Only one more day and I complete the 6 days in a row of work. I had another stinkin drive-off today, but it was my fault...so I ended up paying for it out of my own pocket, even though I don't have to. See, there was a dude pumping gas on #7 and a guy pumping on #8. 8 was pay-at-the-pump and 7 was not. Someone wanted to pay for the gas on 8 and walked up with 20 bucks in his hand. I told him 8 was PAP and he was like...huh...that's weird...and walked away. Then both 7 and 8 drove away. When things calmed down a bit, I looked at the empty pumps, and saw there was 20 bucks worth of gas on 7. Hmmm...that guy had meant to pay 7's gas and I totally should've seen that. If I hadn't just had two enormous drive-off's I probably would've let it slide, but my conscience couldn't handle it and I didn't want to get in trouble. Plus, if someone's going to drive-off they're not going to take the care to get an even sale. A drive-off is usually like $25.86 or something like that.

Tomorrow I plan to drive down to Wartburg at either 6 or 7...depending on when I can get off of work. I might be able to leave at 5, but probably not until 6. I bought some beer from the neighboring liquor store tonight, which is probably against some SA rule, because I'm 99% sure we're going to drink while I'm in Waverly and I don't want to have to pay for a deposit if I don't have to. So I'm leaving this 12-pack warm for the next day, and then driving down to IA with half of it warm and the other half in a cooler with ice, so that way I can crack one open as soon as I get there. Booyea.

Alright, my cousin's family is here for the night, so I have to sleep upstairs in the most uncomfortable bed ever. Dangit. And I have to work tomorrow at 11, so I can't really sleep in....to make matters worse, I'll miss church. I don't like missing church while I'm home in Lakeville. It's one of the few times during the year that I actually can make myself go on a regular basis. So yeah....talk to you guys later...well, some of you....

Finally, there's a decent employee at SA. And I work with him tomorrow night as well. It's actually somewhat fun when you have good co-workers. And you don't have any drive-offs. This store is set up so terribly for them. First of all, you can't see any liscense plates...which doesn't really matter, since we never prosecute even if we DO get a plate number. And I doubt that any gas station does. Think about it, we average at least a drive-off a day. That's 30 a month, 360 a year. Just to cover our drive-offs, the Lakeville PD would have to open another unit. It's just not feasible. The second problem with our store is that there are two exits. So they can just fill up and drive straight away, instead of turning around. It's a mess.

In other news, I think I'm going to drive down to Wartburg on Sunday after I get off of work. My roommate has Sunday and Monday off of work, so we can hang out. Should be fun....even if it'll be a 2.5 hour drive right after working 6 days straight. Grrr...I dunno. At least I'll get away from Lakeville for a little bit, even though I just got back here. The only problem is I still haven't gotten a paycheck yet and I'll have to buy all that gas, plus probably at least a 12 pack of beer. You know, if it weren't for money, my life would be pretty simple. We should get rid of money.

I woke up in a bad mood. I went to work and had two drive offs, both of which I watched the car drive away. Both were for over $35.00. I had to ring the entire night with only a little break. I'm still in a bad mood.

I am in an incredibly bad mood right now.

I mean seriously. In any other line of work, at any other store, in any other situation, every single employee (excluding me, of course) would've been fired from my store by now. At 2:00 one dude, nick, who was supposed to work at 3 called in and said he couldn't work, but couldn't give a reason. The manager said nick had to come in by 7, when I got off. At around 5 we called his house to see if he even planned on coming in, and his dad said he had something going on with his cousin in Wisconsin. Great. Then, at 6:50 Nick calls the store and says he's puking up blood. BLOOD. Puuuuuh-lease. For a while it looked like I was going to have to work until 11, which would've sucked because, not only was I looking forward to hanging out with Jess, but tonight is the only evening I have off until Sunday. But he did end up coming in.....but at 7:30. I was pissed. He better get fired. What a jerk.

So yeah, Jess and I hung out....which pretty much consisted of sitting around and passing Lakeville gossip back and forth, and then watching Edward ScissorHands. Good times. My family almost lived down the road from her....and Hunecke...Travis Holmes...and *GASP* Suz, but some family out-bid us on the house. It would've been a good neighborhood....but I had always liked our current house better, even if nobody really lives close to me. Except Saienga, but that's across the marsh and in a different neighborhood.

Anyways, that's all I've got. Peace.

More food and fun that you can bear (ROAR!)
Jessica's after school party...Girls in Bikinis!

