When I called in the order to Lerner's, imagine my surprise when the CSR said "is this Jan Yarnot?" We were told when taking orders for Penney's, after asking name and phone number, not to brag up that we knew their addresses, as people were afraid of computers. After the CSR rattled off my name and address, I suggested that maybe he also knew what I wanted to order? His psychic abilities failed then, however.

I saw the pilot of Felicity, and I think I enjoyed it, but the reception was such a mess. For some reason Rich doesn't think the problem is our antenna, despite the age of same, and the destruction the wind did to it last winter.

Wednesday he wanted to go to the big opening of the new grocery store, the replacement for our neighborhood store. So I foolishly went along on this trip into Hell. First, we had to park a half block away, across the street.
Outside, there was a booth with the Foster Imposters, the chickens who try to fake being Foster Farms chickens. There were tempting t-shirts, and stuffed toys, but we followed the Pillsbury Doughboy into the store. Which is huge. And I'm sure it has every foodstuff ever produced anywhere in the world. It was jampacked, too, and I just hate crowds.
(My phobias are closer to claustrophobia than agoraphobia, but after 4 years in England I went to an American grocery store with my aunt and wanted to stay in a corner and tremble. I was completely incapable of entering a shoe store for months. The new Raley's reminded me of these times.
Then, of course, the Wyoming upbringing comes into play. Crowds bother me. Yes, I've done a lot of things with mobs of people, but I often feel like running away and hiding in a corner when it's unregulated. A baseball game has a semblance of order. A store opening doesn't. They're everywhere, moving every which way!)
There were lots of food demonstrations going on, but huge lines for them. We got some of the stuff. Rich surprised me by not picking up the baggie of free dog food, but he pointed out that Sailor would probably decide that was the only thing he would eat. They were giving away flowers and pens. I waited till we were leaving to pick these up... again, the lines were appalling.
I scoped out the produce. The new Lucky has many mushroom types, as does this store. These are wrapped, though. There were enoki and portabella, shitake and others I'd never heard of. They actually have broccoli rabe, which all the magazine recipes seem to call for, and which I've been unable to find. They had tiny kiwi the size of blueberries, and some veggies I have never seen before. In the fruits there were "tomallillos" which look interesting. (I used to think papaya was exotic!) I picked up a "cherimoya", sort of a melon-like fruit that looks most like a sunchoke.
Then we headed for checkout. We carefully avoided Mary Lou's line (the slow checker) but, with my usual great luck, she took over at the person ahead of me. The feed seems to be automatic, so my stuff kept trying to smother the one item of that person. Meanwhile, Mary Lou was trying to figure out the phone. Then came time for the checkout, and she couldn't find the total. (The customer display is fantastic.) Eventually she got to us, and then didn't know what the cherimoya was. I kept telling her it was a fruit, and she kept looking in vegetables, convinced it was an artichoke. Then she got another phone call. Finally a bagger came back with the information on the fruit, and she rang it up, and we saw the total (since she didn't) and finally got out of there. (1)
There are lots of impressive things there. They even have a cafe and 1-hour film developing. Their grammar isn't as good as Lucky's: it's "10 items or less" there. However, they do have the carts inside, which Lucky's doesn't. I was appalled that I don't know the checkers and floor clerks now, (except for Mary Lou, of course) since that was one of the nice things about the smaller store. The worst thing is that I'll have to start planning better: I'm not going to search for a parking place and walk three miles inside the store for a single item. In fact, I begin to think my neighborhood store is now 7-11.

The old guy I always see pushing carts and picking up trash at the store seems to have changed to 7-11. I kind of thought maybe he'd start at the new store, since I think it's probably closer to where he lives.

Then I dragged Rich to Saving Private Ryan. Pagan's right, these people and my father didn't go through this kind of hell so that Clinton can use the Constitution as toilet paper. Apart from that, though, I cried. Good movie!

Yesterday I thought we were looking for Rich's computer, but it also became the Big Birthday Present Search. (After I bought myself what he'd already bought me (a dinosaur virtual pet!) last year, I shouldn't complain, of course.) I was glad I went along, since he (desperate) thought maybe what I really wanted was a new VCR. Hey, I have no qualms with the two old ones. They're doing well enough for what I want, and I don't see spending money which he tells me is tight on something like this. A computer for him, yes. Not to replace something that doesn't really need replacing. Digital cameras are too expensive, ditto CD-changers. I couldn't find "Eleventh Hour" and the Arcade games don't include my favorite, Millipede.
Later Rich shopped on his own and came in thinking I might like a barstool, to improve the computer seating here in the kitchen. (TOLD you he was desperate!) I said I'd think about it, but I don't really think so. I'm thinking a used 386 or 486 laptop. I don't need fast, I don't need big, but I would like to have something to write on when we're travelling. What I'd really like is a couple of kittens, but that's not in the cards. (And Antenna is dying. She's nearly 7, so this isn't a surprise, but it's sad.)

In the mail, Rich gets jury duty, and the first day is the day we're training for the election. We got our ballots. Roni sent the whale-watching information and a bunch of Farley strips. I used to send Pogo strips to MY mother, it's a fine old tradition. Monica and Mark sent an ice bucket with sparkling champagne and all sorts of gourmet crackers and spreads for our anniversary.
My aunt in Casper called and we had a long chat catching up with the family. It's so nice to hear how well she sounds.
Vince called, a day early for my birthday, in a panic. Nice to hear from him.

Today I saw AntZ which I loved. They did a terrific job on it. I got e-mail from the producer of My Sweet Suicide wishing I were a syndicated reviewer! They're showing it tomorrow, again. Mr. J. thinks Rich would enjoy it... so do I, but the chances of getting him to another movie in the next year are slim to none.

Justine's mom gave us comps to her husband's newest play with InterACT (Interactive Asian Contemporary Theater) so we went to see "The Wash" about the breakup of an older couple. What a good play! Justine's dad is really good at playing bitter old men! Justine herself was there, and talked about the adjustment to junior high. She's such a sweetie.

Rich got me a t-shirt. "Are there things WORSE than turning 50?" The answer is upside down: "51, 52, 53..."
I am NOT amused! (She says, after she picks herself up from rolling around laughing.)

1. The fruit is really good, though not at that price. I'm trying to germinate the seeds now.