This woman came into the store yesterday and bought ten pairs of shoes worth a total of over $1000. Sadly, she did not buy them from me. I was amazed, though. Three pairs were for her daughter, two of which were ugg boots. I can’t really imagine growing up like that. Afterward, I kept thinking of how many pairs of shoes I could buy if I could have anything I wanted, and then I remembered not to be a materialistic brat. (Not that this girl necessarily was one.)

Tomorrow I work at the store all day, and it’s Blooming Day on Grand Avenue, so I get to hand out flowers from ten to eleven. I hope they’re pretty.

Kris and I went to see Tegan and Sara at the Zoo last night. Yep, the zoo. There’s an amphitheater that’s actually really nice, and we were pretty close. They’re pretty cute. And they played a cover of Dancing in the Dark. Bit of a crush.

Also, I saw Malavika in Detroit on Tuesday night, which, as usual, was just bad news. She said “ass” a lot even though she’d told me she’s trying to cut down on her language. But I commend her success in finding my grandfather’s apartment and handling meeting part of my ginormous family. We went to Birmingham (I think, I don’t really know anything about the Detroit area) and ate nachos and gelato.

She liked her gelato.

I liked her bag.

We obviously hate each other.

I work today at 5, and there’s a pair of shoes I REALLY want to buy, so if someone would like to buy my old twin bed to facilitate that, I would be most grateful.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling.
‘Tis you, ’tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow
‘Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow.
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And I shall hear, tho’ soft you tread above me,
And then my grave will warm and sweeter be,
And you’ll bend down and tell me that you love me,
And I will rest in peace until you come to me.

Andrew and I played this on Monday at Mass in a reprise of a time we played it three years ago at the 50th anniversary party.

At my great-uncle Dave’s, from L-R: Pat (#3) who used to live in St. Croix and then Aruba, Jim (#2) whose family is as Catholic as my grandmother might wish we all were and whose children knew all the Mass reponses, Ann (#7) the only girl and the only other redhead, Fred but really my grandfather, Paul (#1) but really my dad, Tom (#5) whose five-year-old screams and runs away from you if she doesn’t know you but who’s adorable nonetheless, Mark (#4) who made the call on Thursday and who’s my favorite, and Frank (#6) who lives in Santa Monica and had to fly in from Malta and brought his beautiful girlfriend

And newly not present, Joan my grandmother, who convinced the priest 25 years ago to marry my parents even though my mom was keeping her name, among many other things that I hope I won’t forget.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
-Mary Frye

In about ten minutes I’m off to the airport to go to Detroit till Wednesday for a funeral. But, I will see Malavika, and I will see all the Irish family members who either live in or like to descend upon Detroit.

So, ta ta.

I went into Liquor Depot on Washington Avenue today. It’s ginormous. City Pages rated it the best liquor store and one of its examples of why it’s great is its endless varieties of vodka. Anyway, I was there purely for business, and was just buying water. I felt a little silly and really moral, but really it was just the nearest place to buy bottled water. On the way back I lost some of the change and felt supremely incompetent until I found it again.

Was so not awake this morning. For some reason I didn’t really sleep last night. So the hours of 9 to 10 am were spent in a zombie-like state. But then I went and got a mocha, so the hours of 10 to 3:30 were spent in excessive chirpiness and cheerfulness toward everyone around me. I think maybe now I understand why they put caffeine in Midol. It might also have had something to do with constantly having interesting things to do today. Some might not find the UPS price calculator machine fun. To you, I say poo poo.

I did not plan for that to rhyme. Mike is not out of work yet, and his copy of Harry Potter #6 is staring intently at me from its spot on my nightstand… so I’m going to go indulge.

Is v. hot. Tonight Mike took me to Linens N Things where I bought my very own full size sheets for my very own full size mattress. I just set it up in my room and I turned it around so the room feels bigger.

You may not find this exciting. In the words of Jonny Depp’s Willy Wonka*, “You’re weird.”

No celebrity sightings since Thursday, thanks for asking. I sold a lot of shoes today though.

If anyone wants a twin bed/box spring/frame for $100, let me know. I’ve got one rarin to go. And as an added bonus (this is just for you special people), it’s very floral.

*Having not read the book in a long time, I don’t know if Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka says this. Sad. My Roald Dahl collection is all in Texas.

OMG.

Maya Rudolph was in the store today! At around 7:30! Just when I’m getting slightly pissed off at people coming into the store within a half hour of closing. No one said anything till she was gone.

She’s very pregnant and in town filming the Prairie Home Companion movie.

OMG.

There are several very tiny just-born mousies out on my front step. They are so little that they are all pink and their little bulgy blue eyes are closed. They aren’t very cute, except that they seem to be motherless, and one of them is wriggling a lot, while others aren’t, which has me very worried about their tiny mouse lives. Two of them were out in the sun, the rest were under a bush, so Mike and I covered them in a big leaf. They look so very much like baby hamsters that I’m really sure they should be stuffed under or on their mother right now and not all alone on my front steps.

:-[

I hope their mum comes back so they can grow into “wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beasties.” Only maybe not cowrin all the time like they are now.

I’m very concerned.

It is hot. Hot hot hot. With no AC. I swear I wouldn’t complain if there was AC. It’s my day off, the landlord isn’t here (yet…), and I’m going to buy shoes at some point. Then I’ll probably be a little bored.

No exciting news. Anne Marie left us today for her real job, but she will be at the Butcher Shop party tonight, as will the customer service woman from work, who just gave me a ride home. I drove her Passat successfully and safely to my door (she asked me to drive) in spite of the continuous charming stream of conversation coming from her. Normally I’m not a very good driver when people are talking to me.

Now I’m going to try on clothes and clean.