Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

Today was "I can't really afford this, but ..." day. I had to run up to the photo labs to pick up proofs and a contact sheet from a friend's late-2002 wedding because she's in town for another friend's wedding this weekend and I'll see her tomorrow. That's not the can't-afford part -- she sent me money to pay for developing. The Glenn-being-naughty part is that while I was up there I dropped off a couple of rolls of slide film from anniemal's 1939 box camera (one of the things stolen in November) that have been annoying me more every time I see them sitting there waiting to be developed. (One lab didn't have the contact print ready and asked me to come back in half an hour, which becomes a factor later in this paragraph.) And I went to Service Photo to buy film for the wedding this weekend ... the idea of attending a wedding without the right kinds of film just felt even more uncomfortable than the idea of spending money on film right now. Then I noticed my hands were shaking and realized I Neeed To Eat, so I found a place selling Pakistani food and bought some, instead of going home and eating groceries I already had. On the way back to the lab for the contact sheet, I passed a kitten on a leash -- a timid, black and white "cow pattern" kitten. Coming out of the lab, he was still there, so I spent time I should've been doing other things because I couldn't resist introducing myself to the cat and his owner. And that took longer than I thought it would, because it was this dog-person's first cat, and I wound up transferring some of my kitty-knowledge to him and taking a few photos. Then I came home. I'm trying to figure out what else on the "need to get done by this weekend" list I can actually get to. I'm tired and everything hurts today.

So some film and food I couldn't really afford, and a half-hour I couldn't really afford. But I made two new friends (one four-legged and one two-legged) and will be able to take pictures at the wedding this weekend (which I can't find my invitation to, so I need to find out exactly where it is). Sometimes I get so tired of resisting temptation. I just need to make sure I don't tip anything over into the catastrophe zone when I weaken. (I figure it's kind of like a diet -- if you don't forgive yourself the occasional violation, eventually you'll break the diet in a big way instead of a small one ... but the difference is that at my financial level, some of the constraints are hard limits, not just "oh this pushes back the goal a little" ones. So figuring out what really is a "small" naughtiness is the challenge.)

I should try to get out to the grocery store now that rush hour should be ending. I heard Giant had Prilosec on sale this week, and I just ran out.

The kitten is six months old and today was his first time outdoors. He was apropriately scared when a bus went past, but in the time I was there I watched him go from afraid of anybody walking past, to nervous as people approached but curious as soon as they were facing away from him. The owner said someone had told him he should try to socialize the kitten so he'd grow up to be friendly, or at least not completely afraid of people. From what I saw, this kitten is probably going to be fine in that regard -- perhaps not the most immediately friendly cat, but probably a pretty typical "keep away until I decide you're safe then say hello" type when he grows up.

I mentioned that indoor cats live longer. The fellow mentioned that he never planned to let the cat outdoors except on a leash. I told him about Perrine. And we even talked about poodles a little.

I need to do laundry, sort through the photos I picked up today, and pay bills.

When I came home there was a "sorry we missed you" sticker from UPS on the door. I wasn't expecting a package ...