Till The Wind Rolls By

After a very late chat with my fellow WENN fans (thanks for the e-mail again, Linda!), I spent most of the morning sleeping. I did wake up in time to find that it was no day to be riding a bike. The wind was blowing fiercely, making the trees over my porch bend and creak. (I always know when the wind's blowing fiercely. I can hear the chimes on the house next door on windy days.) I first called my stepfather to wish him a happy birthday (it was yesterday), but he wasn't home. I switched on WOGL's "Brunch With the Beatles" show (love songs were the theme today) and called my biological father for a ride to work.

Work was crazy when I came in at 11:45, dead when I finished five hours later. A few annoying customers (including one fussy older woman who complained when I tried to bag her rotisserie chicken in double-plastic; she whined it was too hot when it really wasn't that bad), but the real problem was with the computers. Our credit card system acted weird all day. It ran slow on-and-off, would make people sign for debit cards, and wouldn't take gift cards at all. The gift card thing isn't good. Many people rely heavily on gift cards they've won in contests or school raffles to pay for their orders. (Which is why you should always bring two methods of payment whenever you do any kind of major shopping.)

I watched Till the Clouds Roll By while eating leftover Merlin's Magic Chicken, spinach salad, and wheat noodles. Clouds Roll By a biography of Jerome Kern. According to the Reel to Real featurette on the DVD, some incidents in the film (like the romantic way Kern met his wife Eva and his barely missing the doomed voyage of the Lustitania) really were taken from Kern's life, but two of the most important characters - the kindly, gruff arranger and his tempestuous daughter - were pure fiction.

Being a fan of musicals, one of the things I like about Clouds Roll By is how some of the songs in the film are seen in their original contexts, from the shows they first appeared in. The Marilyn Miller vehicle Sally, for instance, really did feature Miller as a dish-washing dreamer who becomes a Ziegfield star and introduced "Look For the Silver Lining". The later Miller vehicle Sunny really did have a circus setting and Miller singing "Who?" and "Do 'Ye Love Me?". All of the Show Boat songs in the opening are seen more-or-less as they would in the theater. Even Lucile Bremer and Van Johnson's delightful, energetic "I Won't Dance" duet has some basis in fact - the song was written for the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers version of the show Roberta. (A deleted scene also shows another true-to-life show performance. Kathryn Grayson and radio singer Johnny Johnston do two of the songs from the 1933 Kern operetta Music In the Air, which was partially set in a Tyrolean village, as we see in the sequence.)

On the other hand, despite some truly wonderful performances (check out Tony Martin's "All The Things You Are" and Lena Horne's "Why Was I Born?"), that finale is just way too much. Frank Sinatra may have liked "Ol' Man River" so much he concluded his later shows with it, but the younger, skinnier singer just looks silly singing it here. Evidently, with Kern having died during the filming, this was his way of paying tribute to him.

Workin' On the Register

I had a very, very long day. I worked 8 hours today, from 10AM to 6PM. I haven't had an 8-hour shift in months. I found out why I suddenly had a long shift from one of the younger managers (who normally doesn't work in the mornings at all) this morning - most of the regular morning and early afternoon people attended a party for one of the managers and weren't up to working after it!

On the other hand, long shifts tend to go quickly, and you do get two breaks. No major problems today, other than a lot of the kids who had just worked the late shift the night before weren't terribly happy about having to come in at 9 and 10 in the morning.

I went to the Wal-Mart after work to find a few birthday presents and have dinner at Subway. Unfortunately, my shopping luck seems to have run out. The Subway was dingy and staffed by annoying people with annoying accents who couldn't understand a word I said. I couldn't understand what they were saying, either, which meant it took me longer to get my dinner than it should have. (I think it shocked the guy that someone actually asked for a bag of apples instead of chips!)

My trip to Wal-Mart reminded me of why I normally avoid that store unless I desperately need something. It was busy and noisy, filled with obnoxious people who scream for their friends and children over your head, push past you without saying "excuse me," and never put anything away...and that's just the customers! The small-for-a-discount-chain store was a disaster area. Empty and half-full boxes sat on the floor, with no one tending to them. Many shelves had wide-open spaces, and even items that weren't on sale were far from overflowing. The prices weren't nearly as great as everyone likes to claim they are, either. I couldn't find one of the things I was looking for. (Doesn't ANYONE make plain old underwear briefs in a size 8 with colors? Not uncomfortable high-cuts or low-cuts or rises or bikinis, just briefs!) The other, the newly-released special edition of The Aristocats, was $19.99, the exact same price it was at FYE. I decided I'd rather get it at FYE, which hopefully would be quieter. I did get a few things at Wal-Mart, including decorator candies for the cupcakes I'm going to make for Valentine's Day, birthday cards for my adopted sister Jessa (the 13th) and my stepfather Bill (today - it'll go out early next week), and a birthday present.

