Sunday Salon--Road Trip

Don't you hate it when people make you waste your time and money? Since I'm a lady I didn't curse anyone out too bad for my inconvenience...but trust me, I was one unhappy camper and the only thing that made things a tad bit better is that I was able to finish up a really good book. I needed to take care of a bill, but I wanted to make the payment in person so that I could obtain a receipt, rather than wait for them to send one in the mail. The customer service rep told me the office hours were until 9pm. Great! Rather than take a half day, I only needed to leave work 2 hours early (the business is in Lancaster, Pa about an hour from my home). So, I'm on the road, paid my $4 bridge toll from Jersey to Philly and hopped on the PA turnpike. I called the business to let them know I was running a little late due to heavy traffic but would be there in about 20 minutes. The customer rep tells me, "Oh, well I will take your payment but you will have to wait for your receipt in the mail. The lady who does the receipts leaves at 5pm". WHAT!! Why didn't you say that when I spoke to you the first time? The whole point in me coming there was to get a receipt and I told her that I would be there around 5:30 during our initial conversation. Now I have to turn around, pay the turnpike toll, AGAIN and reschedule another day to come there, take more time off of work.

It just so happened I had off on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday and decided to make my trek again. What a day to pick, 0ur area was due for a snow storm that afternoon. Nonetheless, I got on the road about 1pm after picking up Stephen King's Carrie on audiobook, by the time I hit the bridge into Philly huge snowflakes begin landing on the windshield. Aaah, it didn't look too bad. Thirty minutes later, on the PA turnpike it was horrible! I'm moving at 20mph, if that. Every 10 miles I see cars slid off to the side of the road and passed countless accidents. It was a mess! A normally 45-60 minute trip turned into 3 hours. I couldn't even get my shop on at the Lancaster Outlets, I just wanted to get back home. By the time I made it back to Jersey, it was 8pm at night. Seven hours on the road, praying for a safe trip back home to my girls. Whew, that was the worst!

Reading updates: I finished Carrie on the while on the road and the Coffee Trader by David Liss at home. Both great reads.

I'm now listening to Poisonwood Bible and reading Executive Power and Fault Line.


Recently purchased--Volumes 1 and 2 of the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces from the library for $1 each. These are texts I used in my college lit classes and remembered enjoying the classic stories, Lysistrata was one of my favorites.