Waiting for the Snow

I awoke to see absolutely nothing on my porch this morning but a few sticker balls and a squirrel. It was cloudy, but there was no snow, sleet, or even rain. On one hand, after all that fuss yesterday, it was a little disappointing. On the other hand, I really had errands I wanted to run today, and I've had enough of wandering around in lousy weather of late.

I didn't have much luck with shopping in the stores today. Wal Mart did have a CD/Cassette player, but it was $49.95, and I was hoping to find one for more like 20 or 30. They didn't have any bike baskets or brakes, either. FYE had nothing of interest. I debated getting cheap sneakers and snow boots at Payless and the Shoe Dept, but decided it could wait until my finances are better. I did mildly better at the Acme, where I picked up grapefruit, a large bag of apples, bananas, light yogurt, deodorant, shampoo, peanut butter, and a few other necessary items.

Though the bank was closed by the time I went home, I still needed to deposit my paycheck. I used the ATM machine at the PNC Bank down the street from me in the White Horse Pike, then ran to Family Dollar to check out their end-of-the-season sales. I wish I hadn't. I really don't like the Family Dollar on the White Horse Pike. The clerks are nasty, the customer service non-existent, and the shelves are never stocked. I heard the clerks yelling at each other and customers across the store, including using profanity with a half-dozen customers in ear-shot. There was a long line and only one slow and rude cashier to handle them. One fellow bought a cartful of sodas. I don't know why the cashier didn't question this; he was likely buying them for chop shops. He actually pulled his car right up to the front door to load them, nearly knocking a woman over in the process! I was going to buy those new, energy-saving florescent bulbs, but needless to say, I didn't end up buying anything. I don't think I'll be returning to that Family Dollar anymore. I'll just go farther afield and use Dollar Tree or Dollar General Plus when I need things really, really cheap.

Went across the street to WaWa for a Pumpkin Spice Latte after that. I was going to stop at Doria's Deli for brown sugar, but it was closed by the time I got over there. I just went home instead. I spent the rest of the evening using the Vermont Country Store and Barnes and Noble gift cards Lauren sent me for Christmas. It was so hard to decide on something I could get that I really wanted AND needed. I finally bought a pint of maple syrup from the Vermont Country Store and three books from Barnes and Noble, the other two Melendy Series books I didn't have and the Ethan Mordden Broadway musical history Beautiful Mornin' - The Broadway Musical in the 40s. Mordden's opinions and writing style can be insufferably snobbish sometimes, but his grasp of the history of the theater in general and musicals in particular is invaluable.

It finally started to snow as I did my online shopping. The snow was fairly heavy but, as I suspected, didn't last for long. There was a little rain after that, but it didn't last long, either. Right now, it's once again not doing anything. There's still a bit of snow on my porch, but it'll likely be gone by the time I go to work tomorrow.

Computer Unbugged

Oh, and by the way, my computer's working better. Lauren suggested a program that would allow her to look at my computer and see what was wrong. We removed several dated programs...and it would seem that one, SpySuspect, was the corrupted one. While I haven't gotten any pop-ups tonight and the computer is running much faster, I'm still having trouble with AVG claiming the update manager is disabled. I'm going to try finding an updated version or re-installing it tomorrow.

Balancing Snow, Sleet, and Rain

Supposedly, there's a winter storm on it's way, with lots of snow and ice. Or so most of my customers say. The Acme was very busy today, and people were anxious and cranky over the weather reports. We might be getting snow early this morning and into tomorrow. It's more likely we'll be getting rain and/or sleet, which is what's happened the last few times were supposed to be having snow. You'd think there was a blizzard coming, the way everyone was acting! Customers were cranky and rude again. One woman fussed because her tuna packets didn't ring up on sale. I checked the price myself. She bought the wrong size, but she wouldn't believe me, and once again, I was accused of having a bad attitude when I was only doing my job. This time, I didn't cry. I just got mad. What is WITH these people...and why can't they knock those chips off their shoulders and leave them in Camden, where they belong?