(Oh, and I bought a box of the new Girl Scouts Lemon Shortbread cookies. I always try to buy at least one or two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies a year, and not just because they're genuinely tasty, either. My sisters Rose and Anny were Girl Scouts when they were younger, and they never really had much luck with cookie-selling in quiet Cape May. We'd have boxes sitting around for months!)

FYE was a breath of fresh air after stuffy, loud Wal-Mart. It was just me, the kid behind the register, and the ads for new releases on the TVs. I eyed a few of the new WebKinz on their displays (I want a black poodle), but finally opted for The Aristocats, another birthday gift, and three packs of the new Series 2 WebKinz Trading Cards.

I had more luck with the cards than with the shopping. I bought a pack of Series 1 cards yesterday and was rewarded with my first piece of Trading Card Furniture, the Game Theme Table. Tonight, I got a Ballet Study Desk, a Series 2 Trading Card Dresser, and money. (The last was most appreciated. I drained my finances a bit buying Linda the Collie clothes and setting up the Pizzeria.)

Mary the Reindeer got the desk in her very pink ballet-themed room. I haven't found a place for the Game Table or the Trading Card Dresser yet. I used the money to add an Air Hockey game to the mini-arcade in my pizzeria. (And it was fun, too. Now I'll be able to practice for when I get together with Lauren next summer! ;) )

Taxed Out

Didn't get a whole lot done today. I got up late, watched The Dolly Sisters, and tried to do my taxes. I wanted to do them online, but I had no idea the IRS didn't provide forms. Lauren sent me a free Turbo Tax link - maybe that'll help.

Work was steady-to-quiet, with no major problems and actually something good. I thought I was supposed to work until 7:30, but I must have written it down wrong, because the managers (and schedule) said 7. Cool. I got my grocery shopping done instead of putting it off until tomorrow.

Year of the Collie

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year! Abundant luck to all today!

Second, I certainly had abundant luck today. After Cherry-Banana Pancakes for breakfast, I went to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering. I did the biographies, which weren't TOO bad. I got out with plenty of time to ride over to Collingswood to browse in the thrift shop and the Collingswood Variety Store. Lunch was at the Pop Shop, a pastel 50's-themed diner situated in one half of Collingswood's old Acme. (A much fancier restaurant, Word of Mouth, is on the other half.) I had a wonderful "Farm Market Omelet" with roast veggies and swiss cheese, half of a gigantic slice of rye toast, and hash browns.

(Oh, and the Collingswood Variety Store has not only restocked their supply of WebKinz, but they now have clothes, too. I was VERY close to getting a Black Poodle; I also considered a husky.)

I told Scott about my heavy work-schedule over the past few weeks, Mom and Dad's move, the arrival of Mom's box, and my job research. Now that I know I want to go back to school, I have to figure out how to finance it. I'm far from rich, and I don't want to go as heavily into debt as Rose is.

After I left Scott, I took the Speedline into Philadelphia. For once, I knew what I wanted to get, and after a wrong turn or two, made my way to my favorite FYE on Broad Street to use the last of the $50 gift card Mom and Dad gave me for Christmas.

While their downstairs CD section was the same as always, the DVD section upstairs was a disaster area. The kids' DVDs, TV DVD sets, and war and western movies lay in messy stacks on the floor. From what I gathered from the employees, that particular FYE had just gotten a big stock of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs and had to rearrange everything to fit them in. It didn't make for easy shopping. I never found what I was looking for, which was the newly-released Perfect Strangers: The Complete First and Second Season, but I did take advantage of a buy 2 used items, get one half-off sale. I bought two classic musical "biopics," the MGM mega-musical 'Till The Clouds Roll By and the Betty Grable vehicle The Dolly Sisters. I picked up the new Bruce Springsteen CD Magic downstairs. (And it ended up being the half-off item, too - I got it for $4.99!)

