08-16-04 buying books

if i had a blog, this would be what it would look like...

Monday, 08/16/2004
I finally got my textbooks for fall semester!

The Forsyth Technical Community College is just not high on publishers' priority ship-to lists. They say they'll have the books the first week of August, then maybe next week, maybe next week. So I call them every few days, and today they were in! but I couldn't get through until too late in the day to go until after school let out. uh-oh.

My day started off good. I sold a couple of books over the weekend on Amazon's used book site and had to ship them today. So I got my stuff together - printouts of addresses, scissors, tape, books - and went to buy envelopes, stuff them, mail them. It went smoothly! a little time-consuming, but not too bad. Sam's has better prices than Staples, surprise. (found that out on the web!) Now I've got my weekly
Sam's trip in already, too.

So, the boys got home, and since I've been to Sam's, I've got their after-school cookies and milk. I let them decompress with their snack, then stuff them in the van and head to school.

We go in to the bookstore and Gabe's eyes light up when he sees vending machines. I found I had six quarters, negotiate what sodas he's allowed to purchase (i don't allow them caffeine; it's hard enough to keep up when I have it and they don't), and let them loose on the open area. I can't see them and I'm a wee bit uneasy but I can handle this. Hopefully Gabe can, too.

Nope. The machine ate his quarters. (sodas cost $1; he only put in 75c) But there's a line to get INTO the bookstore because they actually have stock, and I'm not getting out of line! So I send him back to try pushing the coin return button. I figure, I'm out the same amount of cash whether he gets his soda or not, right? He may as well try this on his own. Tyler's running with him. He comes back with half his money refunded. I'm near the front of the line. Tyler's tummy hurts. Gabe goes to try the coin return slot again.

They let me in the store! Gabe returns! Tyler says "Mom, I gotta go to the bathroom NOW! I have to poop!" Kids. So I turn back to the lady letting people in and say "Where's the bathroom, quick?" She tells me, says I'll be let back in when I'm done, and we RUN. tummy ache plus "I need to poop" = you know what, moms.

We made it. nuff sed. Tyler wants to sit for a few minutes. So I show Gabe how to find me, leave him in the bathroom, negotiate what sodas I will buy them from the cooler in the bookstore (wish I'd known about that sooner!), and get my books, get their treats (it's so unfair to drag them along, isn't it?), and get in line. Gabe handled it like a pro. He's 7 now, and he can handle things sometimes. When he needs to. If there isn't a demonstrable need, eh, probably not. :D Kids.

The lady forgets to charge me for my $125 book. Obviously I'm not going to do a happy dance and run away. Then she thinks she has to void out all the soda that she couldn't scan in the first place. I'm like, I do not mind having two separate transactions, just put it through and put the book through separately.

$230 later, we're out of there. Nursing school is expensive! But I opened my physiology book today, and it looks VERY interesting. I can't wait for school to start. Public speaking wants to talk too much about nerves - I got over those when I took piano lessons from David. There just isn't time for nerves when you're always performing. But they want you to think of nerves as a GOOD thing. Now I'm starting behind the rest of the class! I thought I was AHEAD because I wasn't afraid to speak in public! Argh!

Until the next installment, I am
Mama Bear