If You Worked There, Wouldn't You Demand That They Take the Sign Down?

When both of our printer cartridges ran out of ink at the same time, it seemed serendipidous that just a day earlier I had noticed a sign at Walgreens advertising free ink refills for "up to 50% less" than buying a new cartridge. Perfect, I thought, especially since we're reeling financially from last week's unfortunate car accident, which occured while my car was parked in the Mall of America parking ramp and I was away from it for less than 15 minutes.

So in I went to the new Walgreens on Snelling today after work, to drop off my empty cartridges.

"Sorry, our machine is on back order," the guy told me shrugging. I looked from him, to the gigantic "We Re-Fill Printer Cartridges Here!" banner that was casting a shadow over the entire photo department, and back to him again. It seemed just too ridiculous to even point out.

By the time I DID find a location that truly re-filled printer cartridges, I was questioning whether or not the money saved was worth the time and gas money spent running all over the Twin Cities...but I did feel good about the recycling bit. It makes me feel a teeny bit less guilty for putting those three plastic water bottles in the garbage last night because I didn't feel like putting my shoes on to take them outside to the recycling bag.

5 Days to Go

It's a fairly typical Sunday night here in our little household. I'm googling "multiple miscarriages" for the millionth time since that nightmarish day in October, Mark is watching "Teen Wolf" (the options are limited without cable). You know, the usual. I'd say that I'm looking forward to the Christmas break that begins in just five days, but truthfully I think I will miss the routine. The logistics of getting together with three extended families in a 24 hour time period are already stressing me out, and I haven't even packed my suitcase yet. I used to love Christmas, but this year is overwhelming me. I guess to be fair, it's been awhile since life has seemed quite right.

It Could Have Been a Commerical for Jergens

I prepared to defend myself and my students against winter this morning, going to school armed with an extra-large box of Kleenex and a jumbo-sized bottle of Super Moisturizing lotion. I had no idea the power of this apparent novelty. The minute the first student noticed the lotion, all control of the class was relinquished to this plastic bottle, which was passed around from woman to woman for at least 10 minutes. They lotioned up their hands, their arms, even their faces (Ae first cleared its safety with me, pretending to rub her face: "Teach-ah, okay?"). The whole scene was repeated about an hour later, while I tried to in vain to keep them interested in the past tense.

The lone man in the class took it in stride--"I old, I tsis (don't) need!"--and then came the inevitable question from the women: "Teach-ah, how much?"

I left class today with $60 in cash, and thirteen orders for 16oz bottles of lotion. They will be Minnesotans yet.