I live within the boundaries of the geographic area serviced by the Interesting Times.

1. An enthusiastic customer gladly followed me to Alternative Health to pick up a copy of Healing Sounds. He oohed over the cover art, which resembled a mandala draped over a Hindu idol. He unzipped his fanny pack, extracted a small cloth pouch, removed from that a large crystal on a string, and swung it over the cover, happily pronouncing the cover full of good, strong energy.
2. A young man asked directions to the postcards, and then asked directions -- just making sure -- on where to place the stamp, address, and personal communication on postcards. I mocked up the structure of a model postcard on a blank piece of paper, and he took it for reference.
3. After I gift-wrapped a slightly challenging package for a customer, my boss asked, "Did she just tip you?" I looked back. On the desk surface, she had left behind a handful of change.

   I had never been tipped before.

Listening to some used CDs recently acquired from Rasputin. Greatest Marches is unstoppably peppy. Everclear's So Much For the Afterglow seduced me with its title track years ago, when I listened to Dan's copy. Tonight I put away Thursday's New York Times and I boogied down, tried to dance it all out, all the mourning and the wage-slave alienation and the grief.

We never talk about the future
Yeah, we never talk about the past anymore
We never ask ourselves the questions to the answers
that nobody even wants to know
I guess the honeymoon is over
So much for the afterglow

Thanks for reading this, and I care about you. Remember that, and see you tomorrow.