Of Pancakes and Birthdays

Yesterday I made 8 pancakes and probably on Tuesday the 14th I go over to my brother Dave's place to celebrate his 59th birthday (Sept. 10) and his son Alex's 18th birthday (Sept. 14). Tomorrow after work I'll buy presents for them. I must pick up my 2009 tax return (my brother's partner, Susan, does my taxes every year). I was depressed yesterday evening, which often happens on Saturdays, and had suicidal thoughts, which always happens when I'm depressed. Not to worry, when I'm depressed I'm very unmotivated, and it takes motivation to write a suicide note and actually do the deed (I wouldn't dream of committing suicide without writing a note). Also, deep down I always know that the depression usually goes away in the morning.

Today I bought groceries, and later I might work on Pygridz. Whenever I buy groceries, I have a rule: don't buy fresh produce (which often has to be weighed by the cashier in order to determine the exact price). That way I can always calculate, in my head, the exact cost of my groceries before I get in line at the checkout. Today I calculated it would cost $27.38, but was charged $27.78. I checked the receipt and she charged me $2.59 for the Viva Puffs, when the correct price was $2.19. I told the cashier and received the Viva Puffs for free, obtaining a refund of $2.59. That happens as much as 10 percent of the time (my being overcharged for something), and I always get the item in question for free. Since I usually buy about 10 items at a time, I save as much as one percent of my total grocery expenses by calculating in my head the exact amount of the bill, enabling me to detect when I'm overcharged. The downside is that I don't eat very well (I hate making salad), since my diet lacks fruits and vegetables.

After I publish this post, I'm going to have 2 raspberry pop tarts. Later I will have a 2nd cup of coffee. Two days ago I emailed a guy named Amit Patel about Pygridz (he has a game programming web site), but he hasn't replied yet. I'm going to lie on the couch for a while. Hurray for Price Chopper, the nearby supermarket which provides my sustenance (I rarely go to restaurants, except about once a week I buy a muffin at Coffee Time for lunch). I must floss my teeth today, and get into the habit of doing that every Tuesday and Sunday. If you're reading this, Cathy, enjoy your visit with Don (my sister Catherine, who my brother and I call Cathy, is currently in Italy). In 3 weeks I fly to Victoria to visit Cathy. Tomorrow I must tell my boss about my vacation dates. It's time to wrap this up, as my pop tarts await me. Later.