I did manage to find Perfect Strangers during a brief visit to the Borders across the street. It was 20% off, too! Perfect Strangers is (other than one random Honeymooners tape I picked up in the thrift shop last year) the last TV show I have completely on video. Once we (finally) get all 8 seasons of PS, I will have cleared out my pre-recorded videos to the point where I'll hopefully be able to move a few to the other shelves and make room for DVDs!

I went in search of Locust Street to head for home, but I got turned around again and wound up on Chestnut. I wound up at the Chestnut Street entrance to the Liberty One Mall and, since that mall is very posh (lots of fancy dress shops; no toy stores or noisy electronics stores), I thought I'd see if they had a Lane Bryant so I could use the $100 gift card I got for Christmas.

I didn't see Lane Bryant, but I did find a lovely little card shop called Messages on a side hallway near Au Bon Pain. The store was an explosion of red and pink - so much, I almost missed the tall display of WebKinz as I walked in! I'm glad I didn't, though. They had many WebKinz I'd never seen anywhere in New Jersey - Lil'Kinz Horses, Basset Hounds, Polar Bears, and St. Bernards, Velvety Elephants, Ducks, Gray and White Cats, Yorkies, and...COLLIES! I'd been wanting to find a collie for ages, because I knew exactly what name I would give it. I bought a collie and a pack of Trading Cards and headed for Chestnut.

I got turned around one more time after that. I stopped at a Starbucks to get my bearings and a cup of Vanilla Latte, then made my way across Chestnut to Walnut, then Locust. By this point it was about 5; the rush hour was well at hand. Car honked, sirens blared, and people in heavy coats pushed their way through the crowds. Thankfully, the 16th and Locust PATCO stop was on a relatively quiet, largely residential block. I made it to the train and to Collingswood without incident (and even managed to find a seat on a stuffed-full rush hour train).

Since I went past their neighborhood going home, I dropped by Uncle Ken and Dad's on my way back to say "hi" and show them my new find. I ended up staying for a tasty dinner of chicken, creamed spinach, and mashed potatoes. I chatted a bit with Jodie, her teen son TJ, and Dad afterwards. Jodie and Dad are mostly concerned about my finances; going back to school is expensive, and they're worried I'll end up in debt. I really need to do more research on the cost before anyone worries further.

Oh yes, and...meet Linda the Collie! Yes, she's named after my friend Linda Young, who got me interested in WebKinz in the first place and loves all things collie! This means that naturally, she had to have a bookcase in her room. Her bio says she's a musician; perhaps I'll give her the piano, too.

So, Where Is It?

Darn it, where's that thunderstorm we were supposed to get tonight?

It was supposed to rain in the afternoon. It looked like it all day, cloudy, humid, and warm for this time of year. I spent the morning doing laundry at Uncle Ken's. I watched The Wonder Pets save a Bald Eagle egg in Canada and a Flamingo in a coloring book (the uncle of the latter had a "Jamaican" accent, and even had dreadlocks and a bright knit cap!), then enjoyed a rather goofy superhero-themed Blue's Clues before Dad came home and wanted to watch The Weather Channel.

The Weather Channel said we were supposed to get severe thunderstorms starting late in the afternoon...when I work, of course. I finally asked Dad for a ride. I don't really care about the thunder, but I didn't want to be caught in a deluge. (I've done that enough.)

Work was pretty much the same as yesterday customer-wise - busy until dinner, steady-to-dead thereafter, with a lot of obnoxious beginning-of-the-month customers. (The worst was a very annoying woman who kept fussing that she wanted to buy her huge order before her elderly mother tried to pay for it, then complained when Mom showed up with more and claimed she was embarrassing her. Frankly, she was acting a LOT more embarrassing than her mom was!)

Actually, our biggest problem today was with the help. One of the teenage baggers went outside to do carts...and never came back. Half the store must have searched for him for at least 20 minutes before his car was discovered to be gone and he was assumed to have gone AWOL.

On the other hand, I saw a gaggle of new cashiers being trained this evening. Their arrival is a mixed blessing. On one hand, they were mostly teenagers and college students, and that should take care of a lot of late shifts. On the other hand...I've been getting really GOOD hours for this time of year in the last few weeks or so. We'll see what king of impact they have.

Magic In The Kitchen!

