to the back room. Tomorrow, I'll hopefully be able to put away the garlands and the remaining Christmas items after Yogawood.