This week so far

The past few days have been a random bunch of occurrences that have made for an interesting week but to the outside world is probably just a whole lot of nothing worth mentioning. Nevertheless, I have to get some of it down here before we leave town tomorrow or it will all be lost to the back of my memory by the time we get back.

The first noteworthy thing actually happened last week but I'm so disappointed with its outcome that I have to at least mention it. I was cleaning up for a playgroup on Friday when I found a folded over receipt on the desk. It was from the deli next to the college and it was for 2 Red Bulls and a slice of pizza. I had actual incriminating evidence of Zach's unhealthy splurging and I totally called him on it when he got home later that day. It's really just a big joke between us and it's so funny that no matter how hard he tries he can't get anything past me. He was like "Damn, I really have to get on my game and start covering my tracks better." Actually, he doesn't really talk like that, but it was something to that effect. And it's really not sounding as funny as it was. Anyway, my point was that I set aside the receipt and I was going to scan it and post it along with the funny story (which was much more funny the day it actually happened). But then the receipt went missing and I looked all over the place for it. Zach had torn it up and thrown it out.

On Monday I stopped at the library to pick up something I had requested and I knew I had a late fee that I'd been putting off so I brought my wallet in and decided to pay for it. I gave the girl my card and as she was scanning it I pulled out my money to count it. I had three dollars and the fee came to $2.50. I really hadn't thought it was that much so I wasn't expecting to turn over all of my remaining money. I hesitated a minute to think whether I really wanted to do it and then I finally said out loud, "No, I'd better pay it because when my fine gets too high I can't renew online and that's what keeps getting me these late fees in the first place." I handed over the money and she said, "Are you sure you're ok with this?" I probably should have been embarrassed or something that it was so obvious I was having trouble handing over three bucks, but it's really just too funny that I am that poor, that it was killing me that much to pay a library late fee.

On the way out of the library (I'd been in there about five minutes) I walked past a car sitting in the fire lane with a woman in the passenger's seat and the engine running. She had been there when I walked in but I didn't expect her to still be there when I left. First off, what is with people parking in the fire lane to run in to a place for a quick trip? Is it really that much of a problem to park in the lot? I would feel like an idiot sitting there sticking out like a sore thumb. If you really are just running in to drop off a book, that's one thing, but this car was there for a long time. And more importantly, what the hell was the engine doing on?! It was the most mild day you could ask for, there was no way they needed any kind of temperature control in the car, so why, I repeat, why did they need to leave the engine running especially considering the current cost of gas??

I've actually been paying a lot of attention lately to other peoples' car habits since I wrote about the jerk blocking me in last week. I had no idea how many people park crooked. But that doesn't bother me nearly as much as the leaving the car running thing. Every single store I've been to in the last few days I've seen at least one car, sometimes two or three at a time, just sitting there in the fire lane with their engines running. Are they crazy? Today at the grocery store it really pissed me off because this one car was totally blocking the entrance and this little old man I'd been politely walking behind and not passing had to go completely out of his way to get around the car and believe me it took him like three extra minutes.

Speaking of cars and driving, there's been a shoe sitting in the middle of one of the major intersections by my house. I go through it almost every day and for almost a week now I've noticed this lone, black shoe sitting in the median between lanes. It's probably the most boring thing in the universe to daydream about, but it's occupied a great deal of my thoughts the last few days? How did it get there? Is the owner missing it? What was the fate of its mate? Why hasn't anyone picked it up? Why hasn't anyone run it over yet? It was kind of nice having that little shoe there to pass by every day. Then yesterday I noticed it flattened and in the middle of one of the driving lanes. Today all that was left was the sole of the shoe. Hmm.

Yesterday and today we had glorious weather and we spent four hours each day at different parks with the rest of the moms and their entourages. It is so nice to be out in the fresh air again! After the first park day Jacob and I had to make a couple stops. One was to the computer store because something else on my computer had taken a turn for the worse. Well, when I walked in there was a guy being helped so Jacob and I had to sit and wait. I decided to turn on the computer so it would be all ready to show the guy. After it was turned on I ran through the part that I was having a problem with. And guess what. It worked. That's just great. It's not like I could turn around and walk out. I have so many issues with my computer that they know me there. But isn't that always the way it is? It's one of those laws of nature. Some device stops working, either replace said device or visit the repair shop and it suddenly starts working again, making you look like a fool.

The universe made amends to me after that though. Jacob and I had to make a quick stop at a Stewart's Shop. As I was finishing up paying for his chocolate milk I glanced over at the other counter and what do you think I saw? That's right. Cadbury eggs. Another law of nature. Give up the search, and suddenly what you were in search of magically appears without your having to look for it. They actually had a bunch of them but get this - they were $.79. Huh? Aren't they supposed to be on clearance or something? So I only got two but I'm so stoked about it I don't ever think I'll let them get eaten.

There you have it - the high points of my week: Finding Cadbury eggs and a shoe in the intersection - and the low points: Forking over three dollars at the library and a lost receipt for Red Bull.