"The Sharper Image corporation is filing for bankruptcy, so they're closing half the stores nationwide. No, we're not the only store closing. No, ALL of the stores are not closing, just half."

"We don't know the exact date we will close our doors for good, we're going until we sell out our inventory. "

I think I could say those sentences in my sleep, that's how many times I've said them in the past week. I just started working for Sharper Image, where I worked over the holiday season, again. We've been a little strapped for cash lately, and they, coincidentally, just came to be a little strapped for associates, so they gave me a call, and it all worked out. I'll only be working for about a month, so hopefully there will be no babies delivered in the middle of the mall...

I swear, I cannot for the life of me understand how women can work up until they give birth, with no problems whatsoever. Maybe it's the difference between a "cushy office job", as Daniel said, and working retail, standing up all day, I don't know... but my feet/back/legs are killing me already, and I haven't even been working again for a week!

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy working, it's something to do, it's adult social contact (not that spending all day, every day with my widdle chubbalump muffin pie honeybunch cutieface isn't entertaining enough... but sometimes I crave actual conversation. Admit it, moms, we all do.), but ouch, standing behind a counter for hours on end really is quite a different thing when you're 7 1/2 months pregnant!

To add to that, yesterday I was particularly tired for whatever reason, looking forward to being able to sit and relax on the train ride home-- until I heard over the intercom, to many groans of disapproval among the commuting crowd, "I apologize for the inconvenience, folks, but the train line is experiencing a power outage, and so you're all going to have to get off at this next stop (7th), and ride shuttle buses all the way down to the 99th train stop."

No big deal, right? I'm pretty flexible, I don't mind switching to a bus. But when I got off the train and saw the crowds of people, at least 400, waiting for buses, and the way they all literally swarmed the first bus that pulled up, pushing and shoving others out of their way like there was no tomorrow, my heart sank a little.

Three or four buses later, I got on a bus, but I was one of the last people to board, and apparently they're not kidding when they say "Chivalry is dead". I mean, I hate to sound obnoxious about it, but really, when there are 30+ guys sitting comfy on a bus, staring at at least 15 women (one of whom was holding her very young infant, and one of whom is me, who is at the moment feeling VERY pregnant) standing, lurching around trying to stay vertical, and not ONE of those men offers up his seat, it makes me a little sad for the state of the world.
So anyway, I stood on the bus for over a half hour, before finally making it onto the train home. Walking up the stairs at home took about all the energy I had left.


Anyway, this was supposed to be just an update on what's been going on with me, but it turned into a mini-rant/pity party, so I apologize for that, and I'll just shut up now.