PENNIES!

When you work somewhere for a few years and you are there so often that you no longer experience any sort of mental stimulation during your 30+ hours per week (not like stocking fruit is a mental challenge) you go a little crazy. In my case, I have started my own charity to myself, funded by the pennies and dimes those sports camp kids leave on the floor.

I have acquired over $5 in the past two weeks. At the end of the night I go and sweep the dining area out and I've found a dollar's worth of assorted change.

So now instead of inventing useless newsletters to type or rewriting "The Quickie Guide to Produce" for the fifth time, I now employ the use of the broom to try and keep the store a little less disgusting and to engage myself in a hunt for negligible change. Double win.

This fund is going to be my "I CAN'T WAIT TO QUIT THE CREAMERY!!!!!" fund, which will not be spent until that glorious day when I clock out for the last time and hand over my managership to my successor.

Where did the Creamery hatred come from?

Maybe I'm still paranoid about getting stomach flu.

Maybe I'm just cranky. It's hard to work a lot of hours at a very small store. I like it much better during the school year...I will probably feel better once school starts.

I get six hours of sleep most nights of the week. When your next shift starts eight hours after your evening shift, you can't get a good night's sleep. Anyone who knows me well knows that I get uber cranky when I'm tired.

Cranky also means that I will probably make fun of you in my mind if you ask me a stupid question before 9am. "Are these day-old bananas?" Actually those were probably picked a month ago. "Do you sell apples?" Look slightly to your right. I forgot to tell you to open your eyes first.

Maybe I've just been at the Creamery too long. It will be 4 years by the time I leave. That is 18% of my life being a Creamery employee. I know, poor me.

I honestly think it's one of those blessings in disguise. Personally, I'm terrified of the "real world" after I'm done with school. What kind of job am I going to have, if any? Where am I going to be? Scary stuff. The Creamery is familiar and safe. Something I've relied on for years. Something has to happen to help me get out from that cozy blanket. I have to *want* to work somewhere else, and that will ultimately help me to find a job that I can enjoy and will allow me to use my brain. So I've concluded that my feelings toward the Creamery are going to be that push to help me get out into the real world; to seek out something that isn't a grocery store; something that isn't so "comfortable."

I'm sorry, Creamery. I really do love you. I just don't think it will work out in the long term, so I'm letting you know that we're breaking up in December.

WAR

Today, Will and I declared war. Our enemy: the Fungus Gnat. Tiny, 1/8 inch flies that lust after soil, and I have a lot of indoor plants. 

Every ten seconds one flies right in front of your face. Every time you go back to a glass of water you have to check and make sure one didn't drown itself in there first. 

I wouldn't be able to count the number of gnats on the fly tape by the window. 

I don't want to think of how many I might have accidentally swallowed in my sleep. 

I love my plants...but they have to go. This is war. 

Okay, it's not like there's a giant cloud of them. They are attracted to the light from our computer monitors and we're always in front of our computers. Also that would explain the success rate of the fly tape by the window. They love light. We must draw them to the light...and then KILL THEM. 

But how do I get rid of my beloved plantaloons?

They don't like my avocado tree. I'm keeping that. I refuse to get rid of my ficus. I don't think they like my philodendrons either, which is good because they never get watered. I think I'll also keep my peace lily. I will get some sand and put a 2-inch layer on the top soil layer of the plants I have to save. They can't survive in sand. 

If that doesn't work, I'm turning to chemical warfare. I suspect that they may also be breeding in a couple of the drains. Bleach them out. I hate maggots with a fiery passion fueled by pure disgust. 

I am thoroughly disgusted by our infestation, but we will conquer. 

Three Large Carrots

...made probably the worst lunch a person could have before they went on a five-hour mountain hike. As such, I found myself quite fatigued a little way before we reached the summit. Thankfully Will had some cashews and ancient fruit leather that I munched on and I was able to *survive* the rest of the hike. However, when I got home I laid down for two hours and did not get up :)

Some of the thrills we found along the way were:

-Multiple "river" crossings, including where the river decided it wanted to go down the trail
- Wild rhubarb sightings
- Gorgeous springtime forests of birch trees and other plants that had started to bud
- A couple feet of snow at the summit; still packed hard enough that it was manageable to walk on
- What we thought might have been bear poop (confirmed with a google image search)

 Yay, we reached the summit!!

The view from Squaw peak...which we hiked two weeks ago.

Also, we made a pact to not buy any more bakery goods from the Creamery, as we are getting fat. We have also rediscovered grilled cheese sandwiches and an intense passion for Gatorade, which probably isn't too much better than eating day-old brownies every day. Ah well.