As requested by Tina, here's Merlin's Famous Magic Chicken!

(This is repeated from The Mickey Mouse Cookbook without permission.)

1 teaspoon shortening
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

Preheat the oven to 425. Grease a baking pan, 13x9x2 inches, with the shortening.

Put the flour, paprika, and salt in a clean plastic or paper bag with no holes in it. Twist or close top of bag, then shake to mix the ingredients.

Place 2 or 3 chicken pieces in the bag. Twist or slide it closed again and hold it while you shake the bag to coat the chicken with the flour mixture.

Repeat the shaking until you've coated all the chicken pieces. Place them side by side in the baking pan, skin sides up.

Bake for 55 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown on the outside and tender when you stick a fork into the thickest piece.

Serves 4

Mom's biscuits and carrots tasty but optional. ;)

Hearts and Flowers and Working Days

I spent most of the morning and early afternoon at work. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday. We're probably still getting a lot of beginning-of-the-month people who avoided the weekend because of Super Bowl Sunday. There's a lot of big sales leftover from the Super Bowl weekend, too. The worst that happened, other than long lines due to lack of help, was my relief was late. (And this kid knows to at least call...)

When I got in, I put the rag rug I keep in my room out to air, then finished off the cleaning. Didn't really do a lot of dusting or vacuuming. It was getting late by the time I finished, and I wanted to eat a decent dinner for once. After I had my Merlin's Magic Chicken, sweet potato, and spinach salad, I put up the Valentine's decorations. I have more than I thought; all I need is something for the front door.

Oh, and Lauren and I started this month's role-play yesterday. It's a fairly simple story; how long it takes depends on our schedules. I'm going to say it'll likely be done sometime towards the middle of next week.

Finding A Way Out Of The Black Hole

Most of my day was devoted to cleaning, calling, and research. I called Rose this morning; she was in a class, so I did my first cleaning of the month instead. I got the kitchen and the bathroom done. The kitchen wasn't horrible, but the bathroom was pretty bad, and I'd like to get the Valentine's Day decorations up soon. Janice from the Acme called as I finished. Could I work tomorrow from 10:30AM to 3:30AM? Fine, I didn't have anything major planned for tomorrow.

Rose called back as I finished up the kitchen. First of all, between her law school classes and her broken car, we won't be going anywhere together for a while. Second, she reminded me that I need to take the Graduate Record Examinations, and that such things are expensive. Her similar test for Law School apparently cost $1,500! That scared me to death. Going to school is expensive enough. I'm not paying that much for one class.

I went online and checked the GRE's website. I tried to tell Rose that law school is something entirely different from regular graduate school, and this proves it. The general test was $140 minus fees. (And even with the fees only added up to a little over $500.) Either way, it's not a thousand. There's a testing center in Philadelphia on Chestnut Street and another in Deptford, near the mall.

I wonder if I could find someone who's been to graduate school recently for library sciences and find out how much it cost, how long it took, and whether or not it's even worth it? I am NOT going into further debt for an education that will get me nowhere. If Rose wants to be buried in debt for the rest of her life, that's on her.

Work was steady-to-busy until after the 4PM rush hour, when it died down to nothing.

Giant Super Bowl Sunday

I slept later than I'd planned this morning and was almost late for work, which wasn't a good thing. They needed everyone they could get. Work was an absolute MADHOUSE today, even worse when I left than when I arrived. We were short on help (my break was late) and I got out somewhat late because of the long lines, but other than that, there were no major problems. I grabbed icing and cherry preserves for my Cocoa-Cherry Checkerboard Cake, the last of the Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Shredded Wheat (I love Kashi's Shredded Wheat cereals), and a box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix on sale for a dollar. (I like to keep white cake mixes around for when I get baking urges; they use egg whites and are lower-fat than most cake mixes besides angel food.)

When I got home, I changed shirts, put the cherry preserves between cake layers, frosted the outside of the cake, and headed over to Uncle Ken's for his big Super Bowl party. Everyone was there when I arrived - Dolores and her family, Uncle Ken, Dad, Jodie, Samantha and her family, several neighbors. The breakfast island in the kitchen was laden with dinner goodies - appetizers, brownies, granola cookies, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Dad's famous chili, a meat-and-cheese deli tray, soda, and liquor for the adults who enjoy that sort of thing.

