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2001-06-25 - 7:37 p.m.

A new toothbrush, AT&T and UPS amid a day of packing

I hate it when I use a dollar bill to buy a soda out of the machines downstairs and then, on my way back up, remember that I have eight quarters in my bag. That sucks.

So today was nearly perfect. I talked with Molzo for the first time last night and went to bed about 3 a.m. after reading a little of The Town and the City, which is long, but I'm nearly halfway through. I look forward to some extended book time in the sun or my random hotel room Thursday night. The conversation was nice, but (to her disappointment), I don't have much else to say about that. I slept in this morning until 11 a.m., when the phone rang and Dave told me he had the CD I'd asked him to burn for me. So I got up half an hour later and went out to pick it up, then decided I needed a sun shade for my car and went to Kmart and also, in the interest of dental hygiene, picked up a new toothbrush and two rolls of black and white film. The film is in the interest of creativity, not dental hygiene.

From Kmart, I went to Staples, since I'd decided to make copies of the CD cover of the CD I had Dave burn, rather than make some sort of cover myself. The CD is a gift, you see. That done � it took an hour, since I had to drive between each stop, since the stores and Dave's office are not part of the same shopping centers � I returned home for lunch.

After the leftover pizza, it was up to my room to pack for the trip. Two bags were necessary � one to come with me on the ferry over to Nantucket, the other for the wedding weekend in Cincinnati and any potential travel days afterward, should Bryan and I decide not to take the most direct route back to New Jersey and then to his place in Boston. I'm packed through next Thursday, which is when I'll have to be back at work.

I called AT&T to have my calling card switched to my phone, since for some reason when I got the card in February, they associated it with my parents' bill, so that when I made all kinds of calls on it in Clearwater, it showed up on their bill. It took a good 20 minutes to get that squared away, so you're not the only one with AT&T troubles, Case. Granted, mine are through and the woman didn't try to hit on me ...

THEN, I put together my camera bag and film and the like, and took out the junk from my trunk. I cleaned my room a bit, transferring what had been a huge pile of stuff in front of and on top of my desk to a neater pile of papers and magazines beneath my desk. I put away some photo albums and negatives and stacked the photo boxes with the stray prints more neatly. Now I can really tackle the mess when I return.

That done, I put together a few things to send to a friend and walked up to the post office to mail them. Then I finally framed three photos for a long-overdue gift to two friends in Chicago. Only upon arriving at UPS, I was informed that they no longer ship photos framed under glass, at least not with insurance. I walked out, since the first time I tried to send this gift, they broke the damn thing. Guess they'd been doing that a lot. That was the only loss on the afternoon. I'll have to take care of that when I return, too, and I might just get that wedding gift to them by their one-year anniversary ... next month. I swear, this is the last time I try to be so ambitious and creative with a wedding gift. Starting ... this fall, since I'm in a bit of a bind for Saturday's wedding. What was supposed to be a group gift has now become Bryan and me, so long as he finds something in Mexico. Otherwise, he's going with a check and I'll make a last-minute check of their registered list on Friday.

After showering, all that was left was a stop at the ATM and filling up the car (then UPS, but that was covered). I also "Theftlocked" my car's stereo � a year after buying it � since it will be parked in a lot for two days.

So here at work they've put a limit on our phone calls. They recently changed the phone system. Where callers used to dial a main number, then an extension, it is now possible to dial a particular phone directly. We think it's so they can monitor personal and long-distance calls. Well, tonight there's a memo about cell phone use. We are now restricted to using personal cell phones only once a day, during break or lunch periods, and in non-work areas (basically the cafeteria, lobby, or entryway). All personal phone calls are limited to one a day. It's like jail. The thing is, many of us don't even take a designated lunch period, or breaks. Of course, we all spend a good amount of time online or watching whatever game is on, but that's work. Ah well, whatever. I'll just be sure to ask any friends I call from the office a question about sports and then write down their response should any supervisors walk by. Then, it's a business call.

Well, friends, this is the last entry for a week or so. As of midnight, I'm off to Cape Cod and then on the first ferry out to Nantucket. By Friday I'll be in southwest Ohio and come Sunday, back on the road again. It's a perfect trip � a fashionable, relaxing two days on Nantucket, a road trip through unfamiliar parts of Pa., then new areas of Ohio. A reunion with good college friends and what shall likely be two nights of intense celebration, and then a roadtrip back with a college buddy. The computer will not be coming with me on this trip, so there will be no updates from the road. But you can count on a fully detailed account of the adventures when I return.

Until then, the new Best of Dano link and my extensive archives will have to suffice.

Or you could read someone else's diary or an actual book or something.

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