Chapter the Fifth: Behind the Wheel

What a weekend.

All sorts of things took place. Here’s the synopsis.


Friday.

Was at work from 12:01 AM to 4:30 PM. Tried to leave earlier, starting at 9 AM. Was not successful. However, I did make a rendezvous at the bite of Seattle, with a Clist seller who hooked me up with all 4 ST:TNG movies. Not the deluxe versions, but for the price, the baseline discs work fine. As mentioned previously, I also purchase a shirt and pair of socks made of bamboo.

However, as also mentioned, being up for a very long time is somewhat hazardous on the pocketbook. Here’s a more or less itemized list of my purchases from 5 PM on.

4 Star Trek movies: $22

Bamboo shirt and socks :$20 (“retail price” $37, me being me got the smiling happy guy discount)

Hand carved Nepalese ring container: $20. I have begun to amass jewelry, and this thing called to me. Took me 20 minutes to find it in the stall, but I “knew” there was something in there I wanted/needed. It’s very nice. There was a $10 version, but it was not nearly as imbued.

All Fruit Smoothie: $3.50 Saved me, it did. I was surrounded by absolute temptation, on a day when I could be talked into just about anyting. As it turns out, I ate fruit and veggies for the entirety of Fri/Sat, to positive and satisfactory result. only “addition” was the booze.

Speaking of which,

RUM: $16
WINE: $4
WINE: $5

But wait, there’s more.

Since I’m out, about, and awake, I decide to stop in at the record/disc/DVD store there in QA. Before I know it, I’ve got $35 of used soundtracks in my hand, and damn near bought them all. Luckily, I am still a Cheap Bastard ™, and I whittle it down to $20

Removing one at POS, since I wasn’t altogether sure I did not already own it (I didn’t, but it’s still cool not to have picked it up).

OOF DA.

I had the money. It’s not an issue. But damn.

Some stuff sold while I was at work, so all in all, it’s not as bad as it would seem.

However, I’m still up for another 4-ish hours, until I crash around 11.

Saturday.

Up early, eat oatmeal. Yumm. Specifically, I’m up at my “normal” time of 5 AM. Insert Frowny face here. Prepared beans for Sunday’s Fajita madness. Eat large bag of vegetables for lunch, tossed with Crushed red peppers and a lite horseradish. Coordinate attendance at THE NEW DEFINITION OF SUCK, and spend a pleasant conversation with Neighbor H. Also, I transfer a disc that I had purchased incorrectly, since they don’t really care vis a vis widescreen. Saves me from returning it, and also simplifies my commute/shopping.

For indeed, I need to go shopping. this time, it’s for “work” as I’m exploring the capabilities of my new handheld, and it’s potential business apps. Looking for cheap games worth playing, which also happen to be sold in stores “in which I like to shop”

So I get out of the first one for about 20 bucks. Picked up two DVDs for $12, and three soundtrack cds to round out the rest. Stopped in at the grocery store for Fruit, and then head on down into town.

Fruit was totally the right call. filled me up, met my dietary requirements, and left a little extra room for something I’ve been wanting for months.

Movie popcorn.

I admit it. I love popcorn. I just hate eating it when I can’t see how it was prepared. But it’s my weekend off, damnit, and I can have what I want. But we’re not there yet.

I stop in at the EB games, still looking for the elusive starter game. I don’t find what I’m looking for used, but I do find it new. Also, I pick up a reasonably priced accessory pack, and make the counter monkey shuck both of unnecessary packaging.

$50. Worth it, but damn.

$10 for the CRAP movie tickets. Inside the theater, I nail the counter monkey down as to what is actually the smallest size of popcorn she can sell me. She points at a large container of popcorn, directly to the left of the one she’s actually trying to sell me. I correct her mistake, and then receive the blank stare of Minimum Wage.

I then explain to her what she’s actually going to sell me. More blankness. I then resort to The Situation That I Hate Most About Service Workers.

I point forcefully at what I want, and raise my voice slightly with a touch of irritation. End result, for once I actually get an amount of food meant for rational human beings.

The kid’s meal.

$5.50. I pawn off the candy on other people.

Then, there is movie. But we will not address that here. I’m not particularly interested in it, and I don’t want to go off on a rant…

Instead, it’s time for dinner.

$40. For just me. That’s appetizer ($10), Salad entree ($7) one drink ($8), light dessert ($7). I throw on a couple extra in case someone is short, and then round up to complete the tip.

Next destination. We are apparently bowling. First round on me, $22.

(For the record, Sunday is much cheaper)

Return home just shy of midnight, get to bed just before 2.

Up at 5 AM. Damnit.

Up again at 8, can’t push it any farther than that. Oatmeal again (yay), then off to the grocery to procure food for days 1-3 (all I need for Sunday is already ensconced). $27

I watch ST: Generations while I drink a very reasonable Iced Coffee (with Jamesons), and then make Fajitas just after noon. The Skillet splits nicely into three portions, and I set aside two for later.

For the first time since I took residence, my door is shut all day long. It was just that kind of meditation day, and it was necessary. My plan was to get nice and blotto on the coffe/irish combo, but I only ended up having the one. Instead, I drank Diet soda, and the traces of wine I used to cook.

I was happy and content all day.

Two lessons can be taken from this.

1) Days off cost a lot

2) they don’t have to.

Upon the strong recommendations of my boss, I put in only about 8 hours today. I’m still waaaay ahead of the curve, but it’s manageable.

P.S. Day 1 begins at 166. Through all the fire and the smoke, I did indeed maintain all weekend long. Looks like not giving up hope is a good idea after all.

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