I got called a hippie today. It wasn't the first time I've been called that since I grew out my hair, but it was probably the first time it was meant as a compliment....which means, yes, Jess stopped at my SA today. I would've recognized her right away if she wasn't wearing big 'ol Jackie O. sunglasses. So that was fun to see her again, after like...a year. We're going to hang-out tomorrow after I get off work. Woohoo!

So on that same topic....kinda...I've been trying something new lately. A ponytail. Even though I made a promise to myself when I started growing out my hair, that I'd never put it in one...I gotta admit, it IS really nice when I'm at work. And so far all I've gotten are compliments, or at least nobody has said "My GOD, Corey! What are you thinking! Take it out now!" And I'm confident someone would say that to me. So keeping this new developement in mind, I've decided to go a while before I get my hair trimmed again. Normally I have to trim it just to keep the curls under control, but I'm gonna go a while and see what happens. I'm sure none of you care about this stuff, but wait a few months and then see how I look. Could be a little crazy. Aaaaaannnd....that's all I got. Tonight I really DO have to go to bed early. Last night I read until about 3 a.m., even though I was way tired. Tomorrow I can't sleep in until past noon....only 10. And that's early when you get on the sleep schedule I'm on now. Ok, peace out.

Well that was great ONE day off....now I gotta work the next 6 in a row. Let's give a great big hand to terrible management. Grrrr.....but it actually was a pretty good day. Slept in late, went to the store to buy some toothpaste and an Ace bandage. Laid around all day reading, then went to Batman Begins with my mom at night. We were going to go to Home Depot and Bed, Bath, & Beyond, but we didn't have enough time.....hehehehe

Anyway, all of that philisophical thinking last night left me with nothing to say. I chatted with Ghetto Bowler last night online, that was good. I hadn't talked to him for a while. Also, ironically, I talked with a friend of mine from Rockford at the same time....it's ironic because they share the same name....and he reminded me that I hadn't gone out boozin with him yet. Actually the first (and only) time I drank with him was at my brother's wedding....and we all know how that turned out...but I really do need to get up to Rockford this summer. I figure I can hang-out with Chad's parents during the day and go out to eat with them, then hit the bars with my friend at night. If, that is, we can get our schedules to line up. It hasn't worked out right for the past 3 years. Hopefully this time it will.

Alright dudes, as much as I would love to stay up late like I always do....I think tonight I might actually turn in before 2 a.m. Maybe....

I stand before you a weary, tired, broken shell of a man. My spirit has been sucked out of me by the evil forces of SuperAmerica. I'm back to living Day-to-Day. I spent all winter looking forward to the summer thinking how cool it was going to be...but that didn't turn out right....in more ways than you know. Now I'm sitting here looking forward to the school year, thinking that it all can only get better. They (the proverbial "they," of course) say life is a journey....well, from where I'm sitting I've been on the same journey for a good 5 or 6 months now and I haven't gotten anywhere. Kind of makes you stop and look at things in a different light, huh? I had all of these grand schemes planned out and here I am back in MN, alone, and in my old routine. Alone. And broke. Just me, my computer, and my mind. Now that's a dangerous combination if I ever heard one.

I think I've mentioned a few times that lately I've been having trouble creating -- excluding a couple instances where I was suddenly inspired, during these past 6 months or so I've been having trouble just sitting down and writing. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing...I think that my subconscious is busy with other issues. I haven't gotten lost in my own writing since last fall. That's a long time, considering that's when I do my best writing...you know, when you kind of zone out and when you next glance at the clock it's like an hour later, and then you read back what you just wrote and you don't remember writing any of it. That's the best. That's straight brain-to-fingers writing. I haven't had that, though. Maybe when I could do that I was deprived of something and the only way I could find release was through that sort of writing. Maybe it's better that I can't tap into that deeper part of my soul right now. Or maybe that deeper part is already tapped through a different outlet. Maybe I lack the confidence in my own future, so I can't create the futures of my characters. I seriously have 4 different solid plot-lines floating around in my brain right now....but I just can't get myself to sit down and write them out. It's not writer's block, though...it's something else.

What I need to do, really, is embrace this uncertainty and use it for something positive. I just can't make myself do it, though. I just want to quit. Not deal with it. Maybe if I ignore it, it'll get better on its own. Maybe if we all pretend that everything is great, then I won't have to sit here and hate the present and look forward to the future. The perpetual future.