That wasn't the only problem I had today. My register went down while I was working on an order. It wasn't my fault, but it disrupted the order and I wasn't happy. A manager got upset with me when I was impatient about calling him over when it was really busy and there were only two managers to help us. He was a little rude...but the customers and I should have been more patient. Donna actually tried to get me in for another eight-hour shift today. I'm glad I only opted for six. The extra hours weren't worth my sanity or having to put off other chores another day.

This morning went much better. I finally got to Yogawood today after having to put it off all week due to early or called-in work. Things went fairly well. My balance is getting better. I was able to do the Tree Pose without TOO much trouble, though I'm not ready to go further yet.

After I left Yogawood and picked up milk at the WaWa a few doors down in Collingswood, I went home and finished taking down the Christmas decorations. I took down the garlands and put them in bags, then put the bags in a milk crate. The wreath, big plastic bell, cookie tray, box with the New Year's noisemakers and hats, and placemats now go in that big Santa Claus bag Uncle Ken and Dolores wrapped my coat in on Christmas Eve. (I knew I'd find something to do with that!) The Nativity went in it's own bag. Samantha, Carrie, Dulcie, and the Sailor Moon dolls were redressed in their original clothes. Carrie and Dulcie's dresses went into a bag. The other outfits are in Samantha's box. I vacuumed around where the tree was (fake trees and garlands shed almost as much as real ones do), moved the plastic book shelf back where the tree was, and returned some videos and DVDs to where the Nativity was.

That pretty much concludes my Christmas season until after Thanksgiving. I'm going to hold off putting up the Valentine's stuff for another couple of weeks, though I do have a few items for general winter that will be put up as soon as I finish cleaning.

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.

Have a Very Wet New Year

The weather today was incredibly miserable. It rained on and off all day, sometimes quite heavily. I had to ask for a ride to work. Dolores drove me to the Acme (she had to pick up some things anyway); Jessa drove me home. It might have been just as well. I ended up spending most of the day at work. Donna called me in around 8:30 to ask me if I would come in at 10. I originally said no, I had things planned for this morning with my sister...but then I called Rose five minutes later to see if she was ready for Yogawood today. Of course, she'd completely forgotten and now had no time for yoga classes. I called Donna back and told her I could work after all, and I did. Thankfully, the day went quickly, despite this being the first time I've worked eight hours in over a month. It was quiet in the morning, busy by the time we got to the usua 4PM rush hour, with no major problems. Turns out I went in for an older woman who had just had major surgery not long ago and wasn't really up for a long day's work.

Raining In the New Year

Today was Laundry Day. I read my new Indiana Jones paperback while Dad took down his Christmas tree. His (real) tree is three times the size of mine both ways...but he and Uncle Ken don't have nearly as many decorations as I do. (Or maybe they do and they just have more room to display them.) I ran to CVS for eggs and milk (the latter for Dad and Uncle Ken) while my laundry was in the dryer.

As I walked to CVS, it started to sprinkle lightly. Nothing big, just some spitting. Dolores (and The Weather Channel) said we were supposed to get sleet later. We did get some sleet later...for about ten minutes around 2PM, by which time I was at home and working on getting my Christmas decorations down. By the time the displays were put away and I was just shoving the last of the bears into their plastic bin, it was back to sprinkling. It sprinkled while I rode to work, and was misting when I got out. It finally started raining harder about a half-hour ago.

Work, thank god after yesterday, was steady when I came in, dead when I left, with no major problems other than the lack of help.

What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?

I'm so frustrated. First of all, I'm broke. After my rent check goes through and I pay as much of my counseling as I can with my debit card (I can pay some of it with cash) on Thursday, I will have five dollars in the bank. Of course, I get paid the next day, but it's still not much. I probably won't have money again until I get my tax return in March. And don't say "you're not the only one." Everyone keeps telling me that. It doesn't make me feel better. I'm the only one I know who's really struggling. I want advice on what to do next, not to be told I'm not the only one who has no money.

Work was horrible. Though it wasn't as busy as yesterday, people were cranky, rude, obnoxious, and just plain mean. Just an hour after I arrived, one woman got angry at me when I tried to explain that I took the extra sales on her Canada Dry 12 packs of soda manually, since she didn't have the Acme sales card that takes them off automatically. Because I took the sales off manually, they were reflected in the final price she paid, but not in the prices of the item on the receipt. She absolutely refused to hear it! She told me I had a bad attitude and was being nasty and left! I just cried and cried after that, even when the bagger and the customer behind her told me I was fine. If I was fine, why did she say I was rude?