My cake was a huge hit...and so was the game. Unlike most Super Bowls, where one team tends to dominate the entire four quarters and the commercials are often the most interesting things seen all night, the Giants wouldn't give the Patriots' much-vaunted offense a chance to get going. (And the commercials, except for one really cute one involving a Clydesdale and a dalmatian, were a total snooze.) The Patriots were ahead 7-3 by halftime, but I was starting to doze off. After the totally rocking Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert (I really need to find my Heartbreakers Greatest Hits CD), I was ready to go home.

I don't know how coherent Jodie was, but she did tell me in the car on the way home that she and Dad were willing to help me finance school and that they're both afraid I'll end up in worse debt than Rose is now. I'm still going to send in my Financial Aid form, but I appreciate the offer. We'll see what happens.

(I didn't find out until later, but incidentally, the Giants apparently made a huge play in the final moments of the fourth quarter to end the Patriots' perfect season and win the Super Bowl 17-14.)

Delights and Disappointments

There was a heavy "thump" and an "oof!" next to my door this morning as I ate my oatmeal and tangelo for breakfast. I opened my door and saw the back of a retreating mailman...and a HUGE box sitting on my porch! There was a pretty marker design of trees on the front...and Mom's new address. I hauled it in and ripped it open.

First out was Dulcinea, also known as Dulcie, Rose's old Cabbage Patch Kid. She wore her original blue and white calico dress and white t-strap shoes. (Poor dear's legs must be cold, though. Mom couldn't find the matching bloomers and socks.) She was perfectly clean, and her bright red-orange yarn hair was in a ponytail. Mom said she gave Dulcie a bath in warm Clorox, soap, and water. Her hair was washed separately in dish washing liquid (to keep it from losing it's color). She and Carrie now sit together on my bed. Looking at them side-by-side, I now realize Carrie could use a bath, too...

What made the box so heavy (other than the sheer number of items sent) were two big tins and a pile of books. One tin held the (now slightly outdated) The Wonderful World of Disney Trivia Game. The other was also Disney-related and held several bear-related items and a bag of hair clips and barrettes. Unfortunately, the larger tin did not survive the trip undamaged. It was bent out of shape in several places, and my attempts at fixing it only broke it along the spine. Sigh. I'm going to have to get rid of it. I really liked that tin, too. Mom got it mail-order from the (long defunct) Disney Channel Magazine sometime in the mid-80s. The pictures along the side depict three animated Disney movies set in old England - Alice In Wonderland, Robin Hood, and The Sword In the Stone. The pictures aren't that accurate, especially for Robin Hood, but the tin is big, cute, colorful, and it's been around for so long that I'm going to miss it.

My favorites, though, were the pile of old cake decorating books Mom sent. Her hardback Wilton Celebrate! books (she has II through V) date back to 1975. (Some of the coolest cake designs in Celebrate! II honor Americana, the Bicentennial, and "Makers of America," the different countries and people who helped make the US what it is today.) She also has five paperback Wilton books dating from 1979 (the year I was born!) to 1983. I have so many fond memories of these books. They're not in great shape, especially the paperbacks, but my sisters and I loved looking at them, making up stories about the elaborate decorations and dreaming of the ones we'd have for our next birthday or special event. (It's obvious which cakes we loved the most. Those pages are more dog-eared, worn, and ripped than the others.)

(To be honest, most of the cake designs in those books were so fancy, they never really made it to our parties. One major exception was the Little Women. One of the books, Celebration III, I think, showed four doll cakes depicting the four title characters of the famous Louisa May Alcott novel. I badly wanted Jo one year and begged Mom so hard, she finally gave in. The end product didn't really look much like the picture, but she WAS pretty and quite well-made - and tasty, too. Rose had a nifty Jack-and-Jill-themed cake a year later that also came out of Celebration III.)

The biggest surprise was The Mickey Mouse Cookbook. Though it apparently was released in 1975, I know it's been in our various kitchens since at least the mid-80s. All of the Disney animated characters up to that point headline different recipes, ranging from very simple (Dumbo's Peanut Butter Sandwich is peanut butter, bread, and...whatever you can put on peanut butter and bread) to "ask for an adult to help you" (recipes for larger items like cakes and meatloaf). The unqualified winner, though, is Merlin's Magic Chicken. Merlin from The Sword and the Stone conjures up an easy "not-fried" chicken dish - dredge chicken pieces in flour and paprika, put in greased pan, and bake! Merlin's Magic Chicken was such a smash hit with my entire family, we looked forward to when Mom made it in the winter, often accompanied by her heavenly home-made biscuits. (Even now, mentions of Merlin bring not magic but magically delicious chicken legs to mind!)

