I had to stay at work for an extra hour today, because two people called in sick. The last time that happened, two people called in sick too (except I had to stay THREE extra hours). Why is it that when one person calls in, another always does?

I had to sell a bunch of those Time and Newsweek special editions today. People have been calling us asking us when we're going to get ours since Friday, and demanding we pull them out of some proverbial back room where we must be hiding them from the public. Well, we pulled them out of our asses today to finally feed the public (translation: they came in), and they were snatched up like free candy. (Not like hotcakes; hotcakes sitting at a register would probably be eyed suspiciously.) Some dude wouldn't let go of his newspaper when I was trying to ring him up, and when I tried to take it, he mumbled disgustedly, "It's a paper." I know that! I have to scan it! Damn, dude, let me do my job. ::sigh::

They have pictures in the Time and Newsweek special editions that show people jumping out of burning buildings. That is so fucked up. I read that a man and a woman held hands on the way down. I haven't cried at all about this whole thing, but for some reason looking at those pictures and hearing that made me have to wipe my eyes. I think I never cried because it was just so shocking that by the time I realized it had really happened, some weird part of my brain had already assimilated it. Yeah.

I'm going to an anime convention at the end of this week. My friend Ammy convinced me to go in costume, even though I didn't really want to because I was broke and busy. Since she REALLY wanted to go in costume and didn't want to go it alone, she offered to cover the expenses of making both our costumes. It's turned out a little good and a little bad. We're going as Sae and Nanaka from Maho Tsukai TAI, and my wig has been marvelously created out of sponges. The dye didn't work that was supposed to dye our cover-ups black, and before that I accidentally my the costume in half (oops) when I thought it was extra material. (Not that it would have mattered because it's now dyed gray, which is not black.) Oh well. I'm busy.

Also, since I will be at Anime Weekend Atlanta (anyone else going?) during the festival of Mabon, I have to celebrate it early. We are leaving for Atlanta on Thursday, so I must do it Wednesday, even though the actual equinox is Saturday. That is not satisfactory to me, but it will have to do. But it means lots of preparation--NOW, including some serious baking. Ugh.

At Mother Earth health food store, I found this herb called asafoetida, and I knew it was used in some unusual protection and exorcism rituals. I bought some, and was surprised to find how horribly it smelled! I took it home, and it stunk up my house. I sealed it in an empty ink bottle. The stench is dissipating, but I can still smell it. I hope I never have to perform an exorcism, but let me just say if I were a malevolent spirit that shit would almost be enough to chase me away.

Okay, enough of this: Now for some news about my diet.

I'm drinking lots of Pepsi One these days. I don't like it, but it's better tasting than water to me, and much less calories than something like fruit juice. Dieting is easier with something sweet and carbonated to drink. I found this stuff called Tuno, which is fake tuna, and it is decent to eat. It amuses me because it says on the side "Dolphin safe! Tuna safe!" Heh. And here's my menu:

Breakfast:
1 granola bar: 110 calories

Lunch:
1 apple: 80 calories
1 biscuit: 200 calories
½ cup vanilla yogurt: 115 calories

Snack:
20 baby carrots: 35 calories

Dinner:
2/3 cup mixed vegetables: 60 calories
1 banana: 105 calories
1/3 cup Tuno: 60 calories
½ tablespoon lite Miracle Whip: 20 calories
20 potato chips to eat with the Tuno: 150 calories

That adds up to 935 calories! That leaves me 65 calories. I am going to bake tonight so maybe I can actually taste what I make. :( Let me reiterate that dieting sucks.