some days i want to stab myself with a plastic knife. other days i want to stab strangers with real knives. i haven't totally decided which kind of day today is.

yesterday was a long, plastic knife stabbing sort of day. i fell asleep ridiculously early last night and woke up ridiculously earlier this morning. i spent the morning attempting to work on some freelance projects but ended up wasting several frustrated hours just trying to get the development environment on my computer to function correctly. (don't worry if that doesn't make sense to you. it doesn't make sense to me either.) i sent off a desperate email to rick for help and then packed up for an afternoon at starbucks. after serving a frappucino to every single student from calvary christian academy, enduring leers from socially-inept men, wrapping scores of old pastries for the presbyterian night shelter, and re-stocking the condiment bar, i clocked out. to my great delight, rick was waiting for me in a booth, ready to solve all of my computer woes. i had brought my laptop with me in anticipation of just such an event. after an hour and some mild hollering at my computer, he had me back up and running. it made me feel better to know that even Computer Genius Rick thought my problem was legitimate enough to warrant a yell or two. ( i had already yelled a time or three at my computer this morning). i packed up and left starbucks for good.

i walked to the parking garage to get my car. we are not really supposed to park in the garage during the day, but since my shift was so short, i cheated and validated my own ticket. i made my way to the bottom of the garage and the attendant told me i owed $7.50. i said, "i thought you didn't have to pay if it was validated?" she said, "it only knocks $2.50 off the total price. you still owe me $7.50."

"oh."

"well what time can i leave for free?," i said. "not until seven," said she. it was only 6:10. i thought a cuss but i didn't say it out loud. she was nice and didn't deserve to receive my entire day's worth of frustration wrapped up in a single expletive. i told her i'd wait until 7 and then reversed myself right on back up to a parking spot. i made the people in line behind me mad. fortunately they refrained from honking and only made ugly faces. good thing. otherwise i might have said a cuss at them.

since i was already packing my laptop, i decided to walk to the library and try to get a little work done. you'd be surprised how difficult it is to locate delectrical outlets at the library. it took me ten minutes to find a table near a plug and get situated. i had no sooner sat down and started to work than somebody started hammering their little heart out on a new exhibition display. i felt like putting my hair in a little librarian bun and telling them to PLEASE SHUSH! i also felt like stabbing them.

i guess that ends the wondering. today is a stab strangers with real knives sort of day.