Stressed Out

Started another beautiful day with this week's American Top 40. I would have been about six months old in early September 1979, when these songs were new. Among the hits were "The Main Event" by Barbra Streisand from the movie of that title, "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick, "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band, "Lonesome Loser" by the Little River Band, "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer, "Sail On" by the Commodores, "Suspicions" by Eddie Rabbit, "Let's Go" by The Cars, "Sad Eyes" by Robert John, and "Mama Can't Buy You Love" by Elton John.

The top song of that week wound up being the year's biggest hit. Despite the album covers with them posed like the Beatles and the smash success of their single "My Sharona," the Knack would prove to be far shorter-lived - this was their only major hit.

Though I had to work relatively early today, I did have enough time to get a farm market run in. I'm glad I did. The place was packed when I arrived with people buying food for parties and barbecues, probably making up for the messy and hot weather last week. The arrival of fall was indicated by the first winter squash, pumpkins, and decorative gourds of the week. I stuck to the summer produce - white peaches, tiny Gala apples, a mini-watermelon that looked like a heavy green-striped beach ball, Chinese beans, zucchini, a tomato.

I rushed off to work at 11. We were busy the entire afternoon. In addition to the barbecues and parties that people couldn't hold last week because of the weather, most kids go back to school full-time this week, people are still using their beginning-of-the-month money, and we're in the midst of the Jewish New Year. Not to mention we're giving out those stickers for the Rachel Ray Dinnerware promotion.

I was so stressed. Everything seemed to go wrong. People were mostly nice about it, but one lady got upset when all the coupons for those Sierra Mists with the 75 cent coupons brought her order to five dollars instead of one dollar. She must have bought thirty bottles of soda! She should have been happy to get it for that price. I tried to apologize because she was so angry, but she said I wasn't sorry, paid her money, and flounced off. I wish people would listen, instead of having a fit.

At least the party food was good. While it wasn't as big as the Christmas blow-out we usually have, there was still plenty to enjoy. I sampled a pulled chicken sandwich, a spicy macaroni and cheese casserole, a tomato and mozzarella salad, mini-pretzels topped with softened Rolos and a candy corn, and decadent peanut butter fudge brownies. I did notice almost no one seemed to want my Lime Mini-Cupcakes...

When I finally turned over my line to the college girl around 5PM, I went straight home. My stomach was in knots. My knees were sore. My heel spur hurt like hell. I went straight in the bath when I got in and stayed in the bath for over an hour. It felt so nice. The warm water was really soothing for my poor legs and feet.

I don't know how I'm going to survive a whole week of this. I work literally through the week - I don't have a day off until next Saturday! Everyone keeps telling me to try to balance my life. How can I balance my life if I have to work through it? I feel so trapped. My stomach is still in knots, even after the bath and the peanut butter and apricot sandwich and the white peach I had for dinner.