Winter Hum Drum....

I just finished watching Shaun of the Dead (Great movie! I needed the laugh!) and I decided to write a post regardless of it being a bit late.

I'm suffering with a bit of the winter blues I think. For the most part I feel like everything is good in life, but there is that nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something or that something is going to sneak up on me. It is a bit of a nasty feeling, but I just truck on and attempt to distract myself with the tasks at hand.

I've been feeling a bit scatter-brained (more than usual that is.....) as of late and I suppose this contributes to it.

I've been busier than usual lately. It is due primarily to my physical therapy and increased visits to the gym, on top of already long work hours. Not to mention for whatever reason my errands just seem to be piling up on me. My taxes, which usually are easy to do were complicated this year by a small amount of stock options that I sold. There are two different types of options which I sold (they have different tax classifications). After some lengthy, overcomplicated conversations with two different etrade representatives, as well as input from coworkers in a similar situation, I STILL have several documents to read.

So I've been getting home late, and honestly I still need some additional time to unwind when I walk in the apartment. I keep procrastinating on the taxes. I'm beginning to realize that they will probably be done when I decide to stay up to 3:00am to complete them. Otherwise it probably won't happen.

My multitude of appointments have been driving me crazy. Typically in the past Outlook on my work-office PC has been sufficient. However I now have soooo many appointments it has been tough keeping track of them. I got burned today when I had to reschedule a job related training when I confused my planning due to one of my physical therapy appointments. I was pissed at myself (as I have been really frequently lately).

Kate said yesterday to get a day planner... and yes, she's right, I do need a day planner. I've tried the planner in my phone, but it being a piece of crap... it is untrustworthy. I need a new phone, however I'm not going to buy some overpriced thing that I won't really use or appreciate. So instead, after my physical therapy appointment today I attempted to go to a couple of the Central Square pharmacies to acquire a wonderful day planner which will surely fix all of my problems and cause the sun to rain down upon me from the heavens.

CVS:
Outside the door are the usual Central square pan handlers. The one guy who is probably only in his twenties and says "you got any change?" is immediately recognizable to me. Not that I remember what he looks like, but rather his high tenor voice and the upward lilt he puts on the question. I assume he thinks that this manner of asking makes him seem to be atypical... like this usually isn't his thing. The trouble is I pass him every other day, easily. Then there is the older man who sits on the ground right by CVS with a dusty Styrofoam Dunkin Donuts cup. He jingles what little he chooses to keep in the cup. In a raspy voice, he loudly says "Spare any change?" and he is of the type that goes for the guilt. I attempt to walk by them as though they are inanimate objects that are merely in my way.

Once inside CVS, as usual there are usually two or three vagrants inside standing in my path, amongst the lines of people trying to check out. This CVS seems to be always mobbed regardless what time of day it is. They've installed two auto-check out lanes in addition to the cashiers which appeared to be fully operational. Interestingly enough the entire mid day crowd avoided them like the plague, and instead congested the store well into its overcrowded aisles. As I look at the line I realize that most of them are elderly and are intimidated by the computers. I try not to scoff knowing that this will likely be me some day (If I'm lucky).

Eventually I make my way through this headache inducing mess and over to the stationary aisle. Much to my chagrin most of the date books appear to be the size of children's coloring books. There is a spot for the pocket datebooks, however they appear to be sold out. One is sort of reasonably sized, however it is approximately an inch think. Not very pleased with my options I head over to Walgreens across the street.

Walgreens:
Irritated I wait at the crosswalk, while the panhandlers shout in my direction. The traffic signal takes for ever, and I ultimately just decide cross the street "frogger-style" walking part way, waiting for a tractor trailer with bad breaks, then finishing the trek across the congested Mass. Ave.

Walgreens has a revolving door which I always avoid for some unknown reason. Instead I go in the exit as someone comes out. Walgreens is sort of the antithesis of CVS...well not really, I mean they are both pharmacies, but where CVS is crowded with merchandise, busy and a little dingy, this Walgreens is squeaky clean, bright and sort of vacant. I locate to the stationary aisle, and what immediately strikes me is that nearly everything there is directed towards children. I keep thinking I'm looking in the wrong place. I mean, how could Walgreens POSSIBLY not have a day planner? I walk around in circles, getting more anxious about how a simple objective such as getting a day planner is turning out to be such an inconvenience. I've probably circled the store 3 times in futility and disbelief before I finally ask a woman stocking shelves if they have any day planners. At first when I ask she looks at me like she can't understand anything I said. Then after a short delay she says "Check aisle 5 where the stationary is..." Which me brings me right back to where I started. During my exploration of the store I notice the following items, binoculars (For peeping toms and birdwatchers... check out those pigeons!) Summertime toys, a giant pencil eraser the size of a paperback book, digital cameras, (NO not disposable ones... the real deal), and did I mention DVD players? Because everyone knows the best place to by quality electronics is at your neighborhood drug store.

BUT NO FREAKING DAY PLANNERS!!! I mean why the hell would those sell in Central Square? It's only surrounded by banks, biotech businesses, a community college, not to mention MIT and Harvard. Totally no market for day planners ...but swimming pool float toys... oh well they had better stock up on those, I'm sure in March in New England they'll be flying right off of the shelf.

Cursing to myself I head back to work. Upon arriving I tell one of my coworkers of my futile search and he says "I think you can get day planners where they sell women's purses". Thanks a lot, ASS! But honestly, I had to give him credit, it was well played and really kind of funny too.

My weekend:
Kate and I had a pretty good weekend. We had Chinese food on Saturday night (I had some leftovers tonight) and on Sunday we decided to go see the Kennedy Presidential Library. It was that one major tourist destination in Boston that I had some how never made it to. It is a beautiful museum, and an appropriate activity to partake in due to the onset of the present elections. After our educational experience, we headed over to Cambridge Common, a pub between Porter and Harvard Square. Kate had been there before and said the food was good, and she wasn't kidding. It is always busy, and now I know why. I'm sure to be a return customer.

Well... only 4 more days till next weekend ;)