No Valentines for Me

Started off a lovely morning with a phone call from Mom wishing me happy Valentine's Day. She's not doing anything for the holiday this year, either, not even sending out cards. Neither of us are really feeling very romantic. I feel terrible for making such a mess of everything. Mom says not to look back, only forwards, but I can't help thinking of how badly I bungled all this. I figured I could get an apartment first, then look for a decent job. I hoped they would count the money in the bank, but too many landlords were burned by people who spent their savings and couldn't pay rent. I figured they'd understand once I explained my situation, but supposedly, a lot of people who can't afford their own homes right now are in a similar situation. 

After I got off with Mom, I made banana chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast while watching Valentine's Day specials. Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers is one of their shows that's a series of segments from shorts tied together by a thin story. In this case, Bugs argues with Cupid (who looks a lot like the early Elmer Fudd) that love will find its own way without his help. Cupid thinks everyone needs a little romance in their lives, whether it's Pepe Le Pew posing as a desert sheik for Penelope, a duplicitous dame trying to snare private eye Daffy, or Bugs saving Granny's fortune from gold digger Yosemite Sam. 

Went right into Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown as I did the dishes and rounded up my laundry. The many Peanuts romances - or what they think are romances - are in the spotlight here. Linus agonizes what to get his teacher Miss Othmar, whom he has a huge crush on, while Sally tries to figure out what to get her "Sweet Baboo," Charlie Brown waits in vain for a valentine in the mail, and Snoopy's putting on dramatic and messy puppet shows.

Rushed out as fast as I could to get the laundry done. Good thing they were fairly quiet and I didn't need to run any other errands. I was able to check my e-mails and send out two messages to apartment buildings in Somerdale and Stratford. Saw an e-mail from the Audubon Arms Apartment building telling me there's nothing open until March 3rd. I e-mailed them and told them I still wanted to see it.

When my laundry was about five minutes from being done, I quickly got it out, raced home, changed, packed a lunch, and rushed back out. Figured that, cold as it was, it was warm enough for me to get by on the bike. Just got to work on time. It was off-an-on steady all afternoon, until the evening rush hour hit and the lines doubled. They just slowed down about an hour before I finished. Once again got out with no trouble. Even got to sample a hoagie from the tray left in in the employee room for Valentine's Day. (They also had fried chicken, which I didn't sample. Too greasy.) 

Was off-and-on with customers, too. One nice old man gave me the number of a friend who might have a studio apartment available when I explained my predicament to him. An older woman wasn't nearly so pleasant a few hours later. She was upset when the whole wheat bread she wanted didn't come up on sale. Turns out the people from the bread companies who stock the shelves put the whole wheat bread in the wrong place. After she went to see for herself, she accused me of removing the tag or moving it so she couldn't see it. I'd had enough. I told her I wouldn't do something like that. Someone just put them in the wrong place. I did give her the sale, but I didn't appreciate her accusations, either. 

Rose texted me around the time of my second break. She wanted to know whether or not I'll be out on the 26th, so she can tell Jodie's landlord. I have no idea. As of right now, it's not looking like it. I'm trying as hard as I can, but I'm not having much luck. In addition to the financial problems, there's too much competition in this area. White collar workers who can now do their jobs from anywhere and families looking for more space are coming from Philly and Camden...and they have the income most landlords are looking for. I hate that this is going to end in a lot of everyone suing everyone else, and it's all because everyone assumed someone else would shoulder the burden...when no one bothered to ask if they actually could. Everyone was too used to Bill, Bruce, and Uncle Ken handling everything, and no one knew what to do when they weren't around to deal with problems anymore. 

Had leftover black bean dip on a bed of lettuce for dinner while watching A Charlie Brown Valentine. This time, the focus switches to Chuck's crush on the Little Red Haired Girl. He tries everything he can to get her attention without actually getting her attention, from winking at her (he ends up in the principal's office) to calling her (he ends up getting a date with Peppermint Patty and Marcie), to asking Snoopy for help figuring out what to say. Meanwhile, Sally is still trying to get Linus to be her "Sweet Baboo," Lucy's having even less luck getting Schroder's attention, and Snoopy spends most of the special writing Valentine's for the demanding kids.

Called Mom again after the cartoon ended. I put off telling Rose what's going on because I wanted to wait until I had something concrete to tell her. I don't want to end up exchanging angry words with her again via text. I really just want to smooth over everything between everyone. We're supposed to be family. Families help one another, as a lot of my customers keep reminding me. At the very least, I need to pick up the bin with my dolls from her house. I left them there for safekeeping, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep anything there anymore. 

On one hand, Mom said she's proud of me for being able to do all this on my own. This is way outside my comfort zone. I really did expect to find something ages ago, and it's just so frustrating that I haven't. I know I'm a good tenant. I don't drink, smoke, party, do drugs, or even have a car to park. I'm quiet. I have two visitors a year. I'm at work a lot of the time, especially right now. 

She's after me about getting a second job...but it's going to have to be an online job. If it was some time before late March-early April 2020, I wouldn't have been happy, but I might have tried to get a second retail job because I only had 20-30 hours a week. Now, I'm regularly getting between 35 and 40 hours doing demanding physical work, and I'm exhausted. I did make a list of jobs I could do last week, but didn't have the chance to pursue it further. I'll do it tomorrow. 

Finished the night online after a shower for Buzzr's Love Is On the Air marathon while I did more research on online jobs. With them having used up their store of Betty White/Allen Ludden Password episodes on her birthday tribute last month, the focus this year shifted to Classic Concentration and Sale of the Century. 

In 1989, Classic Concentration had a "Love Week," with young newlyweds or engaged couples solving two puzzles together. Sale of the Century went with "True Romance," with contestants who had unusual stories of romance. They festooned their sets with huge lace and tulle-covered hearts and flowers or neon hearts and had prizes intended for couples, like scuba diving lessons for two, a honeymoon trip to Hawaii, or a luxury sports car. At least three couples got the cars on Classic Concentration; the car on the end of "True Romance" was won by the unassuming gentleman who didn't have much luck with the bonus round on the previous episodes. (And I still want to see "True Romance" week in its entirety.)