Today... was horrible.

The air conditioning is broken or malfunctioning, so even being inside at work is miserable. If fact, being outside is preferable because there's a breeze, even if it is a breeze of scalding humidity.

I barely got any tips today. Yes, I was on speaker for a while, but I still took out many an order, and the only reason I made the five dollars that I did is that some nice guy tipped me two.

And, when I left, I ordered the wrong type of wrap, so when I got home and bit into it, it was quite disappointing.

For whatever reason, my mood dipped down to a level of pissed-off that I rarely find at work. There weren't even any bad customers; just the usual gaggle of confused, mumbling regulars. I think part of it was mild rage at the guy I mentioned a few entries back, the guy who likes to wax philisophical about things that are practically common knowledge, but he likes to sound smart, like he made it up. It's like someone saying, "Wow. What if everything in the universe is just a product of my, or someone else's, imagination?" Think that up all by yourself, kimosabe? Then he asks questions that lead you into his stupid superiority complex.

Like this one. I was trying to get to the scanner to take out an order, and he was doing the trash. He had placed the trash can right in front of me in a very narrow part of the store, blocking me from the scanner, and then dropped the empty bag he was fumbling with. I was trying to get around him because the managers will yell at us if a scan stays up too long before one of us gets it, so I didn't pick up the bag for him. He was right there.

"What, you aren't going to pick that up for me?" he said.
"No, I'm trying to get to the scan," said I.
"You think you're special or something?"
At this point I tried to make a joke out of it, becasue I could feel myself starting to simmer.
"No. I think YOU'RE ugly."
"Well, the things we say are reflections of our inner selves. Are you ugly inside?"
"Yes."
"... oh. Hahah."

I guess he wanted me to defend myself so he could feel high and mighty with his new-age bullshit, but I stamped out that fire with my mighty boots of negativity. I also could've said, "According to your logic, you must think you're really special," which would be true, but I really just wanted to get away from him. It sickens me to hear people try to sound intelligent, while at the same time cursing a blue streak. A lot of intelligent people curse, but this guy doesn't strike me as having the kind of intelligence that would really produce the things he says. He just regurgitates kindergarten philosophy and biblical quotes that he hears other people speak of.

So anyway... another crap day. I found out I have a double-shift next week. Nine hours. I'd better get two breaks, goddamnit. I am also working six days that week, even though my goal was to have only five days of work per week so that I don't collapse. Joy.

But how much of a difference does it make to my day when a customer actually gives me eye-contact and a genuine smile? I almost cried.

As I walk up to your car, I see that you have a relatively new PT cruiser. Upon looking at you, I see that you spent so much money on the PT cruiser that you have no money left for toothpaste.

Being that I am fairly good at my job in customer service and realize that it is rude to stare, I do not know precisely what diseases your gums and teeth are suffering from, or how many of your actual teeth are still in your head, or whether that is, in fact, congealed saliva coating your smile, but please. Please. If you DON'T brush your teeth, do NOT try to engage me in prolonged conversation by asking me if I go to high school, if I go to college, and other such crap questions that are, 1) none of your business, and 2) cause me to have to lean closer to your halitosis to hear you. I am not interested in flirting with someone who so obviously feels that dental appointments are things that happen to other people.

Thank you, and I hope that soda corrodes some of the granite off your teeth.

You know, I am getting pretty freakin' tired of people making horror movies and resorting to a chrous of children singing, or children whispering, or children looking freaky and scaring the adults. IT'S BEEN DONE. Think of something NEW. Like... I don't know... hamsters. See? How hard was that? A chorus of hamsters squeaking on wheels would probably be scarier than kids at this point, because it's been tacked on to SO many movies that I'm now desensetized to it.

I hate children to begin with, but this is just ridiculous. All these horror movies look and sound like the exact same movie. Especially anything by that Shayamalan guy. Ok, The Sixth Sense was pretty good, but you could've stopped while you were ahead of the game. Now I dread seeing any preivews bearing your name because your movies all have so many similar elements that I wouldn't pay to see ANY of them, because they're all the same movie.

In short, horror movies are pretty lame anyway, but they would be better if the had more hamsters in them. Hearken back to the days of yore, and movies like, "Attack of the Giant Shrew" and other such cinematic masterpieces.

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I visited AFI's myspace (shudder), and it reminds me that I hate myspace. Also, I was looking for a new song download, because the other day I saw a song mentioned that I'd never heard of before, but sadly, I found nothing new, and I can't remember the name of the song. So, if anyone knows the location of, say, a good copy of their NIN cover, they should point me in that direction, or else a chorus of whispering children will be visited upon you when you're on the crapper. And hamsters. In the bowl.

Superman was pretty good. I don't really remember the old Superman movies, but I should probably watch them again. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was awesome, and whoever played Superman was smokin' hot. Seriously, I never thought Superman was hot until this guy. Superman was always the guy who could do too much and was therefore boring. I'm really more of a Batman girl, but hot damn. Not even the guy on Smallville is this hot, and he is pretty good-looking too.

Christopher Reeve has nothing on this guy. Except the whole "real-life hero" wheelchair thing. But still! Hot. And, I got to see the preview for the third Spiderman movie, though I wish I hadn't, because it is a YEAR away and it looks TOO GOOD.

There were no fireworks today... a series of very strong storms came through, and any rockets sent off would've fizzled out, or been struck by lightning. While that would've been interesting, it was not the most likely of the two options I just listed. They will probably have the fireworks tomorrow.

The storms were interesting, and I got to catch up a bit more on my Pratchett while everything was unplugged. I also managed to take a nap that lasted fewer than three hours, which never happens. I always end up sleeping five or more.

Speaking of books, I highly recommend Dawn by Octavia E. Butler. It's sci-fi, as is almost everything I read, and she really does a good job of making the aliens truly foreign. Although they are humanoid, they aren't just humans with full-body makeup - they are truly strange, and the concept of "rights" as we know it just doesn't apply to them. They care about humans in one way, yet use us in another... there are many interesting juxtapositions* in the novel, and I am looking forward to other novels she has written.

I hope it rains tomorrow as well. The aquifer needs it.

*I realize I used this word already recently, but, having just gotten up, I can't think of a suitable replacement.