| 8:33p |
Weddings, old guys on scooters, Siamese fighting fish, libraries and Old Maid
My friend Theresa got married on Saturday. I love weddings. I like the beauty of the ancient rituals- dressing up and feasting and making speeches because two people have fallen in love. Theresa looked so beautiful that I seemed to be continually staring at her throughout the night- she was such a vision! I got to have a wonderful, long chat with Chris Findley, who used to be my Bible study leader when I was in first year. I like to say that she's my mentor, but she doesn't like that word. I thought that it was because it sounded like "Mentos", but no, Chris doesn't like being called a mentor because she doesn't want to appear to know everything.
When I got back to work the next day, it was really nice to drift around and remember all of the lovely things that had happened the day before. I have become quite laid-back about things at work lately. I think that it is because things are so busy- shoppers are panicking all over the place, and so things just seem to become less disastrous the more they occur. It all becomes rather funny to me after awhile. Like, on Sunday, this lady returned a photo frame because it smelt bad. And it was true! The photo frame stank! It smelt like a really dirty street in Indonesia. Then, I was showing this really old guy where the lift was. He was using a scooter in the store for the first time, and this lady from the scooter place (which is called Shop Mobility) was guiding him in how to use it. He was so cute- he'd just bought some Chanel No. 5 for his wife. Anyway, Grace Bros was totally packed, and I was walking at a healthy pace, saying "Right this way...the lift is over here." And the old guy was zipping along, with the lady saying, "I think you should slow down while you're still getting used to the scooter. Be careful- you don't want to knock anyone over!" Then she'd take his speed down to the very lowest. Then the old guy would say in his shaky voice, "I think that I can go just a little bit faster. I think that I'll try it." Then he'd accelerate and go faster, and run over the lady's foot! It was so funny!
Today, I went to visit my friend Kara at her work. You see, not only am I working at being more social, I'm also working at being spontaneous. You know, waking up and running out the door without making my bed or thinking about what I'll get up to during the day. Anyway, I made the discovery a couple of weeks ago that Kara sells Siamese fighting fish from a stand outside the bottom level at Grace Bros. She gets so bored on her own some days, poor thing, that I decided sit with her and keep her company. Kara is this wonderful being- she's a very warm, natural and earthy character, with soft wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes. We used to go to church and high school together (though she was three years below my year). Whenever I call her, I say, "Hi, this is Carla, can I please speak to Kara?" and it sounds very funny! We went to Gelatissimo after she finished work, and I ordered three flavours to celebrate my first gelato of the season. We then both bought a pair of shorts- hers were these grey fisherman-style ones, and mine were this bright teal 60's style ones.
In between seeing Kara at work and at Gelatissimo, I went to the library. I have decided that I love libraries, especially this time of the year! You see, this morning, as my brother and I caught the bus to Macquarie Centre, we were sharply reminded of what today is: the first day of the school holidays. Yes, the bus was packed with boys in trucker hats and girls in pleated skirts and visors, all busting to get to the mall after a year slogging it out at school. And who can blame them? So I quite cunningly deduced that the most teenager-free place I could go would be the local library. It was so peaceful in there, with so many books about different things you could learn, and places you could imagine being. Plus they have really great novels to read! AND they have CDs you can borrow, and amongst them, I found the "West Side Story" soundtrack and Waikiki's original soundtrack.
Anyways, must dash. I announced at dinner with my family tonight that I wanted to play a game of Old Maid. This was to entertain Zachary, of course, but there's also the fact that I've been called "Old Maid" for the past few days after I lost our last game, and I don't fancy being called that at all. Someone's gonna be left with the old dame today, and it ain't gonna be me. |