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July 28, 2004Zipping around North Hollywood...
I took the time to look through the circulars in the mailbox when I got home from L.A. tonight, which I almost never bother to do. I'm glad I did, though, as I caught wind of a really good sale down at Ralph's. The promotion included a ten-for-$10 deal on Celeste pizzas and a ten-for-$6 deal on some brand of yogurt with the separate container of granola on top.
I rushed down to Ralph's (which is only about a half-mile away, if that), filled up my basket with pizza and yogurt, tossed in a pizza cutter (might as well, hey?) and a loaf of French bread for good measure, and waiting until I made it to the front of the line.
I always let the checker ring everything up before I type in my Ralph's Club Card number, so I can watch the original total melt away. Tonight, though, nothing happened when I pressed enter. That $35 stayed a $35.
I asked the checker about it, and he explained that the I was thinking of doesn't start until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. He asked if I still wanted to buy the food, at which point I apologized, said no, and returned it all to its proper place on the shelves. I couldn't even eat ten pizzas and ten cups of yogurt between 6 a.m. and now, so why pay twice as much just to have it all six hours earlier?
I'm going back tomorrow morning and doing it my way, just like Frank Sinatra. But with no Mafia connections. And no Rat Pack members accompanying me. And less crooning, probably.
* * * * *
Today was a busy day all around. I knew I'd be driving into L.A. to spend a few hours with my ex on account of her birthday, so I figured I'd swing into North Hollywood a bit early and check out Jason Miller's (lead vocalist of Godhead and fellow VO actor) new recording studio. Damn, it's nice! I want to sneak in one night, set up camp in a closet, and establish squatter's rights to the place. Style-wise, I'm sure it trumps any place I'll be calling home for the next ten years, at least.
After that, I zipped over to the Iliad Bookstore--the best used bookstore in SoCal, for my money. I traded in about a dozen books, my first time doing so there, and was pleased to find they have a very reasonable trade-in policy. A lot of places only let you use part of your store credit on any particular book, so no matter what you do, you're still coughing up at least part of the price of the book you want to buy "on credit". Not so at the Iliad. I bought another copy of Shogun (one with a cover, since my original is falling to pieces), a copy of Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo on my friend Jon's recommendation, and left the store with credit to spare and exactly as much money on me as when I'd gone in. Amazed at my restraint? I know I was...
Posted by patrick at July 28, 2004 12:20 AM
CommentsWhat? You were in my neighborhood tonight, and in my favorite bookstore, and you didn't tell me?
But... I finished Mumbo Jumbo yesterday, and you're gonna love it. Thing would make a hell of a movie. I'm just starting The Last Days of Lousiana Red now, Reed's fourth book, and my fourth Reed book in a row.
I recommend him highly. The guy is an amazing writer.
Posted by: Jon Bastian at July 30, 2004 12:03 AM
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