Saturday, March 1st.
Up about 7:30am. That was a rare feat for me, getting up early on the weekend. My plan was to go to the post office (1 hour) nearby to pick up my Amazon order. Then, I would head to Yonkers, to go to make copies of some papers and the mail those papers off. Now, it seems to be harder and harder to find a place that has a copy machine. Anyway, I decided at the last minute to make a change. Instead of going to the post office in Yonkers, I decided to go to the mall near Tarrytown. That mall has a Staples store and a post office as well.

First stop would be to pick up my Amazon order. MN train one stop north. 20 minute walk uphill to post office. 20 minute wait in the post office. I'm sorry, no disrespect, but they move slower than molasses. 20 minute return walk back to the MN train station. I finally took a photo of one of the steep mountain side streets that I walk around my home. I will attach a photo. I made it back to the station with a few minutes to spare. So, what was my Amazon order?

Star Trek (book)- Deep Space Nine "Twist of Faith"
Dream Girls (DVD)
Spiderman (DVD)- Animation


I took the MN train to Tarrytown and had to wait about 30 minutes for the bus to the mall. I went to McDonald's (hamburger & strawberry milkshake) to kill the time. It has been a very long time since I've had a MacDonald hamburger. Usually, I order the Big Mac Meal. What a waste of buying just a hamburger. All you get is a small patty with a squirt of ketchup and a sprinkling of onion bits.

On the bus ride to the mall, I started reading the DS9 book. I liked the timeline at the beginning of the book. I also like that it is the "official" continuation of the TV series. At the mall, my first stop was to see what was playing at the movie theater. Nothing interesting to me. Next stop, Panda Express. Next stop was Barnes & Noble ($40). Originally, my plan was to just visit the Sci-Fi section to see what was there. After a few(3) trips to the cashier, I ended up with the following:

* Kingdom Come (Graphic Novel)- The story of DC characters about 50 years in the future.
* Infinity Crisis (Graphic Novel) - A kind of sequel to the reshaping/reorganization of the DC universe.
* The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Having brought young adult fantasy books for the past several years (and being recently reminded of that), I looked through the Classics section to see about buying a classic (one that would not involve me covering up the cover for reading on the train). My plan was to buy Moby Dick, but it looked a bit too big and a bit too dry. I finally settled on the Kafka book, which I read in college. One of the stories was about a character who turns into a human size roach and the family having to cope with the change (if I remembered correctly). If I can get through this book, then my plan will be to alternate my reading between young adult fantasy and classic literature.

Last stop was a Target store ($203.11). I have a bad habit of shopping out of boredom. I ended up buying a few items that I did not really need to have at that moment (except the shower spray):

* Shower spray - Great invention for a lazy person. "Just spray and walk away". It was on sale, so I bought two.
* Plastic forks - again, for the lazy person who lately has not been in the mood for washing dishes.
* Wet Ones towelettes. I like the towelettes better than just the hand-sanitizer because the towelettes can also be used to wipe down the dirty fast food table surfaces.
* Electronic Dictionary - Even those "young adult" fantasy books can be a bit over my head. Ever since I bought my foster father's lady friend one, I've wanted one.
* Digital Voice Recorder (and a cell phone case I hope will fit) - I'm tired of trying to jot down the craziness with pen a paper. Now, with just a push of a button (with automatic day and time stamp), I can keep track of the craziness.
* TRACPONE (Prepaid)Cell Phone (also with a case I hope fits)- My current cell phone is a bit old with the monochrome screen. My students laugh when I pull out my cell phone with the plastic protective case (think granny's plastic covered couch). This new one is a bit sleeker with the flip-top design. This new one also has limited Internet access. I bought the prepaid type of phone because I rarely use my cell phone. I also did not like the idea of committing to a full year with a contract that seems like you are signing over your first born child. Now, I am just hoping I will be able to keep my same phone number. It would be nice if it is as easy as moving my SIMS card from my old phone to the new one.

After Target, instead of risking missing the bus by visiting another store, I decided to read my graphic novel inside the mall by the exit nearest to the bus stop. I rode the 7PM bus back to Tarrytown, and then transferred to the express train to Yonkers. From Yonkers, I walked home from Yonkers. I saved 6 minutes instead of waiting for the local train. I had a Weight Watcher's meal for dinner.


Post Date - Saturday, March 8, 2008 6:24PM