not in a good way

Things What I Love.
by jenni ripley, listmaker

– Going out in the quiet weekend earliness, and everyone’s smiling and saying ‘good morning’. Doesn’t happen two hours later in the day.

– Seeing people wearing the things I’ve knitted for them.

– The sun showing through the vines on my bedroom window.

– Getting things right.

I’ve been listening to Diary, and it’s taking me longer to get through because I can only take so much of it¹. I like Palahniuk a lot; he’s by no means a great writer, but his now-cliched mantra-like repetitiveness can be counted upon as much as it can be irritating, and also, well, Fight Club. In addition, I like his technique of deconstructing everything into its base ugliness; it’s supposed to shock you, but really, if you’ve spent any time thinking about anything, it’s stuff you already knew, but mental yoga can never be a bad thing. His platitudes are still something to ponder: “We have no scar to show for happiness.”²

Also, “What you don’t understand you can make mean anything” should be the tagline for the internet.

Yesterday, I did 2.5 million things, one of which was to go to the Y. When the girl at the desk scanned my card, she stopped and stared at the screen instead of handing it back to me and wishing me a good workout. She scanned it again, squinted, and yelled, “Chris, can you come here?” As they muttered amongst themselves, I knew I was going to end up crabby.

For the last year, I was on this program through HealthPartners where they pay $20 towards your dues each month, as long as you go regularly. It’s like one of the first good things health insurance companies ever did. Since I don’t have insurance anymore, I figured the Y would just charge me the full $49 and everyone would be happy. They had other ideas, however. They decided I didn’t want to go anymore.

So, I no longer have a Y membership. They even kept my card³. Dude told me to come back Monday and they’d fix everything, but I have to fill out an application and provide proof of income and all that crap I had to do two years ago when I signed up. He must’ve seen that the compulsive freak in me had emerged with the look of absolute incomprehension: come back Monday? How was I supposed to work out over the weekend? So he let me in yesterday. Today, I have a day off. Not by choice.

My aunt, our realtor, asked if I could knit her one of those furry scarves all the kids are wearing. She wanted rainbow colors. I’m not a fan, but they only take a couple hours and people seem to like them. Here’s Cocoa modeling it. A lady at the coffeeshop asked me why I didn’t make and sell them, since they have them in stores for $15-20 apiece. Besides the fact it’s like $7.50 an hour, it’s $25 in yarn. Granted, I’m a yarn snob. Cheap yarn feels like ass, and not in a good way⁴.

I had to go to Walgreens yesterday, because they’re the only place that can be counted on to have my hair color. I love Walgreens, because they have the coolest, most bizarre shit, and is usually so packed-full of freaks, you’d think you just wandered into the internet. Their thing lately has been as-seen-on-TV stuff, and as-seen-on-TV knockoffs. Since I don’t see TV, I’m always somewhat alarmed and intrigued by the latest crap. Also, Walgreens has scary medical devices and medicine for conditions you’ve only heard of if you grew up during the Black Plague. Luckily, I didn’t; I grew up during the 70s, i.e. the Tacky Plague.

I’m still mulling over winter classes. The current forerunner is Arabic, which is offered through the local community college. Pro: Calla says that since I know Russian, Arabic would be like learning Spanish. Easy. Con: It’s $250. A lot more than community ed classes. And from now until April, everything I do will be weighed against the consideration of having to put away $3,000 a month towards taxes. Stupid. No, way stupid. I think I should take Arabic.

That’s enough rambling for this fine weekend. Now I have a date with Kristin at Moxie, and then Sunset Blaze.
Jenni
(And not in a good way)