I woke up with a headache and the internet was down. So, a pretty normal start to the day in Silicon Valley (may not apply if you're in the top 1%).
I took a Tylenol and had some breakfast and studied some Hebrew, then reset the router and that didn't work so the problem wasn't us.
I took the change I'd been saving up and a bunch of things to donate and headed out; it was around 2 in the afternoon. I dropped off the stuff at the little free library in Japantown, and had quite a little talk with a guy about how and where to get a bike like mine.
I rode down to Walmart and it turned out had two people ahead of me at the Coinstar. Neither were used to using the machine, so I helped them out and the first guy had two silver dimes kicked back, which I paid him a dollar for and he was glad to get. The second couple had a lot of foreign coins, French and Japanese and so on, which they said I could just have.
Then I ran my coins through and what you do you, the machine worked perfectly. No kick backs. Because I wasn't trying to cram too many coins through at once. My change came to about $45.
I waited in line to cash in my receipt, and the 2nd couple, older Vietnamese folks, were right behind me so we got into why sugar-free candy still isn't good for you if you have diabetes which the lady had. I pointed out how many carbs were in the little package of sugar free chocolate covered caramels she'd picked out. In the end she ended up buying her few bags of them.
I got my money and did some shopping, waited in line more to pay for my stuff, that was that. Enough Walmart. The Coinstar was busy, and I was there just when a young Asian guy got done cashing in his change, and walked off, leaving at least $3 in change in the slot, again only kicked back because he'd put his change in too quickly.
I took a quick look at Customer Service to verify that indeed, they no longer stock batteries behind the counter, (I need a couple CR2032's for my calculator) had to walk past the Coinstar again, and a guy was having trouble, having shoved so many coins in that they were jammed. I got my pocketknife out and un-jammed them and explained how he has to put them in more slowly, but that was only the beginning of his problems. I think he'd just started shoveling coins in without starting the process of choosing between cash, gift cards, or just donation, and the machine defaults to donation. He finally got the last of his change in, and I said, "I think you just lost all your money" and he said, "I hope not!" and I told him he might have to get someone to help him, and got out of there.
So I ended up ahead by two silver dimes, a bunch of foreign coins I left outside Big-5 because I don't care, and at least $4 in change, mostly quarters.
I considered going over to Whole Foods but decided to head on back here, because if the internet was back up, I could pack a thing I told a guy I'd mail today and so I'd be keeping my promise.
I stopped at Nijiya, of course, for a bento and a few other things. And rode back here. Once back here I saw that the internet was indeed back, packed the guy's thing, packed two other small things, and caught up with messages and offers on Ebay.
I rode up to the post office and I was able to mail the things no problem. I went to 99 Ranch thinking my $4.25 in change should cover a couple of packages of peanut butter mochi but they don't have the simple ones any more, just ones with a layer of marshmallow around the peanut butter center. Yuck! So I got a pound of "beef trimming" to try out in soup instead.
I feel kind of bad not being out busking, and I haven't been practicing so while I could pick up one of my horns and go out tomorrow, I'd probably sound like crap and it's bloody cold out there too. I do need to get back to practicing and going out busking though, because if it's going to be my retirement career I need decent skills.
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