Evil Wrapped in a Fangirl Disguise

Monday I start peddlin' peaches.

So if you are in Washington state, you should totally come get some really fantastic peaches.

And white nectarines. They'll have white nectarines for a brief time. Those go really fast though, either because they ripen quickly or people get to them first thing.

Seriously, people drive thousands of miles and cross country borders to buy some every year.

1. The Middleman: The Collected Series Indespensability finally arrived!

2. This video:



Watched "The Flying Fish Zombification" last night. Matt Keeslar's face! I love it.

3. Lily and Marshall on How I Met Your Mother.

4. Pushing Daisies coming back for season two! "I make pies and wake the dead."

( Yea! )

And released on DVD!

5. Not having to get up at 5:30 in the morning to sit for eight hours selling peaches. Yea, sleep!

It's been a really nice couple of weeks. I spent the 8th through the 10th in Spokane with ginnith and her roommates. Had a really great time and by the time I left, my face and abs hurt from laughing so much.

This last week was spent, besides Monday and Tuesday, selling peaches. Which basically means I sat in the shade and read a lot, only getting up to lug boxes to cars, take money and make change, or direct people into the orchard. Not exactly taxing. Except for the part where it's been miserably hot.

Seriously, this family/group from Canada stopped by on Friday (at least their license plate was Canadian) and wanted to pick during the hottest part of the day. I'm not going to tell people not to go pick if that's what they want, but I feel bad for people who show up in those couple of intense hours and want to head out there. Bad for them and worried about them. I don't mind getting on the three-wheeler to go pick up boxes, but I'd rather not have to go pick up someone who's collapsed.

One of the women in the group was pregnant, too. She came back to the shop not long into and I got her some water and we chatted for a bit. It's a nice break from reading.

Saturday, the whole family went to the rodeo. My parents got to meet up with their own friends and I got to meet up with mine. I always think the rodeo drags a little bit and the ending is always weirdly abrupt, but I still enjoy myself. It was kind of fun watching the guy parachute in this year. The only downside was the 101 degree weather at 6:00 PM. ICK.

I think one of the best things about the last few weeks has been realizing that my friends are a lot more accessible to me than I sometimes think they are. I've been calling a couple of them fairly randomly and fairly often. It's kind of great.

Now this next weekend, olivelavonne is coming over to stay for a few days! Yea! Then we're going to take her and a bunch of peaches back to Seattle. Plus, a mutual friend of ours from SU may be stopping by since she's going to a concert at the Gorge. I'm looking forward to it.

I've been up since 5:45 and selling peaches since 7:00. Not so bad, considering that after I sweep the shop I really just have to sit there and peddle peaches to people wishing to purchase them. (Alliteration! Yea!) But still. It's setting my alarm for before 6:00 that gets me.

It looks like this is going to be a good year. A lot of the peaches are the size of softballs. Or as my mom likes to say, "They're the size of a baby's head." They're big and beautiful and while I haven't eaten one yet, I can tell that they're delicious. They always are. They certainly smell delicious when I open the cooler.

One woman bought 26 boxes. Each box approximating 22 pounds. That's a lot of fruit. Granted, she was buying boxes for lots of friends. It was a lot of fruit shifting.

I also helped a little boy named Angel fix his bike. It wasn't completely better, but it wasn't falling apart anymore. Go me.

People still suck, generally. Today two puppies were abandoned at our mailbox. This isn't the first time this has happened. Nor, I expect, will it be the last.

At this point, there isn't a set decision as to what we're going to do with them. We'll probably take both of them to a shelter, though. Three dogs seems to be our limit.

Which reminds me, we've got three dogs again because Grandma recently got seven year old black lab. Her name's Reba. And while Grandma seems to think she's got the personality of a stick, I think she's sweet.

Other than that, it looks like I'm finished with the peach selling business.

Thursday and Friday I am back to "playing at work." At least, that's what Dan calls it. And it's true. Selling peaches when someone approaches you and spending the rest of the day reading in the shade, enjoying a nice breeze is not exactly hard work.

This time around, I'll be pushing the early Elbertas. I'm expecting it to be less busy, but we'll see.

Also, things are looking good after the job interview I had last week. The position I applied for was "substitute librarian" and everyone involved in the area has been pushing for me. The interview itself seemed, at least at the time, more like a formality because they spoke in terms of "when" and not "if." Which, yes, people can do even if you're not going to get the job, but there were really good vibes. And it's really not a steady job, because they can't absolutely guarantee me work and I'll be entering something of a pool, but it's a start!

Now today I hear that the librarian in Royal talked to my mother (the library is across the parking lot from the store where Mom works) and wants to train me next Monday so I can work next week.

Plus, I ran into my second grade teacher at the bookstore last week and she asked if I'd be interested in volunteering at school. Apparently she's moved up to teaching third grade and could use some assisting occasionally. I'd never want to teach grade school myself, but I'm perfectly willing to spend a few hours with the kids.

Meanwhile, today we took the Explorer in to be checked out. I guess the "check engine" light has been on for the last four days. Mom suspects that it only shut off today because the light bulb burnt out. Had a lovely dinner. Did some shopping. THE OFFICE SEASON 3 FTW!!

Today I -

- was attacked by a praying mantis. Seriously.

- helped a lady who looked weirdly like Torri Higginson.

- thought I was going to die of boredom. I may love reading, but there's only so much you can do before you need some sort of distraction.

So I was wrong. We do sell white nectarines.

And OMG they are good.

Dear Customers,

Please don't complain to me when the peaches you pick yourself are hard. 1) It's not my fault you can't find the slightly more ripe ones and 2) let them sit for a couple of days, they'll be just perfect. Just, y'know, don't be mean about it.

Some General Annoyance,
Me

Of course, I guess I could be helpful in pointing out where the slightly more ripe ones are. Except that I can't really leave the base of operations and, as Dan said, it's kind of like fishing. The perfect ones are out there; you just have to find them.

I do love opening up the cooler and being hit with the smell of peaches. Yum.

Finished reading The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman today. I was unimpressed. (I'd say more, but I should go to bed. So maybe tomorrow.) I'm just having trouble reading things these days it seems. Still not finished with Deathly Hallows. I'm reluctant. And not going to take it to work with me because it will just get dirty from being outside. Seriously, it was slightly breezy today and every time I set down my calculator it collected a layer of dust. I still feel all dried out and thirsty.

Also just watched Wolf Creek. Which was disturbing. Geez. Tomorrow Mom and I are supposed to go to the movies. Hopefully there will be singing and dancing and shiny colors.