Lately I've been loving the string quartet tribute to Coheed & Cambria album. I love it in general, but also for the very specific reason that I can really picture it as the soundtrack to a chase scene in a period film. I think that the firsth half of this thought started the other day when I had it in for after close at work and Jersey was like, "I love this! I feel like I'm in the 19th century." And then when I was driving with it on I was like, "This would make good car chase music!" so yeah, I can't escape that thought when I listen to it. Though of course it would be a horse chase or it would happen on foot or something thanks to the shortage of car chases in the 19th century.

Otherwise, I've been a little down. The thing is, Mulva's hit some hard times financially, and has been making noises about just being like, "screw it!" and moving to Japan. I don't know if it's something he really wants to do or if he's being melodramatic, but I was thinking that I'd miss him (and all the cheese he buys for me). And it got me to thinking: nearly everyone I'm friends with right now either has specific plans to move soon or has been generally indicating that they might. Sista wants to go back to Springfield, Jersey wants to go back to Jersey, Optpri wants to go back to Chicago, Mouse is going to grad school.... it sucks. I hate when people leave. First off: I don't know if it's because most people have more friends than me, and thus don't value their friendship with me as highly as I do with them, or else they're just lazy: but no one bothers to keep in touch. And I miss them. I really miss them. Not like I'm crying myself to sleep at night, but a dull ache that won't go away for ages. Also: I hate breaking in new people. Hate, hate, hate. They might be perfectly good people or whatever, but I want nothing to do with them! I want the old ones that I'm comfortable with already, dammit!

Also: if I keep up with this job, which I guess is my plan right now since all my dreams and hopes are dead, I will be going through this process constantly with the crazy high turnover rate at the store. What will it be like when I'm all old and all the new people are young and it's creepy if I try to make friends with them? And I want to move out of my parents house. I was thinking of getting a second job the other day (which how do I even do that? I don't know what availability I could give them. I won't have any day or time of day available unless I actually fill out a thing at the store that says I can't work then, and I won't know what availability the second job would want, so I couldn't fill out the thing at the store beforehand..... blah blah blah). But how sad is it if I get a place on my own and then have no friends? I can picture myself alone every day watching bad TV and eating spaghetios or mac and cheese or whatever crap food I eat all day. As annoying as my parents are, as depressing as it is to live with your parents, I don't know if I could handle all that aloneness constantly.

A roommate would probably help, both financially and the being alone all the time part, but I don't know anyone I could or would move in with.

And today in particular sucked because it was REALLY busy. Like, I was having christmas season flashbacks. I was even having 'nam flashbacks. It was crazy. I wanted to die. I spent the first 2/3 of my day at registers, and there was not enough backup. Also, we just started this rewards program they're making us push. And the thing is: it's a good program. So at least I don't feel horrible like I'm trying to sell crap. And it's free too. There is no possible down side. But the customers are suspicious and get hostile, and then there are the ones that want you to explain every detail, and it IS kind of a complicated program. Anyway, I got pretty sick of explaining that and/or trying to convince the hostile ones that we are for real and not going to be having hidden charges later on or whatever insane thing they think we're going to do. Then the last 1/3, I wasn't at registers, but I was register backup, and it was busy enough that we needed all the backup possible. By the end I just wanted to punch people in the face*.

Anyway, for awhile I couldn't figure out why it was so friggin' busy, but then I realized we have been giving out this really good coupon for two weeks that is only good for like three days, and of course today is Saturday, the day that the most people are available.

Goodness about today: my parents finally took me out for my birthday. I had steak. And was less offended that everything was all about the 'phew since I'd basically had most of my real celebrations earlier in the week.

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* Especially this one woman and her two children. First off, she wanted three different transactions so that each of her kids could buy their things separately. The first kid: I am NOT exaggerating when I say paid me the 12.75 owed in quarters and dimes. 12.75! Do you have ANY idea how many quarters and dimes that is? Do you? DO YOU??? Then, in all the madness with the change, I forgot there was a coupon. So I had to go back and do a refund and then give the woman a dollar. THEN she went nuts because in all that the coupon that prints out from the register for next week got lost. She tried to blame me, but then realized her kid must've lost it. By the way, during ALL of this her kids are going insane, irritating each other, putting their hands all over everything, annoying other customers. And WE'RE STILL ON THE FIRST TRANSACTION! Of THREE! The other two go better, mainly because I was paid with real money in one case and credit card in the other, as opposed to TWELVE SEVENTY FIVE IN QUARTERS AND DIMES. Then she has a children's punch card. She has three books but the card only has two punches left, and I can't give her a new card because we're discontinuing them. So I explain to her, and she starts getting all mad about that. And she's still mad she can't find the stupid coupon even though she's getting two more thanks to the fact that she has insisted on THREE FUCKING TRANSACTIONS. Anyway, I finally got through it and there was no one behind her, so I left as soon as possible. I knew to bring up the rewards program would plunge us into a downward spiral that could only lead to madness or perdition, so I kind of didn't mention it to her, and was sure at any time she'd notice the other cashiers promoting it and get mad at me, but she didn't so I was free to escape. Anyway, I left but then get called back to the registers almost immediately, and she's still at my register so I totally was like, "screw it" and went and helped people at another register. This woman was the last straw, man. If I'd gotten one more like her I think I would've gone insane and made her eat all of our rewards cards or something.