To Be A Jew

 I woke up in time to get a couple bags of used books I had ready, and take off for downtown. Only one small thing had sold so no need to visit the post office. 

First was the bank, my balance was dead within 3c so that's good. Then the used book store where I turned in the books for the guy to evaluate while I looked around. 

I was pretty sure I'd get $10 in trade anyway, and looked around in the Judaism section. Up near the top shelf I found the book "To Be A Jew" which is one of those on the list of required books for converts and it was like $8. And while marked as used, it looks new. 

I took that up to the front and the buyer had taken all but a few of my books so I had something like $24 in trade credit. I had $3.50 or so already, so after buying the book I still have just under $20 to buy other used books. 

I went out with my book and the few books the guy hadn't bought, and as I unlocked the bike and put things away, a skinny druggie looking gal, a pretty routine type of zombie, had been digging in the dumpster next door (she seemed to come away with a wad of someone's personal mail, bills, etc., maybe her drug dealer buys that stuff for the purpose of identity theft) and held up the bag with the few books in it. "Want some books?" She was like "Sure!" and took them. I probably could have said, brightly, "Want some used TP?" and she'd have accepted as enthusiastically. 

And in the 3 minutes or so I was there by my bike she was actually the 2nd zombie, as a large male zombie had come up, didn't want any books, and wanted to know if I smoke. "I don't smoke, sorry" was my reply and he wandered off. If you don't smoke, you're not likely to have a spare cig, or understand the plight of the smoker who doesn't have any. 

I went to Whole Foods and had some fish and veggies and drank half a beer, then rode over to the Amazon place for bubble mailers, and then down to Walmart. I managed to spend about $45 there, and loaded up and headed for home by way of Nijiya where I got some things also, and a large bento and a beer. 

As I wandered around in Nijiya, there was a couple who were speaking Russian or Ukranian I could not tell. So I bubbled to the friendly guy at the register that I'd had a really good weekend with my trumpet and that I need to learn the Ukraine national anthem so I can play the "Slava Ukraini" special. If the couple were Russians, hopefully that made them uncomfortable. If they were Ukrainians, hopefully it made them feel good. 

I actually picked up a few books on my way home, to start a new batch. It's nice to turn them in before the batch gets really big and the bags get super heavy. It was windy and cold all day but at least it was not raining. This will not be the case tomorrow.