so today i went thrifting with ali; we drove to morristown, to the market street mission. every time in the past that i've attempt to go to this particular store, something has happened. for example: a few summers ago, we got lost looking for the thrift store. we found the actual mission (and yes, it does have a lit-up "jesus saves" cross), but we never found the actual store. which was bad, because at some point, while getting into the car, i ripped my pants. and i don't mean i got a little tear in the knee or something. i'm talking about the entire seam at the back of my jeans. flapping behind me, exposing my entire rear. the kind of rip that makes you grateful for button down shirts, and how wonderfully they double as butt-covers.

but that was last time. this time we made it to the thrift shop. i found some neat things, like the mcdonalds black history month educational tape. look mom, McHistory! also an incredibly tacky and gaudy hawaiian shirt for the miami room in the youth center. and a vest made of beautiful fabric which will never fit me, but will make a nice something else, and some baby things for princess messyface. and then it was time to hunt down some dinner. we parked in a public lot and walked. and walked. we tried to hunt down a sushi place that ali loves. we found one on the second floor of a building. the stairway was dark, but we walked up anyway. to find the waiter (or someone) stretched out across three chairs, gently snoring. we laughed for an entire block. and i got to watch seeing eye dogs in training (morristown is home to the seeing eye dog project, in case you were wondering. i had a huge fascination with them when i was little, so it was quite a thrill.). with our hopes of california rolls pretty much shot, we found a bagel place and i had a knish for the first time. they're good. at the bagel shop, we bought little slips of paper with the sign language alphabet printed on them from a deaf man who complimented ali's nose ring.

we walked again looking for ice cream to satisfy ali's chocolate cravings, and found little tokyo, the sushi restaurant we were originally looking for. irony abounds, kids, everywhere i look. ali with a chocolate peanut butter shake in hand, we bought film and headed back to the car. which wouldn't start. no matter how hard we begged and pleaded. cell phones were used. ali's father came and jumpstarted her car, and we drove back to her house, coming perilously close to stalling and pretty much just being stranded. turns out it was her battery. it leaked. it leaked so badly that it corroded one of its own terminals, which broke off when her father tried to take out the battery. apparently the people at the auto parts store knew what was good for them, because they replaced it free of charge.

after all that excitement, i came home and watched tv. i just needed a break. in fact, i think that more than a break, i need sleep.

i know bad things are happening, and my brain can't take it. -beatpoetgrrl

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