Happy Birthday, Megan, Matt, and Cashmere!

I had a lovely lunch with a friend in White Marsh (MD) today, and as I was driving back up 95, I got my first ever speeding ticket. I'd bitch and moan, except I was, you know, speeding. Which, really, I don't usually do more than ten miles over the speed limit, and much of the time, I actually drive the speed limit, but I was trying to get past this guy who couldn't decided whether he was in a Nascar race or a gokart race, and I just... was impatient and non-law-abiding. To the tune of $160. Now I need to go figure out if this means I'll have points on my license. On the upside, no outstanding warrants.

I take it all of the L.A. people are okay, if likely to be wildly inconvenienced by the freeway accident/fire?

So my new CI recipe is hamburgers. It's EXACTLY THE SAME as the hamburger recipe in the cookbook. And, yes, I have said to myself, "self, I imagine that's probably a pretty good hamburger recipe, if I were inclined to make hamburgers from a reciple." But... it's already been tested. Why are they sending it to me for testing?

There is a recipe for hamburgers? Besides "pat meat flat"?

I suppose I've put in onion soup mix sometimes. That's just for kicks.

Happy Birthday Matt, Cashmere and Megan!!

amych, maybe you're the control group?

Also, I've sent a "sorry you're incarcerated" letter, and I don't think it would have felt right sending a pre-messaged card. I'm actually currently wondering what do to about a sympathy note -- I have a sympathy card here in my house, but I might just do a plain note anyway.

Can someone tell me what the hell everyone was doing at the bookstore today? We had the expected tons-o'-teachers ("Educators Appreciation Week" began today, which gives 25% discounts to teachers instead of just 20%), but there were lots of non-teachers buying in bulk as well, seeming to start their Xmas shopping, or maybe just stocking up. I had a lot of sales over $200, and one over $500 (after the 25% discount).

With the teachers using their discounts, I figured it might be harder to sell those membership cards, which my manager was pressuring me to do before we opened. But, with all the big sales, I ended up with ten card sales, which the manager thought might be a record for a non-holiday-season 8-hour shift! Even though I don't work too often there, I'm getting a nice rep for being a primo card seller, which is always good.

I also spent 40 minutes wrapping presents for one of those teachers spending $300 on kids books, all of which she wanted wrapped in multiple-item packages for her grandnieces and -nephews Xmas gifts, making the wrapping even more of a PITA. Her timing couldn't have been better--I was supposed to start my break five minutes after she showed up, so since I was pushing back my final break for her, I didn't feel guilty for pulling out the stool and wrapping while seated, which at least gave my feet and back a break.

One of the co-workers from today called me tonight, asking if I could take his on-call shift for tomorrow (meaning I'd have to be available, even if they didn't need me), but I told him I was too busy. I didn't say I'd be busy sleeping and watching NFL.

Happy Birthday Cashmere and Megan!

Thanks for all the birthday well-wishes, everyone.

I was mildly bummed at first about the Buffy singalong in St. Louis being cancelled right before my birthday, but still had a great day today. Some friends treated me to lunch, I saw The Jane Austen Book Club at the movies, then took my cousin out for Moroccan for dinner where I found out Amir put his seafood tagine (perhaps one of my two all-time favorite entrees) back on the menu after a 3-year absence.

I wish I had spent too much money at the book store today! Or yesterday, really. I spent most of today on a bus, with a friend who was mostly sleeping and a book I'd read before and remember too much of.

I spent the morning at the dentist and the afternoon in urgent care.

I think I was channeling ita or something.

I spent *plenty* of money today--first at Target (where I'm not even sure what I bought, other than a brita pitcher...just random crap, honestly! But $75 worth!) and then at Home Depot (where, I SWEAR paint did not used to be that expensive--$23 a gallon? Damn! $125, and that's only cause they messed up my one paint and gave it to me for $5!)

But I have painted two and a half walls of my new apartment! Yay! The one wall is way more yellow and less orange than I thought it would be, but I'll survive. And the orange is more orange and less brown than I thought it would be. But again, it'll do. Together, they make the apartment so much warmer!

Tomorrow, to see if the green and blue I bought for the bedrooms are also Not At All what they looked like on the paint sample...