I called Mom to thank her for the gifts after I finished my tangelo. When I asked her why she sent me The Mickey Mouse Cookbook when I knew Dad and Keefe still love Merlin's, she said she'd committed all her favorite recipes from the book to memory years ago and thought I might like some Merlin's of my own!

I headed to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteering after I put everything away. I did the children's DVDs again. Lord, they do get scrambled. I made a very quick stop at Super Fresh afterwards to grab some milk (which I forgot to get last night at work when I did most of my grocery shopping) and ran home to get ready for my outing with my sister Rose.

I called Rose when I got in. She was a bit frazzled when she picked up. Seems she had a big report she'd put off that was due in a few weeks. Could we get together later in the day? No problem. I spent the rest of the afternoon making my first Checkerboard Cake (out of a white cake mix and a cocoa cake batter from scratch mixed with cherries) and watching The Yogi Bear Show.

I was looking at my cake books around quarter after 6 when I realized it was getting late and Rose hadn't called. I finally called her. She said she'd been trying to call me for hours but hadn't gotten through. It turns out she'd tried to come over, but her car broke down, and her boyfriend - and his car - weren't around. Could we go out some other time?

It's not fair. I'm still a little upset. I'd been looking forward to this mall trip since she suggested it earlier in the week. I put off going to the movies with Erica so we could get together. Instead of getting together with two friends, I ended up alone again. I thought she'd gotten the damn car fixed or replaced ages ago! Why does this stuff always happen to me?

I finally decided I had to eat, and since I had nothing out and had eaten the last of my leftovers for lunch, I went over to Dad and Uncle Ken's to see if anyone was home. Thankfully, Dad, Jodie, and Jessa were eating pizza in the kitchen and watching (appropriately) Groundhog Day. I chatted with them for a little while, nibbling on a slice of pizza, but I'd sampled waaaayyy too much cake batter and wasn't really hungry. I told them about my college hopes; Dad said I really should consider how I'm going to get to school if the trains and buses aren't running. (But don't they always run, especially in a city?)

I went to Family Dollar to see if they had any frosting for my cake, but all they had was chocolate. I just got a homecoming card for Mom and the family in Cape May County. Went across the street to WaWa and couldn't decide on a treat that wouldn't ruin my diet, so I ended up putting Raspberry and Vanilla syrups into Coca Cola Zero. (I want to save my Weight Watchers points for Uncle Ken's Super Bowl party tomorrow night.)

Going online after I got home cheered me up a little bit. I especially enjoyed reading about all the funny bloopers that occurred to the members of the AdultKinz forum!

I really wish I was more outgoing. "Go join a book club!" Rose said in exasperation when I told her I was feeling lonely. She can say that. She wants to be a lawyer. She's being trained to talk to people and know what to say. I'm scared to death of clubs! I never know what to say to people, I live in fear of being stared at and made fun of, and what kind of clubs do single 28-year-olds who don't like bars join, anyway? I wish there was an easier way to meet people my own age and interests. I'm so scared there isn't anyone else in this area my own age with my interests. If I try to talk to Mom, she'll just remind me we've had this discussion a thousand times. I know we have, but...it doesn't stop the fear.

Rhythm of the Rain

It's a good thing I had no outdoor plans today. It poured the entire morning. And I don't just mean a half an inch and then it's cloudy. It deluged from when I got up at 8:30AM until around 1PM, and intermittently after that. I spent most of that time looking up and downloading the Financial Aid sheet. Now, I just need to find out when and where the testing for graduate school around here is. I hope it's not in Camden.

I did get some pilates in before Dad picked me up for work. It's the beginning of the month, a Friday, and the weekend of the Super Bowl, so we were mega-busy up until about 6:30. A lot of annoying people, too. People keep reading the signs wrong. (You really DO need to buy six packs to get the Canada Dry sale!) The people buying stuff for chop shops in Camden were out in full-force, too. I really do hope they work on better legislature to crack down on these people. We're losing valuable money and merchandise because they can't afford to buy from a warehouse like everyone else.