It was like that all day, and not just for me, either. Several cashiers and clerks later reported that they'd had to handle many grouchy and rude customers today as well. It's that beginning-of-the-month thing again. Many of these people are coming from Camden with chips on their shoulders a mile wide and no money other than what they have in food stamps...half of which goes to junk like huge birthday cakes. I had food stamps when I first got out of college, and the only cakes I bought with them were cake mixes and Little Debbie snack cakes.

I received a far more pleasant surprise when I came home. Mom told me yesterday she'd sent out a late Christmas present in the mail late last week. It finally arrived this evening. She gave me a snowman "angel" made of real wool felt covered with glitter, with wire wings and a wire halo and a bean bag bottom. He's so cool...and not so Christmassy he'll have to be put away in a few days. He'll stay out all winter long with the general winter items. She also sent me a real Wilton gingerbread man cookie cutter with a plastic grip handle. (I usually only make roll-out cookies at Christmas, but after the molasses cookies came out so well, maybe I'll have to change that...)

There was a card in the mail along with Mom's package. It was a very late Christmas card from my good friend in Wildwood, Kelly. A really late card - the long letter in it was dated December 16th. Either it took her that long to mail it...or the mail's really unreliable these days. I hadn't heard a lot from Kelly other than an occasional online chat since I left Wildwood in January 2006, and it was great to hear from her.

"Fly Eagles Fly, On the Road to Victory..."

The Acme was a mob scene today. It was really crazy. We had lines into the aisles, even with most of the registers open. Not only are the big football games continuing, but people still have their beginning-of-the-month money. Other people are just stocking up after the long holiday week, now that their kids are on their way back to school and relatives have gone home. It made for a really, really busy day. I was lucky my relief was on time and there were otherwise no major problems.

Uncle Ken's house was full when I arrived. Samantha and her family, Karen, Jim, and their family, Dolores and her family, Mark, and several older friends of Uncle Ken and Dad's were there, all cheering the Eagles on. (And Samantha was feeling much better than on Christmas Day.) They had a good reason to cheer. Despite some missteps, the Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings 26-14 (much to the dismay of native Minnesotans Karen and Jim). They'll be going on to play the New York Giants next Sunday.

Poor Daddy's not nearly as happy. The Dolphins' comeback ended with a noisy thud earlier today as the Ravens steamrolled over them, 27-9. Just as he did when the Dolphins lost in September, he called them "embarrassing."

Oh, and I called the family in Erma this morning. I got Keefe. He's also feeling much, much better...just in time for school to begin. Other than he's not happy that he had to spend his Christmas vacation sick, he's fine. He and Mom were on their way out to go shopping when I called. My stepfather was out fishing. (Should be interesting if he's home by next Sunday - he's a huge Giants fan.)

Football Mania

Work was pretty much the same as yesterday, and in fact, even more so. It was so busy up front, we kept having to call everyone else - bakers, stock workers, even deli people - to help out. There weren't even any call-outs. It was just that busy of a day! It's not surprising, either. There's big football games, both college bowl games and pro playoff games, all weekend long. Many people are recovering from the Christmas and New Year's holidays and need to restock their kitchens and pantries. And of course, as I mentioned in yesterday's entry, it's the beginning of the month. People who only get money now are doing their shopping. Not to mention, many people may have put off doing major shopping over the holidays as well and are trying to get caught up.

We had a small party in the back room for the Eagles game tomorrow. There were two plates of cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels, and candy from the bakery. Someone brought in potato chips, corn chips, cheese curls, and layered bean dip. I brought bread made with the last of the candied fruit from the Christmas Stolen. Not the healthiest lunch, but I did enjoy it.

After I got home, I pulled out my cleaning supplies and did the bathroom. I'd normally wait until after I've gotten down the Christmas decorations, but the bathroom and the kitchen haven't been done since right after Thanksgiving and are really, really bad. I'll do the kitchen tomorrow morning, then finish the rest of the cleaning after the displays and the tree come down in the middle of next week.

I'm not having much luck with getting rid of this virus. I've run a malware program, two spyware programs, Ad-Aware, and AVG. Most of them recognize the virus, but they won't get rid of it. On advice from Lauren and several reputable computer advice forums, I deleted all Java applications but the current one tonight. I'm hoping that'll help after I shut the computer down this evening.

I'm just really frustrated right now. The computer, which is how I talk to my best friend, is giving me trouble. I'm afraid it'll die if I can't get rid of this virus. Most of my Christmas money is going to have to go into the rent. I need a new CD/cassette player and I still need more clothes...but except for new errands-running sneakers, they're going to have to wait. I have to pay the rent first. I know that's not what Mom, Uncle Ken, and my dads wanted me to do with the money. They wanted me to buy clothes.

I won't need those tighter clothes soon, anyway. I've been gaining weight. Yeah, I know, everyone gains weight over the holidays, but I was starting to do good again! I expected to be down to a nice, normal, average 140 by last summer. I was at 194 on Monday, and I'll bet I've gained at least ten pounds since then. I'll never lose the weight. I've been craving peanut butter lately, by the spoonful. I can't help it. I just eat. It's what I do.

The Acme is just driving me crazy. If I were as smart as everyone says I am, I'd find a way to get a job. And don't give me the junk about the bad economy. The economy hasn't been bad for seven years. I haven't been able to find a real job in seven years.

Getting Ready for Winter

Spent most of today at work. Work was not fun. Not only were we busy until well after I was finished, but it's the beginning of the month, and the usual beginning-of-the-month people were doing their shopping. I did my shopping as well this evening. I managed to get around the rush hour crowds long enough to pick up soup (that was on sale), Fiber One granola bars (god, I love those), apples, bananas, yogurt (Yoplait was on sale), mushrooms, brown rice, sugar, and two grapefruit. I loved the collard greens Vanessa made for Christmas dinner so much, I finally bought some of my own this evening.

It snowed a little bit while I was in work, but by the time I finally got out, it was clear and cold, but not as cold as yesterday. Looks like it's more-or-less going to stay that way, which is fine by me. No matter what my customers say, this is really what it's supposed to be here at this time of the year.

Chillin' New Year

New Year's Day brought gorgeous sunny skies to southern New Jersey...and temperatures in the mid-upper 20s. It was too cold to be standing around after I'd just spent the day before running around Center City Philadelphia, so I stayed in Oaklyn today. I did go out to breakfast at the Newton Diner, just as I did last year. The place was packed when I arrived around quarter after 10. I overheard a bus boy mention that two waitresses hadn't bothered to show up for work. It explained the quality of the food and service, too. The waitress was nice, but took forever to get to me (and I'm just one person). While my waffle was delicious, golden on the outside and soft on the inside, the ham was too dry and the hot chocolate tasted more like brown water with a little sugar.

I stopped at WaWa across the street to get a real hot chocolate that tasted like chocolate, milk, and turkey lunchmeat. It's a good thing they weren't nearly as busy as the diner. One cashier said to a customer that five employees called out or didn't show up that morning. (Did I mention how happy I was to have off today?)

I passed the rest of the first day of 2009 quietly. I ran SpyBot and Avast! in an attempt to get this blasted virus off my computer (they didn't work). I baked bread. I watched the rest of The Chronological Donald, Vol 4. I finished Flight of the Silver Turtle. (I really loved both those books, BTW. A little confusing for someone who isn't a sci-fi geek, but still a lot of fun.)

This set was really worth the 31 dollars I spent on it yesterday. Turns out the Donald cartoons of the early 50s were among the ones The Disney Channel tended to show the most when I was a child. I reveled in the delights of such classics as Donald Applecore, Trick or Treat, Working for Peanuts, the Cinemascope Grand Canyonscape and Chips Ahoy, and the wonderful educational featurette Donald in Mathmagic Land. (As someone who still hates math, I really appreciate seeing Donald struggle with it as well!) Disney didn't stop at reviving childhood memories, either. Included as bonus features were ten modern shorts from the 1999 Saturday morning show Mickey Mouse Works. I fondly recall seeing many of those shorts in college, and a bit later as part of Mickey's House of Mouse.